Strategic Partnerships
Strategic Partnerships Driving Community Support for Local Preschools
Partnerships and strategic collaborations are essential to expanding accessible, high-quality early childhood education. Support for preschool children and families rely on. At Cincinnati Preschool Promise, Contagious Collaboration – one of our Core Values – guides how we work our whole is greater than the sum of our parts. That’s why we carry the load together; building purposeful relationships grounded in cooperation and our shared purpose.
The partners highlighted below align with our strategic direction and help us broaden our reach and impact. Through direct services, early education policy insights, and technical assistance they support families, strengthen community preschools, and enhance the early childhood ecosystem through shared resources and community engagement.
Cincinnati Public Schools
The Cincinnati Preschool Promise was created through a Cincinnati Public School levy, passed in 2016 and renewed in 2020 and 2025, providing $15 million annually for preschool expansion. These funds are shared between CPP and Cincinnati Public Schools. Cincinnati Public Schools uses preschool expansion funds for Tuition Assistance, Special Education services, and targeted quality improvement projects.
The partnership ensures public dollars used effectively to give preschoolers a strong foundation for kindergarten and long-term academic success. Cincinnati Public Schools also offers valuable resources that benefit Cincinnati Preschool Promise families and the broader community, including:
- School-based Health Centers for medical services, visions services, dental services and mental health care
- Cincinnati Public Schools Resource, Asset & Service Maps that connect families to the people, partners, and programs that support every child.
- Kindergarten Enrollment
United Way of Greater Cincinnati – Success By Six
United Way of Greater Cincinnati (UWGC) believes every child deserves the opportunity to achieve their full potential. UWGC creates pathways for children and young adults to meet key academic milestones, build essential life skills and access meaningful opportunities. By reducing barriers to learning, UWGC helps strengthen families and create a thriving community.
SUCCESS BY 6® is UWGC’s collaborative effort to help ensure all children ages 0-6 are healthy and ready for kindergarten. Since 2003, Success By 6® has served as a convener and champion for early childhood education. United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s long-standing leadership, investments, and advocacy have fueled community-wide services and laid the groundwork for major systemic wins – including voter-approved funding that created and sustains Cincinnati preschool Promise.
United Way uses a variety of strategies such as:
- Public campaigns to raise awareness about the critical role parents and caregivers play as a child’s first teacher.
- Invest in community solutions that support early childhood development and learning.
- Advocate for policies that support children and early childhood education, expand funding, and reduce systemic barriers like the benefits cliff for families relying on public childcare assistance.
African American Chamber of Commerce
The Cincinnati Preschool Promise partners with the African American Chamber (AACC) to strengthen independent centers and home-based preschools within the CPP Provider Network.
The AACC was founded in 1996 to advance economic opportunity for African American business owners and communities, the AACC advocates for entrepreneurs, expands market access, and supports business growth. When funding allows, CPP Community Providers are eligible for a 1-year complimentary membership to the AACC.
Through this CPP Plus partnership, Community Preschools gain access to signature programs, special events, and business resources to help sustain and grow their businesses. By supporting the business side of early education, this collaboration expands the availability and stability of preschool seats across the community.
All-In Cincinnati is a multi-sector coalition transforming how systems serve communities with the greatest need and elevating solutions that uplift everyone. Over the past five years, All-In has delivered measurable progress in health, housing, economic mobility, education, and justice – by centering lived experience, data, and collective action.
As a key partner, All-In lead community conversations on early education, child care, and preschool driving system change grounded in community insight while strengthening support for community preschools.
Communities for Action (CFA)
Communities for Action offers a targeted, six-month technical assistance program for state, territory, and Tribal teams that are exploring or preparing for systems change to support the ECE workforce. Through facilitated sessions, peer learning, and guided planning, teams deepen their understanding of complex challenges, set shared goals, and develop evidence-based, actionable plans. Each cohort focuses on a specific ECE workforce issue, creating space for reflection, strategic development and community.
CFAs are best suited for teams in the early stages of reform, building momentum toward long-term improvements in career pathways, compensation, and workplace conditions for ECE professionals.
- The goal: Strengthen understanding of the policy context, explore systems-change strategies and develop actionable plans.
- The benefits: Monthly sessions and collaborative learning, and structured, supportive technical assistance.
- The cohort: The Ohio team includes Southwest Ohio AEYC, Ohio AEYC, Cincinnati Preschool Promise, Dayton Preschool Promise, PRE4CLE, OCCRRA, and the Ohio Department of Children & Youth.
K-Ready Alliance Ohio
Explore how you can take part in community support for local preschools and help build a stronger early education system in Cincinnati.
Frequently Asked Questions About Community Support for Local Preschools
Community support expands access to funding, expertise, professional training, and direct services that help preschool administrators deliver high-quality early education.
Strategic partnerships connect community preschools with organizations that provide resources, advocacy, technical assistance, and policy solutions – strengthening the entire early educational ecosystem.
Businesses can contribute funding, professional development, volunteer programs, technical assistance, childcare and entrepreneurship support for community preschool owners and directors.
No. Many CPP partnerships also support families, caregivers, educators, and community members beyond CPP-affiliated providers.