Early Childhood

PEDALS

We want to help children get the best beginning possible towards a bright future. Across both our regions, we are working in partnership with other early childhood initiatives and collaborations to help maximize the reach and impact of our investments in early childhood. In addition to supporting the capacity and quality of early childhood providers and programs, the Foundation looks to support opportunities that embed social and emotional learning into young children’s experiences and learning. The Foundation also invests in partnerships and systems that promote developmental screenings for children to ensure they are on track or getting help by connecting families to the interventions and supports they need for healthy development.

Grantee Spotlight

PEDALS

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Special Initiatives

Liftoff WNY

We are proud to have joined together with 25 early childhood funders from across Western New York to help form Liftoff, a strategic alliance that works to ensure children ages five-years-old and under are meeting critical milestones and are ready to achieve their fullest potential by the time they start elementary school. Liftoff, which will work through existing community organizations and networks to achieve its goals, has identified five high-level opportunities to improve Western New York’s early childhood system:

1. Increase parental and caregiver knowledge of early childhood screenings that measure developmental milestones at various ages, such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time and waving.
2. Engage the business community in support of the report’s priority areas.
3. Develop a community-wide strategic plan that can serve as a roadmap guiding efforts toward meeting early childhood goals.
4. Work with elected officials to become educated about and involved in public policy work that supports awareness, availability and access.
5. Support strong advocacy work and increase the number of WNY leaders taking an active role in statewide forums to support regional approaches for system changes related to kindergarten readiness, quality, costs and accessibility to early childhood education and development.

Liftoff will continue to work with partners across the region to address these priorities.

RESEARCH & REPORTS

Liftoff WNY

In 2017, Liftoff—Western New York Early Childhood Funders for Change—wanted to better understand how the region serves its youngest residents, how other communities structure systems to improve life and learning for young children and their families, and how stakeholders across the system could come together to effect change.

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Apply For A Grant

Organizations in Western New York and Southeast Michigan within our four core funding areas are now welcome to apply through our online process.

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