United Way Innovation: A United Front for Waco-McLennan’s Children
To prepare the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and doers, we must ensure that the well-being of children is a priority. A child’s quality of life can be significantly affected by their education, home life, health care, and socioeconomic status. However, studies have shown that substantial gaps and inequities exist across income levels, race, and ethnicity when it comes to equal access to the resources that support child and family well-being to the fullest.
United Way of Waco-McLennan County takes up the challenge by designing the Child Well-Being Movement (CWM) to coordinate systems change and advance policies to improve the well-being of McLennan County’s children and families, all through an equity lens. The CWM set in motion a community-wide commitment to a three-phase approach that includes community engagement, data collection, and planning for community action. The core of the CWM draws upon the wisdom and experiences of local families, community stakeholders, and practitioners from diverse sectors, the research from community needs, and directly addressing systemic inequities highlighted by the disparities between neighborhoods and zip codes. From parents to schoolteachers to religious leaders, United Way’s close connection with the people in their community provides valuable insight for understanding the unique challenges that Waco-McLennan County families face. Because children’s quality of life impacts all generations, people from multi-generations and all walks of life are represented in the dialogue.
United Way’s revitalized approach to address the intersectional nature of child well-being is to act as a facilitator for the community. This approach allows the community to voice the changes needed to improve children’s and families’ quality of life. Foundational to the CWM is a transformative and empowering commitment to engage community members — especially those who have traditionally been excluded from the discussion table — and listen to their perspectives and own truths on the issues they care about. Illuminating the personal narrative is how United Way’s work realizes tangible developments rather than simply performative ones. Community members are organized into three groups: the Impact and Engagement Committee, the Community Advisory Board, and the Child Well-Being Core Partner Team. This amplifies the talents and expertise of the McLennan County community. Every stakeholder’s contribution is valuable because the multi-dimensional approach to child well-being requires including views and ideas from all backgrounds and sectors.
Of course, United Way’s work wouldn’t be possible without the wholehearted support of its partners. From academic institutions to health providers, United Way’s partners represent a wide spectrum of goals that must be met for the Child Well-Being Movement to succeed. Making sure that children and families are equipped for success requires cross-sector collaboration with a focus on equity. By coordinating partnerships that are representative of the intersectional factors that underlie child and family well-being, United Way’s work can address the underlying systems necessary to promote the health and happiness of all Waco-McLennan’s children.
The work of United Way of Waco-McLennan’s Child Well-Being Movement is ongoing, and positive, measurable progress has already been made. With nearly 600 community members participating to date, United Way and McLennan County will use data to form progress-checking benchmarks for programs and services, focus investments more strategically and equitably, and sustain continuous engagement even when the initiative ends. Ultimately, it is not just nonprofits and local families who have a stake in the well-being of children: every person in the greater community does as well.
