United Planning Organization

UNITED PLANNING ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS UNITING PEOPLE WITH OPPORTUNITIES.

COMMUNITY SERVICES - BY PARTNERING WITH OTHER COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND VOLUNTEERS IN 2020, UPO PLANNED AND IMPLEMENTED SELF-SUFFICIENCY INTERVENTIONS FOR ALMOST 50,000 DC RESIDENTS WHO HAVE LOW INCOMES. COVID-19 HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON UPO'S WORK BUT THE UPO TEAM REMAINED RESOLVED TO HELP DC RESIDENTS MAINTAIN OR ACHIEVE SELF-SUFFICIENCY. UPO REACHED OUT TO WITHIN COMMUNITIES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED HIGH LEVELS OF POVERTY AND ECONOMIC INSECURITY. SERVICES WERE PROVIDED AT FIVE (5) UPO COMMUNITY SERVICE CENTERS, SIXTEEN DIRECTLY OPERATED HEAD START SITES, TWO PARTNER FUNDED SITES, AND THROUGH CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH SEVEN COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOS) WORKING AS CSBG SERVICE PROVIDERS. DIRECT SERVICES PROVIDED BY UPO INCLUDE EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE, EARLY EDUCATION, YOUTH SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, YOUTH ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT, ADULT EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION, HOUSING SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE, BUDGET AND INCOME MANAGEMENT COUNSELING, FINANCIAL LITERACY TRAINING, EMERGENCY SUPPORT SERVICES, NUTRITION EDUCATION, COMPREHENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT, HEALTH RELATED SERVICES AND LINKAGES TO PRIVATE AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORT SERVICE PROGRAMS. IN FISCAL YEAR 2020, ALL OF UPO'S COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAMS OPERATED WITH THE GOAL OF ENSURING THAT 1) INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WITH LOW-INCOME ARE STABLE AND ACHIEVE ECONOMIC SECURITY, 2) COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE WITH LOW-INCOMES LIVE ARE HEALTHY AND OFFER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, AND 3) PEOPLE WITH LOW-INCOMES ARE ENGAGED AND ACTIVE IN BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. ALTOGETHER, UPO'S COMMUNITY SERVICES NETWORK SERVED A TOTAL OF 49,324 MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS IN ALL FOUR QUADRANTS AND EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC. AS A RESULT OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED, 447 INDIVIDUALS WITH LOW-INCOMES SECURED EMPLOYMENT THAT PLACED THEM IN A BETTER POSITION TO ATTAIN SELF-SUFFICIENCY; 195 INDIVIDUALS WITH LOW-INCOMES WHO COMPLETED EXTENSIVE VOCATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING AND RECEIVED NATIONAL CERTIFICATIONS THAT PLACED THEM IN A BETTER POSITION TO SECURE GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT; 1,043 WHO RECEIVED FREE TAX PREPARATION COMPLEMENTED WITH MUCH NEEDED INCOME MANAGEMENT COUNSELING; 523 YOUTH WHO RECEIVED ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT SERVICES; 411 FAMILIES THAT RECEIVED ECONOMIC-SECURITY-FOCUSED COMPREHENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT; AND OVER 952 WHO RECEIVED CHILDCARE SERVICES WITH OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES DESIGNED TO ENABLE THEM TO COMPETE FOR, SECURE AND MAINTAIN EMPLOYMENT. UPO ALSO COORDINATED COMMUNITY HEALTH INITIATIVES, COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT STRATEGIES, HOMEOWNERSHIP EDUCATION, ADVOCACY EFFORTS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES. COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT (CSBG) FUNDS WERE ALSO USED TO SUPPORT HEAD START SERVICE DELIVERY, TRANSPORTATION FOR HOMELESS CUSTOMERS AND COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT AMONG OTHER SERVICES AND PROGRAMS AIMED AT SELF-SUFFICIENCY.

HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START - UNITED PLANNING ORGANIZATION'S (UPO) HEAD START PROGRAM WAS INITIATED IN 1964 AND WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PILOT PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES. IN 2012, THE UPO OFFICE OF EARLY LEARNING (UPO-OEL) WAS AWARDED A BIRTH TO FIVE GRANT THAT PROVIDES SEAMLESS SERVICES FOR 1,200 CHILDREN AGES 6-WEEKS TO 3 YEARS OLD INCLUDING EXPECTING FAMILIES. UPO-OEL DIRECTLY OPERATES 16 EARLY LEARNING CENTERS AND PARTNERS WITH FIVE NON-PROFIT CHILD-CARE AGENCIES THAT HAVE CONTRACTS. UPO IS THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF EHS SERVICES IN WASHINGTON, DC. UPO-OEL IS ALSO A HUB FOR THE OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT QUALITY IMPROVEMENT NETWORK (QIN) EARLY HEAD START-CHILD CARE PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE. THE INITIATIVE PROVIDES TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO 15 CHILD-CARE PARTNERS IN DC TO SUPPORT THEM IN IMPLEMENTING HIGH-QUALITY SERVICES FOR OVER 566 CHILDREN. THE QIN-HUB IS A HIGH-PROFILE INITIATIVE THAT IS PART OF DC'S QUALITY RATING SYSTEM. HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START IS AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. UPO-OEL PROVIDES PARENT ENGAGEMENT, DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENINGS, MENTAL WELLNESS, HEALTH MONITORING, NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENTS, AND SCHOOL READINESS. 10% OF THE CHILDREN UPO-OEL SERVICE HAVE A DIAGNOSED DISABILITY.

PRESCHOOL - UPO-OEL HAS A CONTRACT WITH THE OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION (OSSE) TO ACCEPT DAYCARE VOUCHERS THAT EXTENDS THE DAY FOR CHILDREN ENROLLED IN OUR EHS PROGRAM. OSSE ALSO HAS AWARDED UPO-OEL A USDA CACFP GRANT TO PROVIDE HEALTHY FOODS FOR THE CHILDREN ENROLLED IN OUR CENTERS.