CINCINNATI — Santa Maria Community Services, a nonprofit organization in Cincinnati, is making strides in preparing children for kindergarten through its Promoting Our Preschoolers (POP) program.

What You Need To Know

  • The Promoting Our Preschoolers (POP) program is making strides in preparing children for kindergarten

  • Santa Maria Community Services recently received a $30,000 grant to support program operations

  • Cincinnati Public Schools data shows that children with preschool experience perform better in kindergarten

Kayla Weaver, a 33-year-old mother of two toddlers, is among the parents benefiting from the program. Her eldest son, Daylin, who is on the autism spectrum, is set to start kindergarten soon.

“With him having autism, it is kind of hard sometimes for him to meet and adjust to people,” Weaver said.  

The POP program is home-based initiative, providing families with educational resources and personalized support to enhance kindergarten readiness. It includes developmental screenings, supplies and opportunities for parents to engage in their child's learning process.

Santa Maria Community Services serves the Price Hill neighborhood in Cincinnati. It's an area with limited access to preschool options.

To support its efforts, SMCS recently received a $30,000 grant from The Scripps Howard Fund. This funding will aid in expanding the POP program and reaching more families in need.

According to Cincinnati Public Schools’ Kindergarten Readiness Assessment for the 2023-24 school year, children who attended a district or other preschool experience had higher readiness scores in Language and Literacy. Scores also varied significantly by socioeconomic status.

“Historically, Price Hill has been an area where a lot of immigrant families and families from low socioeconomic status have come,” said Dr. Sisan Cuervo, a board member with Santa Maria. 

Cuervo said the POP program is not only filling gaps in care, but helping families take control of their child’s academic future.

"It's been really beautiful to see our families fall into that role of like, storytellers, supporting their kids in academics and seeking support," she said. 

Regine Gordon, a family advocate with the POP program, works with Weaver's family. She told Spectrum News 1 that no child leaves the program the same way they came in.

"Every child's an individual and meets different milestones and goals," she said. "It's really exciting to see them by the time they go to kindergarten and see everything they know."

As far as her son's future, Weaver expressed optimism.

"I see him doing anything anybody else can do. I think POP has played a big part in that," she said.

In addition to that grant, Santa Maria has also launched a new capital campaign in efforts to raise funds for a new facility. 

Last school year, pre-K programs nationwide saw historic enrollment numbers and more state funding. Programs saw upwards of $13 billion in funding support and more than 1 million children enrolled, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). 

Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled Daylin's name. This has been corrected. (May 12, 2025)