Reach Dane

08/31/2026

🌿 Did you know?

Our South Madison site on Latham Drive brings the beauty of nature into the classroom! 🌱

From nature-inspired spaces to opportunities to explore the world around them, nature is at the heart of learning at South Madison. We believe children learn best when they have the chance to wonder, explore, get curious, and connect with the natural world. 🐛🌻🌳

08/27/2026

08/27/2026

Yesterday’s open house at Union Corners was pure joy. 🎉 Free backpacks, face painting, and a whole lot of playing and laughing with the families we’re so lucky to serve. Thank you to our community partners for making the backpack drive happen again this year.

This is community in action! We can’t wait for the school year to begin! ❤️📚🎓✏️

08/21/2026

At Reach Dane, this is our work every single day. Thank you, Governor, for standing up for Dane County's youngest learners.

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/4256dcc?fbclid=IwY2xjawT1ZuFwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMTJwdEtCSXVjT2N4NWdhSWlzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEecM1nP-wLVUxNVnrXTVBvvSO9hPITcZF9SakVSzBS1PL-5WUAZannQxtCigo_aem_DCP3cQ433AUScQqfzqOFwQ

08/21/2026

Ever thought about serving on a nonprofit board? 🤔 Reach Dane's Board of Directors has open seats, and it takes just a few hours a month to help shape the future of early childhood education and family support in Dane County. Parents, professionals, community advocates — all welcome, no prior experience needed.

https://www.reachdane.org/support/volunteer_survey-form.cfm

Board seats are open now. Apply today — link in bio.

08/20/2026

They're back! 🎉 Our Center Based classroom staff kicked off the new year today at Education Start, hosted at the Black Business Hub. Here's to another great year with the educators who make Reach Dane classrooms so special.

08/18/2026

Happy National Nonprofit Day! 💛 At Reach Dane, every day is about giving our youngest learners a strong foundation and giving families real opportunities — through Head Start, Early Head Start, child care, and family support services. Thank you to our incredible staff, partners, and families who make this mission possible, 365 days a year.

08/13/2026

Call Congress today.

A proposed federal rule threatens to weaken the standards that keep Head Start classrooms safe — including the ratios that ensure every child gets the attention they need.

Tell them: don't weaken the standards that keep Head Start classrooms safe. Ask them to oppose the proposed rule change.

It takes five minutes to make a call that matters for the children and families we serve.

Call now. Your voice matters.

Text HEADSTART to 855-714-1332 to be connected with your Member of Congress, or click the link to call: https://actionnetwork.org/call_campaigns/tell-congress-to-stop-rfks-attack-on-head-start/?source=headstarttoolkit

Your voice can help protect Head Start.

08/13/2026

Tomorrow, our community has a chance to show up for the children and families we love.

For over 60 years, Head Start has given children the strong start they deserve — safe classrooms, caring teachers, and support that reaches whole families, not just kids. That’s true for the 40 million children it’s served nationally, and it’s true for the families right here in Dane and Green County who walk through our doors every day.

A newly proposed federal rule threatens to change that. If enacted, it could mean larger classrooms, fewer protections for children with disabilities, and lower standards for the teachers our children rely on.

We don’t want that for our kids. And we don’t think you do either.

Tomorrow, Thursday, August 13, is a national call-in day. It takes less than five minutes to call your Member of Congress and ask them to stand up for Head Start.

To call, visit: https://actionnetwork.org/call_campaigns/tell-congress-to-stop-rfks-attack-on-head-start/?source=headstarttoolkit

Or text HEADSTART to 855-714-1332

Your voice matters here. Our children’s story matters. Will you take five minutes for them tomorrow?

TOMORROW: Make your voice heard for Head Start

Head Start has served over 40 million children over the past 60 years, providing critical child care and comprehensive services to families across the nation.

A newly proposed federal rule would roll back many of the standards that keep Head Start programs safe, high-quality, and accessible. If enacted, these changes could:

❌ Reduce child care access
❌ Increase classroom sizes
❌ Lower protections for children with disabilities
❌ Diminish teacher qualification standards

Tomorrow, Thursday, August 13, join a national call-in day to ask your Member of Congress to call on the Department of Health and Human Services to stop these proposed rule changes.

To call, visit: https://actionnetwork.org/call_campaigns/tell-congress-to-stop-rfks-attack-on-head-start/?source=headstarttoolkit
Or text HEADSTART to 855-714-1332

It takes less than five minutes to make a call that matters.

08/11/2026

Let's talk about what's actually in the proposed Head Start rule change.

The proposal wouldn't just trim red tape. It would eliminate the federal staff-to-child ratio requirement entirely, replacing it with whatever each state's basic childcare licensing allows. State licensing standards vary widely; in some states, one adult can be responsible for 11 or 12 toddlers at once. Head Start's current standard is one adult for every four.

That's not a paperwork difference. That's the difference between a child getting individualized attention during a critical stage of brain development and a classroom that's harder to keep safe.

We support paying early childhood staff a living wage — full stop. But that's a funding conversation, not a ratio conversation. Weakening safety standards doesn't fund better pay; it just makes classrooms less safe while the underlying funding problem goes unaddressed.