United Way of Clallam County recently announced grants totaling $95,000 to the following agencies in the second year of the Great Beginnings Early Learning Initiative: Crescent Pre-School Cooperative, First Step Family SupportCenter, Lutheran Community Services NW/Parent Line,Parenting Matters Foundation, Serenity House of Clallam County and Reach Out and Read WA.

Jody Moss, UWCC executive director, said, “We believe that United Way’s Great Beginnings programs are the most important investments we can make in our children’s futures and in our communities’ future economic development.”

Following are details of the Year 2 grants awarded for 2013:

• Crescent Pre-School Cooperative in Joyce received $5,000 to support the pre-school program and provide scholarships for six students to attend the program.

• Serenity House of Clallam County received $4,280 to provide parenting classes for families in its child care programs.

• First Step Family Support Center in Port Angeles and Parenting Matters in Sequim received $14,807 and $30,300 respectively to provide six parenting classes in Sequim, Port Angeles, Forks, La Push and Neah Bay.

• Lutheran Community Services NW/Parent Line was awarded $9,600 to conduct a series of Play and Learn classes in Sequim and in Clallam Bay.

In addition, a separate $15,000 grant was awarded to Parent Line to provide screening for children between 18-36 months of age for social, emotional, behavioral and developmental matters and to provide information to parents and caregivers on access to a broad variety of parenting resources.

• Reach Out and Read, WA received $9,000 from United Way to maintain and enhance their services at the Peninsula Children’s Clinic in Port Angeles and the Bogachiel Clinic in Forks.

Reach Out and Read is a parenting education program partnering with doctors to give books to families, and encouraging families to read together at home.

• UWCC also will help fund the Parenting Matters Foundation through a separate $8,220 grant funding the First Teacher Newsletter, a publication with diverse articles for parents and other caregivers that reaches approximately 80 percent of families with young children across the county.