Partner Spotlight: HOPE Toledo

HOPE Toledo is a community-driven organization focused on ensuring children and families have access to high-quality early learning opportunities. In this Q&A, the HOPE Toledo team shares their mission, recent successes, and why advocacy and community partnerships are essential to making Ohio the best place to be a young child.

Q. Tell us a little about your organization. Where are you located? Who do you serve and what do you focus on?

A. HOPE Toledo is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization with a focus on education at the “bookends” of the Pre-Kindergarten to 5 continuum.  We are located in Toledo, Ohio, and serve the northwest Ohio region.  We provide service to children and families through partnerships with early childhood education centers and child care providers.  We know that a strong start in early childhood makes a difference in the long-term success of that child

Q. When was your organization founded, and what inspired your mission?

A. HOPE Toledo began in concept in 2019.  The seeds were sown around early childhood education and a community desire to establish a “universal access to Pre-K” program.  A group of dedicated community stakeholders came together to determine how best to bring this to life.  This led to HOPE becoming a 501 (c) (3) organization and the launch of our “demonstration project” focused on Pre-K.

Q. What’s a recent project, program, or win that you're especially proud of?

A. We are extremely proud of the early childhood education work we have supported.  Over the past four years, we have seen more than 1,000 children served in our partnering preschool classrooms.  The success has been engaging 26 child care providers, serving nearly 40 early childhood educators, and creating a “community of learners” while providing Conscious Discipline training to each. Of the children leaving our HOPE Toledo Pre-K classrooms and entering kindergarten, we have seen an increase in KRA performance at the “demonstrating” level of more than 75%.

Q. What’s one issue you're keeping a close eye on right now?

A. It’s two things: Head Start funding and potential changes to property tax usage.  Both of these can have a direct impact on the families we serve if either is removed or limited.

Q. How do you partner with families and communities in your work?

A. We directly engage both families and communities in the work we do. We do this in multiple ways, the first of which is being a good partner with the child care centers in the HOPE network and ensuring we have connected with their families.  We also provide ongoing knowledge-sharing and referrals to resources within the community.  We share that through newsletters and various touch points.

Q. How did you first hear about or get involved with Groundwork Ohio?

A. We had heard about them for years, but became directly connected in 2019 as we were building the work.  Through participating in various Groundwork Ohio activities, we have not only developed as an organization, but we have also connected with strong resources that have only enhanced the early childhood sector in our community.

Q. What do you wish more people understood about the families you serve or the work you do?

A. That they are competent, passionate, and deserving members of our community.  Unfortunately, I have heard more often than I care to admit that the families we serve should “do a better job in taking care of their own children.”  Well, every mom and dad that we have encountered in this work is doing everything in their power to care for their children, but the current structure in place is simply unaffordable

Q. How do you work with other organizations or community partners to create change?

A. We have worked very hard to establish and cultivate relationships with community partners and organizations.  We work with entities from the arts and culture arena (Library, Art Museum, Opera), as well as direct relationships with Toledo Zoo for memberships and Imagination Station (science center) for onsite activities.

Further, we partner with social service entities to connect to resources like housing, rental assistance, transportation, food, etc.  The relationships are very strong and yield great results

Q. What keeps your team inspired or grounded in this work?

A. Simple - the children we serve (and ultimately their families).

Q. Why is advocacy important to your work?

A. For all of the great programmatic work that takes place, if there is no advocacy, the policies and decisions made in our lawmaking bodies can ultimately undo all of the work done.  We must have advocacy in conjunction with strong programmatic work.  That is the best strategy.

Q. What do you think is important to help make Ohio the best place to be a young child?

A. Equitable access to affordable education and care for children from prenatal to career.  As a state, we MUST make our children and youth a priority. Education will drive economic growth, increase health outcomes, aid in workforce development, and job attainment.