Futures First Performance Measurement Dashboard

Children transition to kindergarten ready for success.

Data Highlights*

The blue ‘Building Brains’ graph displays selected outcomes collected under this pillar and year-over-year data.

• Futures First’s early childhood mental health work focuses on building protective factors — initiative, self-regulation, and healthy attachment — directly tied to a child’s ability to succeed in a classroom.
• Of the 1,057 children reassessed in Q2 (the end of this school year), 69% showed a meaningful increase — a gain of at least 4 points — in at least one of these core protective factors.

Why This Matters

• Protective factors are the building blocks of kindergarten readiness: children who can manage big feelings, engage with new challenges, and trust the adults around them are children who walk into kindergarten ready to learn.
• That’s why this momentum doesn’t stop when school lets out. This summer, our early childhood experts are hosting nine Connection Camp sessions across the metro, where children and parents build on the progress made during the school year. Check out our July 10 Caregiver Camp sponsored by Clay County Children’s Services Fund.

Data Highlights*

The pink ‘Empowering Families’ graph displays selected outcomes collected under this pillar and year-over-year data.

• In Q2 2026, 90 of 116 eligible children relied on Futures First to bridge the financial gap in tuition in order to access high-quality child care. With this unique support, families are able to remain in the workforce and provide added stability for the next generation.

Why This Matters

• To qualify for state child care subsidy, parents must already be working or in school — but approval can take weeks or even months, leaving families stuck without care right when they need it most. Futures First closes that gap, and steps in when state support falls short, so a child doesn’t lose their spot in high-quality care while a parent waits.
• Moms like Perla are able to stay in school, maintain employment, and reach their full potential — while children like Valeria are able to remain in high-quality early education classrooms.

Parents experience increased well-being and advocate for their children.

Individuals and families develop social-emotional skills and healthy relationships, learn coping skills, and heal from trauma.

Data Highlights*

The green ‘Strengthening Resilience’ graph displays selected outcomes and year-over-year data showing how the children and families we serve are building resilience and healing from trauma. It is important to note that while the graph exhibits a significant increase from 2023 to 2024, the number of clients served has largely remained steady, but our data collection and analysis of positive outcomes have grown.

• In Q2 2026, Futures First outpatient therapists utilized 106.5% of their expected therapy sessions, offering access to 781 sessions in Q2 alone. Clients scheduled more sessions than we planned to offer, exceeding our 85% utilization goal for the second consecutive quarter.

Why This Matters

• High utilization isn’t just a number we hit — it’s a signal. When families consistently fill every available session (and more), it tells us the need for accessible, high-quality mental health therapy in our community outpaces what we planned for. Every session utilized is a family able to access care that helps them heal from trauma, build coping skills, and strengthen relationships — instead of sitting on a waitlist elsewhere.
• See how one family’s access to therapy became a turning point — read Maria’s story.