PNC Foundation and Think Together Help OC Families Get a Head Start on Literacy
At Think Together, we understand that education begins long before a child steps into a classroom and that affordable childcare is essential for working families to thrive.
However, access to affordable childcare and early learning isn’t always feasible. In Orange County alone, the median cost of childcare for kids under 2 years old is a staggering $19,097 while the household income for many families can be as low as $33,150 a year.
Think Together and the PNC Foundation, through PNC Grow Up Great® – the bilingual, $500 million initiative launched in 2004 to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life – are teaming up to support families with early childhood development, literacy and family education. Through a generous grant, they are funding literacy development initiatives with childcare providers and programs throughout Orange County.


One such program is led by Elizabeth Lindsay, who has operated a home-based childcare center in Santa Ana for the past 21 years. Think Together currently supports 33 providers like Elizabeth, ensuring they have the resources to help children and families thrive.
“Think Together has been really good for my program,” Elizabeth said. “They help me a lot with obtaining the materials and funding that I need, obtaining resources for parents and giving support when needed.”
These affordable childcare programs not only provide a supportive space for children to thrive but also offer parents and caregivers resources for their growing families.
Parents participate in engagement workshops, applying a research-based curriculum that equips parents with the tools to develop in their roles as their child’s first teacher and empowering them to strengthen their children’s math, language and literacy skills. Currently, these workshops have served 137 families representing 162 children, and parents have expressed gratitude for these resources.
In addition, PNC’s grant funds up to eight Think Together early learning staff with training that equips them with the strong understanding and ability to identify, apply and coach childcare providers with the Competencies, Foundations, Frameworks and EDI Domains and appropriately implement the 10 components of the Family Child Care Home Education Network (FCCHEN) model.
For 20 years, PNC Grow Up Great has helped young children discover their love of learning by collaborating with community-based nonprofit organizations, like Think Together. By supporting and delivering engaging programs, experiences and resources for families, children and educators, PNC Grow Up Great is helping to create a world of opportunities for the next generation and beyond.
“PNC’s support for early childhood education is a strategic investment to help broaden opportunities for social and economic mobility among at-risk children,” said Jarrod Ingle, PNC Bank regional president for Orange County and Inland Empire. “PNC Grow Up Great strives to eliminate barriers so that every child can succeed, and we are proud to work with partners like Think Together who are dedicated to serving our community through educational opportunities for our youngest learners.”
Think Together is proud to team up with PNC to bring exceptional literacy programs to Orange County families. For more stories, follow Think Together on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.