Statewide Partnership
In 2021, the United Way of West TN joined the Bright Start TN Network, powered by Tennesseans for Quality Early Education. This new statewide network taps the power of communities across Tennessee to collaboratively design, implement and scale high-quality early care and education (ECE) systems locally, while informing and advocating for supportive state policies. Over the next three years, United Way of West TN will convene partner organizations and local early childhood advocates to implement the Bright Start West TN Action Plan, using continual assessment to measure progress and to fuel action for equity through uniting agencies.
WHY DO WE NEED AN EARLY CHILDHOOD ACTION PLAN?
90% of brain development occurs before age 5- before a child enters kindergarten. To say it simply, the early years matter.
Unfortunately, not all children and families have equal access to positive early childhood experiences. Declining academic outcomes reveal a need for more early childhood investments, with less than one-third of third graders in West TN testing proficient in reading or math.
Evidence shows that investing heavily in high-quality birth-to-five programs for disadvantaged children is a cost-effective solution, producing up to a 13% return on investment. For West Tennessee children to succeed, we must act earlier.
Bright Start West TN Three-Year Goal: We aim to increase the number of West TN third-grade children proficient in reading and math by five percentage points each year, resulting in 45% of students testing proficient or above by 2026.
We must consider the needs of the whole child. Our focus is on strategies that align with three domains that we believe are essential to a child's academic outcomes. We call this framework the "Cycle of Success".
Bright Start West TN Vision: A comprehensive, equitable, and high-quality continuum of care for all West Tennessee children from birth to third grade.
TARGET POPULATION
Children ages 0-8 in 9 counties: Decatur, Dyer, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Lake, Madison, McNairy, and Weakley. Our strategies will likely benefit all of West Tennessee, but we have targeted the counties with the highest level of need. Priority was given to evidence-based interventions that target economically-disadvantaged children
The strategies within the Bright Start West Tennessee action plan were chosen for their promise to build capacity in high-quality childcare, improve access to mental, physical, and behavioral health services, or to support and empower parents and caregivers.
Many of the strategies were included in the Bright Start TN Clearinghouse, provided by TQEE. The Clearinghouse is a curated collection of evidence-backed and promising strategies that align with the work of the Bright Start Network.
For a summary of the strategies included in the West Tennessee action plan, download below.
