As he helped his four-year-old daughter Lillian select books at the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Charles Morgan also had the opportunity to give Lillian a quick 15-minute Learning Checkup and receive incentives for participating. “Most of all, I wanted to hear input on how Lillian is doing," says Morgan. “The incentives offered were great, but the info was the most important.”

Morgan learned that Lillian is progressing well on her way to being ready for kindergarten. She left the Checkup with a brand new book and scratch-n-sniff stickers. Dad received a Kroger gift card and a folder full of resources, courtesy of Columbus Kids, which offers the program at the library and a variety of other locations to increase participation among Columbus families. “There are some really valuable resources here,” he adds. “I will definitely recommend the program to my friends and bring my other daughter back to be checked out.”

For a schedule of upcoming Learning Checkups or to learn more about the program visit www.columbuskids.org.

Columbus Kids is a collaborative effort led by the United Way of Central Ohio that involves more than 50 community partners. It is funded by the Columbus City Schools, Columbus City Schools Education Foundation, Columbus Foundation, Franklin County Board of Commissioners, JP Morgan Chase Foundation, Nationwide, The Limited Foundation and individual donors.