Virginia Early Childhood Foundation

Congratulations to VECF President Kathy Glazer on joining the PNC Grow Up Great Advisory Council.

Virginia Early Childhood Foundation President Joins PNC Virginia early childhood education leader Kathy Glazer has joined the PNC Grow Up Great Advisory Council.

What a great day to visit Skipwith Academy Colonial Heights with Virginia Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education member Delegate Mike Cherry . Thanks for sharing your experiences as early educators and letting us get a glimpse of the important work you do to support young children and families.

Letter | Fast Track Initiative connects early childhood education programs with educators Parents want to go to work knowing that their children are safe and learning.

Thanks to Ellen Campbell for Delegate for her service on Virginia’s Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education and to Wonder Land Enrichment Center Inc. for a terrific site visit yesterday. Learn more about this important Commission and it’s charge to provide recommendations on the financing of our early education system at https://vecf.org/eccecommission

Don't miss tomorrow's (August 16) webinar at 1pm about the observations and findings from the VA Child Care Stabilization & Sustainability Evaluation - Register today! https://bit.ly/3DRi2h7

The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation recently commissioned Luminary Evaluation to engage in deep listening with child care providers across Virginia. The purpose was to understand their experience before, during, and after the pandemic. The result is the Virginia Child Care Stabilization and Sustainability Evaluation report, which offers insights into steps providers are taking to stabilize their operations and shares provider-driven strategies and solutions to sustaining Virginia’s ECCE industry.

🔗 Read the Full Report. https://bit.ly/3E9ZKIt

📆 Mark your Calendar.
Would you like to learn more? Join Alison LaRocca, President & CEO of Luminary Evaluation, and Dr. Tammy L. Mann, President & CEO of The Campagna Center, on August 16th: 1:00-2:00 pm for a webinar hosted by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. They will present findings and reflect on the evaluation experience.

Register here. https://bit.ly/45odFWU

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While many providers report that responsive pandemic relief funding and policies saved their businesses, they also emphasize the urgent need for further and different support in the wake of a staffing and compensation crisis. Learn more about the observations and findings from the VA Child Care Stabilization & Sustainability Evaluation - Register today for the August 16 webinar. https://bit.ly/3DRi2h7

To build and sustain a stronger, more stable ECCE industry, VECF commissioned Luminary Evaluation to explore the ECCE provider experience before, during and after the pandemic. This new report, through analysis of one-on-one interviews and focus groups with providers across the Commonwealth, offers keen insights into steps providers are taking to stabilize their operations and provider-driven strategies to sustain ECCE services for families. To learn more, join our webinar on August 16, 1-2pm https://bit.ly/3DRi2h7

UVa Wise to open early learning center to help alleviate child care shortage The Little Cavaliers Early Learning Center will serve student parents along with faculty and staff. Education students focusing on early childhood will get practical experience at the center.

Family Councils are strengthening family engagement in early childhood education policies and programs across the Commonwealth’s nine . Thank you for sharing your voices!

The Family Councils in nine Ready Regions are already making impactful recommendations about the future of early childhood education and child care in their communities.

So glad our Fast Track Initiative is helping address the early educator shortage so more families can access high quality child care.

Ready Regions are committed to engage parents and families with young children in the region’s initiatives. Family insights help inform the design of early childhood systems and policies for the region.

Gaps in and barriers to infant and toddler services impact parents' ability to work and force them to make compromises about the type and quality of services their child experiences. This ultimately impacts child development, parental employment, family financial security, and the overall economy of Virginia. Learn more on August 2. https://bit.ly/3Kg5kwe

While Virginia has made significant progress in strengthening its public-private early childhood care and education system through improved infrastructure, policies, and investments, challenges remain for families of infants and toddlers. Learn more at our webinar on August 2. Register here https://bit.ly/3Kg5kwe

Learn more about the key findings from VECF's 2023 Infant and Toddler Gap Analysis Report by joining our webinar on August 2. Register here https://bit.ly/3Kg5kwe

While Virginia has made significant progress in strengthening its public-private early childhood care and education (ECCE) system through improved infrastructure, policies, and investments, challenges remain for families of infants and toddlers. To document the status of infant and toddler ECCE services across the Commonwealth and to understand where gaps persist in the system, the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation is releasing the Infant and Toddler Gap Analysis report. Want to learn more - read the report at https://bit.ly/3rJhasm or sign up for our webinar at noon on August 2 here https://bit.ly/3Kg5kwe

Ready Regions have observed hundreds of early childhood teachers in classrooms to provide feedback that will help improve the quality of interactions with students. VA's VQB5 system offers many opportunities for teachers to reflect on their progress during the year.

Quality matters, especially in the early years of a child’s life. Ready Regions implement the Virginia Quality Birth to Five (VQB5) system in their areas. Learn more about VQB5 at https://bit.ly/46DOcdj

Child care crisis: Richmond-area parents feel the pressure of waitlists, high prices Parents in the Richmond area are experiencing waitlists for child care that are several months, and even years, long. Plus skyrocketing prices. “Finding child care has been the most stressful part about having a baby,” one parent said.

Nine Ready Regions participate in Virginia’s Mixed Delivery preschool grant program that allows families the option of choosing a high-quality, publicly-funded, private early education provider that meets their child’s needs and the families’ preferences. Learn more about Mixed Delivery at https://bit.ly/3D3ztuL

The years from birth to five are the learning years. Ready Regions work to ensure that children and families have access to quality early childhood education that helps prepare children for kindergarten and beyond.

VECF is pleased to welcome Chris Chase to the team as our Coordinated Enrollment System Administrator.

Hundreds of different public and private partners have joined forces with over the past year to strengthen early childhood systems in their localities.

The nine Ready Regions are celebrating a successful first year of building relationships through collaborative public-private partnerships with diverse early childhood stakeholders throughout their communities. Did you know that the Ready Regions provide leadership for the Virginia Quality Birth to Five (VQB5) system – supporting quality early learning and school readiness? Learn more at https://bit.ly/3F3tJQe

We are pleased to welcome our new board leadership:
Chair - Richard Bynum
Vice Chair - Gary Thomson
Treasurer - Xavier Richardson
Secretary - Dr. Jamelle Wilson
Read more about this talented team here https://bit.ly/3NkeGI8

So glad Carrie Coyner joined to celebrate statewide efforts to ensure early childhood success!

It was great to spend the day with celebrating a successful first year. Thanks to Dr. Lisa Koons for an inspiring welcome at the opening reception last night. Virginia is to deliver early childhood success!

State and regional Mixed Delivery leaders gathered earlier this week to share effective strategies that expand access to high-quality child care for Virginia families.

Are you in high school but ready for college? Ready to earn college credit in early childhood education? Apply for a Pathfinders Scholarship to pay your way!
Jump start your Early Childhood career, earn a certificate and work as a Lead Teacher right out of high school. https://bit.ly/2XsQJII

WHO: High School Juniors & Seniors Interested in Early Childhood Education
WHAT: Earn college credit while you are still in High School
WHY: Save time, money and get ahead!
HOW: Dual enroll in HS and community college with an Early Education college scholarship
WHEN: Now through May 31 https://bit.ly/2XsQJII

High School Juniors & Seniors: Where does your path lead? Want to make a difference?
Ask your school counselor about Early Childhood Education dual enrollment and apply for the Pathfinders scholarship today. You can earn college credit while in high school, paid with scholarships! https://bit.ly/2XsQJII

Early Childhood Dual Enrollment Scholarships open now for high school juniors and seniors who are enrolled in Early Childhood community college courses. Use the scholarship to earn college credit. Apply now – May 31. https://bit.ly/2XsQJII

Editorial: The lack of affordable, accessible child care impedes economic opportunity The child care crisis predated the COVID pandemic, but conditions have worsened in its aftermath and it's impeding working mothers and constraining the regional economy.

Today is . providers are important partners in the lives of working families & their children. They deserve our immense gratitude & support. Thank you providers for all that you do!

providers support our current AND future workforce by ensuring children are learning the skills they need to succeed in school and beyond. Thank you providers for all of your hard work!

“We can’t have a military without child care,” Col. Harry D. Hung, deputy joint base commander and vice installation commander at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, said. “Without quality and affordable child care, we are losing talent. If we take care of our families, we can have a vibrant economy. The problem is not just one for local military installations to solve. It takes business stakeholders, including area economic development offices, chambers and more.”

Hampton Roads’ military families are on waitlists for child care, highlighting growing problem “We can’t have a military without child care,” Col. Harry D. Hung, deputy joint base commander and vice installation commander at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, said. “Without quality and affordable child care, we are losing talent. If we take care of our families, we can have a vibrant economy....