Celebrating 10 Years of SPARK at Action for Children
08/25/25
Author: Areesha Hunter, Home Visiting Program Manager at Action for Children
Action for Children’s SPARK program is celebrating ten years of preparing families for kindergarten this year! For me, it’s been an honor and a privilege to support parents in introducing the school readiness skills their children need for the K–12 experience.
SPARK at Action for Children serves children in Franklin County between the ages 3-5, which allows children to be enrolled for two years before they transition to kindergarten. The program is comprised of both individual in-home and in-person group lessons to promote enhanced social-emotional learning.
Over the past ten years, our team has served over 700 children and completed 8,500 developmental assessments and over 7,000 math and literacy lessons. My team and I have seen children grow in leaps and bounds as they master early learning skills and build their confidence. The parents we support have taken the lead in supporting their child’s readiness by reading books, engaging in play, asking questions, and providing words of affirmation as their child problem-solves and works towards learning milestones.
When our children complete the four-year-old cohort year, we end the year with a graduation celebration. This is a formal acknowledgment for both parents and children and serves as a reflection of the many achievements accomplished throughout their time in the program. Part of kindergarten readiness is ensuring children have the core skills around math, literacy and social-emotional development that will allow them to thrive on day one. What sometimes gets overlooked is the critical component of all the contributions parents provide in fostering confidence and encouragement to their child. As we partner with parents, we get to celebrate the many ways they advocate for their child today and throughout their entire academic journey. What a celebration it is filled with caps and gowns, certificates, food, school goodies and family fellowship. It is a milestone worth celebrating and a rite of passage as children transition to the next level of school.
The last ten years have been an amazing journey filled with families thriving and winning when it comes to kindergarten readiness. It has been awe-inspiring for our team to be a part of their experience as we watch young children soar to incredible heights and see countless families reach their goals. We have borne witness to superstars who will be tomorrow’s parents, teachers, firefighters, entrepreneurs, policymakers and early-childhood advocates — and the list goes on.
SPARK at Action for Children helps to provide the cornerstone for young children to thrive in kindergarten and grade school, graduate high school, attend post-secondary institutions, and become experts in a host of trades. And it all starts with parents planting the seed of education as one of the keys to their child’s success.
As we roll up our sleeves and venture into the next ten years of SPARK at Action for Children, the opportunities we see are infinite! We remain committed to preparing every child in Franklin County for kindergarten by advocating for quality early learning and standing alongside parents as they support their children’s growth. Through intentional and strategic partnerships within our community and an openness to innovation, we will continue to build the solutions and pathways that help children and families thrive.
To all of our parents who are looking for support to ensure their child is ready for kindergarten on the first day of school, we have your back and are ready to help you on your journey. We stand firm with you on the importance of your child being set up for success. Your child deserves the best start – and we will partner with you to make that happen!
To learn more about Action for Children’s SPARK program, visit www.actionforchildren.org/connect!
About Action for Children: Action for Children is the local child care resource and referral agency for central Ohio and is committed to assuring quality early learning experiences for all children. Our services focus on transforming the lives of children by supporting the everyday heroes who most influence our children’s early growth; caregivers, educators, parents, and guardians. Learn More.
Action for Children’s SPARK services are provided in partnership with SPARK Ohio and Future Ready Five and funded by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners (administered by Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services) and the United Way of Central Ohio.