The Foundry Christian Community Center earned a 5-star rating for its preschool and after-school programs from Kentucky All STARS, a system that grades the state’s publicly-funded early child care and education programs.

When The Foundry Executive Director Susan McCloud accepted the award Wednesday, she noted the critical need to address kindergarten readiness in Kentucky and Bowling Green.

“Today we give God all the glory for planting this dream in our hearts and through it all he’s walked alongside us, supporting us to accomplish his mission,” McCloud said during a news conference at The Foundry.

An 18-month research project conducted by the United Way of Southern Kentucky found that nearly 50 percent of local children in southern Kentucky are entering kindergarten unprepared.

A similar trend is reflected on the state level, with only 50 percent of Kentucky’s children deemed kindergarten ready, according to a report released by the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood in 2016.

Children who enter kindergarten unprepared miss out on vital benefits that help them get ahead in school.

“Studies show that children who attend high-quality early learning environments have better math, language and social skills,” said Phillip Smith, branch manager for the state’s Division of Child Care.

The United Way has taken up kindergarten readiness as one of its greater focus issues.

It set a goal of increasing the number of children ready for kindergarten to 75 percent by 2020.

Joe Tinius, a former United Way board member who currently serves as chairman of its education committee, said many students currently struggling in school first fell behind in kindergarten.

Tinius said preparing children for kindergarten isn’t “rocket science.” He stressed reading with children and turning everyday experiences into learning opportunities.

“It’s about intentional conversations with adults,” he said. “It’s about using the things that are around us each and every day to help children learn.”