Empowering Early Learners: POP Program Helps Cincinnati Children Prepare for Kindergarten
In Cincinnati’s Price Hill neighborhood, Santa Maria Community Services is changing lives through its Promoting Our Preschoolers (POP) program, an innovative, home-based initiative designed to prepare young children for kindergarten, especially in underserved areas.
Kayla Weaver, a mother of two, says the program has been transformative for her son Daylin, who is on the autism spectrum. “With him having autism, it is kind of hard sometimes for him to meet and adjust to people,” she shared. Thanks to POP, she feels confident about his readiness for school.
POP provides:
- Developmental screenings
- Educational materials
- One-on-one family support
- Tools for parents to actively engage in their child’s learning
Santa Maria recently received a $30,000 grant from The Scripps Howard Fund to expand the program’s reach. The goal: help more families like the Weavers thrive academically and beyond.
Dr. Sisan Cuervo, a board member, highlighted how POP is helping families become advocates and educators in their own homes. “It’s been really beautiful to see our families fall into that role,” she said. Family advocate Regine Gordon adds: “No child leaves the program the same way they came in.”
With growing support, including a new capital campaign for expanded facilities, Santa Maria continues to build brighter futures, one preschooler at a time.
