Addition Financial Credit Union, Orange County Public Schools, The Early Learning Coalition of Orange County, and Junior Achievement announced this week that AdventHealth for Children is joining their partnership to help expand the ADDing FUNdamentals Financial Literacy Program. Seven new childcare centers and schools, including 11 new classrooms are being added to the unique financial literacy program for pre-school children.

The program now serves more than 300 students through a total of 15 childcare centers/schools and 25 classrooms.

The ADDing FUNdamentals program, launched as the first of its kind in Central Florida in 2023, has little learners practicing their financial literacy skills in playhouses designed to look like mini-credit unions. The pre-kindergarten students learn how to count money, manage a cash register and exchange play money for goods rendered in the Addition Financial Credit Union “branches.”

Addition Financial provided students with new backpacks filled with materials for students to continue learning at home. The credit union also presented AdventHealth for Children with a check for $15,000 to help provide scholarships for AdventHealth’s West Lakes Early Learning Center.

“It has been rewarding to see the early success and now growth of this program that is a true building block for children beginning their financial journey,” said Kevin Dougherty, Chief Operating Officer of Addition Financial Credit Union and board member of Early Learning Coalition of Orange County. “Putting the financial well-being of our community is a huge part of our mission at Addition Financial, and we are grateful AdventHealth is joining this terrific coalition of partners aiming to do just that.”

The West Lakes Early Learning Center’s commitment to early childhood education and development extends beyond the classroom, giving children access to quality health care through AdventHealth for Children, comprehensive social services and extracurricular activities such as gardening, soccer, and tennis. Thanks to Addition Financial, the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County and Junior Achievement, enrolled children will now also have the opportunity to learn about financial literacy.

“We know that the first 2,000 days of a child’s life are the most important for their development and that teaching children about money at an early age can have lifelong and life-changing impacts,” said Alfreda Clark, director of the West Lakes Early Learning Center.