United Way Receiving Grant from Va. Early Childhood Foundation - NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and Weather

The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation is awarding a $250,000 to the United Way Thomas Jefferson Area.  

The funds will be used for a preschool initiative program. The program aims to ensure all eligible at-risk children will have the opportunity to attend preschool.

United Way wants to focus on quality education, not necessarily the number of students coming off wait-lists.

“It’s essential that the focus is on quality. So as much as we'll be able to place through this grant approximately 30 children in preschool, we're also a real emphasis of this grant is on elevating quality. So we'll be working with ReadyKids and having an accelerated quality initiative in three to five of those private partner providers,” said United Way Thomas Jefferson Area  Executive Vice President Erika Viccellio

United way says that instead of hiring more teachers, the grant money will be used to get existing schools and instructors to elevate the quality of learning in the classroom.