Since 2014, OberlinKids has brought together families, educators, healthcare providers, and community organizations to ensure every child entering the Oberlin City School District is healthy and ready to learn.
Our 2026 Celebration of Community Impact highlights 12 years of working together to strengthen early childhood development, empower caregivers, and connect families with FREE programs and resources.
Measuring What Matters: Kindergarten Readiness
The percentage of Oberlin children demonstrating kindergarten readiness increased from 39.1% in SY 2014–2015 to 52.9% in SY 2024–2025, a 13.8 percentage-point improvement! During the same period, Lorain County remained at 39.7%, while Ohio decreased slightly from 37.3% to 36.6%.
While many factors influence school readiness, Oberlin's progress demonstrates encouraging community-wide outcomes and reinforces the importance of investing in our youngest children.
Supporting Children and Families
Through our FREE On Track for Kindergarten Check-In, families have completed 2,967 developmental and social-emotional questionnaires since 2014, helping caregivers celebrate their children's strengths, monitor development, and connect with additional support when needed.
We've also gifted 1,564 books through 337 Literacy & Learning Kits, while 256 Oberlin children receive FREE monthly books through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
Our community activities include 9 family events, 17 parent-led playgroups, and 20 family workshops, providing opportunities for children to learn through play while caregivers build connections and access resources.
Our Preschool Scholarship Program provided $14,690 in tuition assistance, helping remove financial barriers to high-quality early learning.
Stronger Together: The Power of Collaboration
OberlinKids is more than a collection of programs. We are a growing network of 32 Community Partners, with 184 families engaged and 209 children enrolled, working together to create lasting, positive change.
During our most recent reporting year, $155,146 in grant funding helped sustain our FREE school readiness programs and family resources.
We are especially grateful to the United Way of Greater Lorain County for providing essential backbone support, Kendal Northern Ohio for serving as our fiscal sponsor, and our generous funders, Community Partners, volunteers, and supporters who make this work possible.
Looking Ahead
As we celebrate 12 years of progress, we recognize there is still important work ahead. By listening to families, strengthening partnerships, and using data to guide our decisions, we will continue working to remove barriers and ensure every child in Oberlin has the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive.
These accomplishments belong to our entire community. Thank you to everyone who has helped make OberlinKids what it is today!
Ready Kids. Empowered Families. Connected Communities.
Together, We Are OberlinKids!
Explore more at www.oberlinkids.org/data.
