FLORENCE, Ky. — Sandra Woodall remembers what it was like to be a young parent with a young child.

“And not knowing where to go to find these resources, so that’s a passion to be able to share this information with families as they’re exploring and wanting to know about the excitement of wanting to be a parent and have them kindergarten ready,” Woodall said.

Woodall is now the executive director for EC LEARN, a child care resource and referral entity. The company is relaunching MyPre-K.com, a website to help families in Boone, Kenton, Campbell and Pendleton counties with any of their prenatal through kindergarten needs, with the help of 100 community partners.

When it first launched in 2018 with the help of United Way of Cincinnati, the website focused on children ages three to five in child care. After taking a pause, the scope was broadened.

“The brain develops 90% before the time you’re five. So if we can get in earlier, then we have a better return on investment,” Woodall said. “It’s a resource for families to come where they know the age of their child, but not really not knowing all the resources that are available to impact child development and kindergarten readiness.”

According to a news release, the website offers:

Program finder: Search and compare early childhood programs to find the best fit for your family.

Enrollment support: Step-by-step guidance to help families navigate the process.

Community resources: Tools and information to ensure every child is ready for school.

“We want to empower parents as their child’s first teacher. That is so important that they know they have that voice,” Woodall said. “If you’re looking at mom and me classes from our local libraries, or you’re looking to find pediatrician information, or how do I register for pre-school? How do I get my child registered for kindergarten? This is one place that you can go, and you don’t have to explore different websites. You don’t have to spend a lot of time Google searching.”

ECF LEARN Early Childhood Community Engagement Specialist Karen Sherman said growth and development don’t just happen in preschool or child care.

“Families need to have at their disposal not only all the choices for school options but also all the community opportunities that are out there. So that they can add together and kind of blend all of the different learning experiences. Because the growth and development happens every hour they’re alive,” Sherman said.

Different families have different needs.

Woodall and Sherman said sometimes there can be too much information out there. They hope the website can be a funnel to help set parents and their kids on the right track.

The goal is for MyPre-K.com to expand into the other 16 counties EC LEARN serves with further funding. The website also features financial resources. Parents can see if they qualify for child care assistance, or be connected with community partners.