Bainum Family Foundation

In celebration of World Food Day, we’re uplifting some of our Legacy partners who are leading the way in integrating quality nutrition into early childhood programs. Ensuring that all children, particularly the youngest among us, have access to nutritious food is crucial — especially in the child care centers and programs where they spend so much of their time. Every child deserves to have their basic nutritional needs met, no matter where they live, during these vital years of development. Discover more about the impactful work of these partners and our Family Philanthropy's Global Ed Fund initiative here: https://lnkd.in/g3Y2MD4b #WorldFoodDay Catholic Relief Services, iACT, OneSky, PATH

We were honored to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the National Children's Center (NCC). As a long-time partner, we’ve seen firsthand the incredible impact they have on young children, families, and the D.C. community. NCC's commitment to delivering comprehensive and inclusive services has been vital in ensuring that all children, regardless of their abilities or economic backgrounds, receive the care they deserve. Congratulations to the entire NCC team for 65 years of exceptional leadership and meaningful impact!

Join us in welcoming the newest member to our team, Grace Meiser! We are so excited to have you on board! 

✨ Speaker Spotlight: We’re thrilled to hear from David Daniels. David Daniels is CEO of the Bainum Family Foundation out of the Washington, D.C. area. The Bainum Family Foundation invested millions in the well-being of children and families in Florida and recently committed $100 million to early childhood education initiatives across the nation. He'll kick off our day with a conversation on "Humble Generosity", a more collaborative and community-driven approach to place based philanthropy. Don’t miss his session at the #LoveIsLocalSummit! 🎤 Register now to secure your seat: https://lnkd.in/eHpTGVzZ #LoveIsLocal #LiftOrlando #CommunityLeaders

Last night, we were honored to join one of our Early Childhood partners, Center for Law and Social Policy, in celebrating a significant milestone — 25 years of championing child care and early education (CCEE)!   Over the years, its CCEE team has supported children and families through its dedicated advocacy and policy work, ensuring equitable access to affordable and quality care and education. We look forward to the continued impact in the years to come as we collectively strive to make the ideal child care real.

Many of our early learning partners are navigating a child care system that has conflicting quality expectations, constant regulatory changes, and duplicative oversight. Some child care options are under-regulated, others over-regulated, and some are a mix of both. In addition, WeVision EarlyEd proximity experts (families included) want to make more quality-centered and child-centered decisions but are limited by what they can afford. At the 2024 NARA – NWRA Licensing Seminar and Leadership Symposium, our team members, Demetria Joyce and Marica Cox Mitchell, explored these complexities with regulatory experts. A key takeaway? We need to streamline regulations and provide families with two clear and funded child care options: early childhood education programs that must meet the industry-recognized quality baseline, and trusted caregivers (e.g., family members, stay-at-home parents, nanny, au pair, community member, etc.). National Association for Regulatory Administration (NARA), NATIONAL WORKFORCE REGISTRY ALLIANCE INC

This week, a few of our leaders had the pleasure of attending National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP)’s 2024 National Forum on Family Philanthropy! The theme, “Bold Choices Lead to Bold Change”, resonated throughout the week. On Day 2, our VP of OLE, Rebecca Cisek, EdD, engaged with fellow family philanthropists during the workshop, Embracing the Shift. Participants shared personal reflections and insights on managing change effectively, and strategies to overcome challenges in the process. Today, our CEO, David Daniels, facilitated the closing plenary discussion of how bold, transformative change can happen through the collaborative efforts of funders, nonprofits, and most importantly, to be led by the community. But, as he challenged the audience, we in the philanthropic sector still need additional shifts in our collective mental models to do so. The panelists collectively shared that asking partner communities about their needs and their solutions for the ideal and engaging in deep listening is a pivotal first step. In the delta space between their reality and the ideal is where philanthropy can make the biggest difference. As we continue to strive toward systemic change for the well-being of children and families, let’s normalize co-creating solutions alongside the communities we serve. 

Through WeVision EarlyEd, we've learned that families want a range of child care options that include Early Childhood Education programs AND, what we’ve termed, “trusted caregivers.” FFN (i.e., families, friends, and neighbors) falls under this option.    Trusted caregivers offer quality, convenient care with flexible hours — whether it's evenings, overnight, weekends, or holidays — allowing families to work without concern about timing or costs.   For child care solutions to be effective (and politically viable), it's essential to respect family preferences. This means supporting clear and funded options that work for all families.   #FFNAppreciationWeek Home Grown

It was great to be at The Hunt Institute's 2024 Early Childhood Leadership Summit! Marica Cox Mitchell, our VP of Early Childhood, joined some of our other partners and policy leaders from across the country to discuss and examine how well young children and their families are being supported.   A notable theme to take away: access, quality, and affordability all matter. Policies that prioritize one over the other might make some level of impact, but they will not spur the transformative change needed to deliver on the promise of early learning. #ECLS24   Educare DC, Association of Early Learning Coalitions, Children's Forum, The Children's Movement of Florida, Children's National Hospital's Early Childhood Innovation Network

“Extreme heat affects fetal development, learning, sleep, and mental and behavioral health, with repercussions throughout a person’s life. Addressing these impacts is crucial for protecting both developing children and their families." As we strive for the healthy development of young children and the well-being of their families, this piece underscores the importance of considering the negative impacts of climate change.