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Thank You for Supporting Children and Families Thank you to everyone who stepped forward and donated as part of our Giving Tuesday and End of Year fundraising campaigns! Your outpouring of support was truly inspiring.
With your donations we were able to meet our 2021 end of year goal of $20,000 and use every penny of the matching funds from our anonymous generous donor! Thank you for helping us end another unprecedented year on a high note and start off the new year ready to serve more children and families. |
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Looking Back on 2021 We are excited to share our annual Start Early 2021 Year in Review, which showcases accomplishments and elevates reflections from last fiscal year (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021).
Highlights from this past year demonstrate how the early learning field adapted to continue being fully present for our families and providers regardless of where they were physically and emotionally. We collaborated across program, policy and research partnerships to gather new perspectives and lessons learned. We implemented new strategies and expanded our innovative and interdisciplinary portfolio, positioning us to transform the field and drive collective action in the years to come. Check out our 2021 Year in Review. |
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Caring in the New YearRenewing a community wide focus on young children and families
As we enter 2022, let’s recommit our energies to creating a system that supports the whole developing child. Our country’s future depends on how we care for young children and families. In the upcoming year, our hope remains that landmark federal legislation is passed to provide the critical investments we need. We know that bold federal action is necessary to fix our nation's broken systems of early learning and care.
In a new post for Start Early, early childhood expert and Start Early partner, Joan Lombardi shares how we can transcend old boundaries and make a system of caring a reality for our next generation by allowing the needs of families and caregivers to guide our actions. Learn more. |
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The Start Early Affiliates Board Family Gives Back Max, son of Start Early Affiliates Board member, celebrates birthday by giving back
In lieu of birthday gifts for himself, again this year, first grader Max requested supplies and toys for the classrooms at Educare Chicago. We are encouraged by Max’s wish to give back and ensure other children have quality early learning experiences like he did. Max is the son of Affiliates Board member Annie SooHoo. Our Affiliates Board works to extend the reach of Start Early by advocating for early childhood education and inspiring others to support the success of our youngest learners. “He was so excited to know that the toys and supplies would be put to good use,” Annie shares. Thank you to the SooHoo family for your generosity – we couldn’t do what we do without people like you! Interested in connecting with others who are champions for early learning? Learn more about our Affiliates Board. |
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Start Early Wins a Gold Stevie® Award for Its Leading Paid Leave Policies Start Early has been named the winner of a Gold Stevie® Award for Achievement in Benefits Design and Administration for its paid parental leave program! The awards recognize the world’s best employers and the Human Resource teams, achievements, products and suppliers that help to create great places to work.
Infancy is the most crucial period of brain development, and it is vital that babies and their parents are supported during this time to promote bonding and healthy attachment. We knew it was time to up our game and we needed to create a parental leave package that matched our mission and supported families in the moments that matter most: the earliest years. Learn more about our award-winning benefits that help our families start off on a strong path. |
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Urgent Action is Needed Help Start Early Tell Congress to Reinstate the Expanded Child Tax Credit
Start Early is pleading with Congress to reinstate the expanded Child Tax Credit and make it permanent. Before it expired on December 31, the expanded Child Tax Credit provided direct payments to more than 35 million families. These payments helped them pay rent, cover utilities, buy groceries and provide their children with valuable enrichment experiences.
Start Early is telling Congress that American families need continued support. Join us as we urge lawmakers to help families provide the stability and opportunity their children need to thrive. Be a voice for children and working families: send a letter to your legislator explaining what the expanded Child Tax Credit means for your community and tell them to make it permanent.
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Why Crayon Color Choice Was a Red Flag to Veteran Teacher When it comes to crayons, children tend to gravitate toward bright colors. So, when a young student began drawing every picture using black crayon only, veteran early childhood educator Alyia Dixon had to understand why. Alyia, who has been teaching at Educare Chicago for 23 years, a program of Start Early, knew this was a sign of something going on at home.
She shared her concerns with our family support specialists, who in turn did a home visit and learned that the family’s lights were out – which is why the student’s drawings were all in black. The family was living with relatives at the time, so our team helped the student’s mother obtain her own housing and connected her with utility payment assistance programs.
These sorts of discussions are standard procedure for Educare Chicago and it’s a direct result of Start Early’s deep understanding that early learning programs depend on family engagement.
Read Alyia’s story to learn more about how high-quality early childhood programs rely on experts like Alyia to connect families with the resources they need to succeed in school and in life. |
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