We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan movement of Floridians advocating for the policies and investments that help each child in Florida thrive in their first five years. We amplify the voices of parents and educators, engage elected officials, and highlight the role of business leaders.
To see a list of our founders, click here.
1996
Florida Governor Lawton Chiles convenes a group of 55 citizens from across the state to recommend a vision for the future of public education in the next millennium. Among them is David Lawrence Jr., then publisher of The Miami Herald.
1999
David Lawrence Jr. chairs the Task Force on School Readiness, leading to a landmark law that consolidates early childhood education and child care into one integrated program.
1999
Two generous and public-spirited Miami couples—Dr. Jane and Gerald Katcher, and Jan and Daniel Lewis—join David Lawrence Jr. to form The Early Childhood Initiative Foundation. The foundation becomes a national model for high-quality early childhood development, care, and education. Its work drives a dramatic rise in high-quality child care and early learning centers, and helps tens of thousands of children gain health insurance coverage.
2001
The Early Childhood Initiative Foundation launches Teach More/Love More, a successful public awareness campaign that becomes the model for today’s statewide Help Me Grow parenting resource program.
2002
Thanks to the efforts of the Foundation, Miami-Dade voters approve a referendum by a 2-to-1 margin to increase property taxes and create a dedicated funding source: The Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade. The Trust is charged with giving children the essential foundations to reach their full potential.
2002
Florida voters pass a constitutional amendment—championed by Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas, David Lawrence Jr., and others—to make high-quality pre-kindergarten available and free for all four-year-olds in the state. The Foundation plays a key role in mobilizing public support for this statewide victory.
2005
Florida passes HB 0001A, signed into law, making the state one of only three nationwide to offer universal Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) programs.
2008
Miami-Dade voters overwhelmingly reauthorize The Children’s Trust, approving its continuation with 85.4 percent of the vote.
2010
As a pilot effort for a new organization, the Foundation launches The Palm Beach Project, organizing 30 neighborhood meetings across Palm Beach County over the course of March.
2010
That summer, The Children's Movement of Florida begins, with Lawrence serving as board chair. The Movement is focused on making Florida the best state in the nation for children.
2010
Since its start – The Movement is bolstered by key benefactors, including Mike and Constance Fernandez of Miami, and Barney and Carol Jenkins Barnett of Lakeland, alongside early supporters Dr. Jane and Gerald Katcher.
2010
The Movement organizes 17 regional committees across Florida to plan and launch “Milk Party” rallies from Pensacola to Key West. The statewide effort draws a total attendance of 15,000 people.
2011
The Movement, in partnership with United Way, launches ReadingPals, a statewide early literacy initiative. Each year, nearly 1,000 trained volunteers mentor more than 1,500 young children from pre-kindergarten through third grade.
2011
The Movement launches The Listening Tour, returning to the 17 cities that hosted Milk Party rallies the previous fall. In each city, the team meets with regional committees—more than 400 business, civic, and political leaders committed to Florida’s children—to discuss the path forward for The Movement.
2012
Led by David Lawrence Jr. and political strategist Sergio Bendixen, The Movement embarks on a statewide media tour across 10 major markets. In each city, the team meets with local organizations, editorial boards, and media leaders to announce the 2012 legislative agenda—and hosts “Books and Cookies” reading events at early learning centers.
2012-2014
With the passage of HB 5001, The Movement secures state support to launch Help Me Grow Florida, a comprehensive parenting resource system accessible by calling 211. Today, the program serves families in 38 of Florida’s 67 counties.
2014
The Movement partners with the Florida Chamber of Commerce to launch The Business Alliance for Early Learning, a business-led coalition that champions innovative early education systems across Florida.
2014
The Movement launches a three-week, high-profile voter registration campaign using TurboVote. In coordination with dozens of partners statewide, the effort registers more than 800 new voters and pilots a strategy to bring voter registration to child care centers during drop-off and pick-up times.
2016
The Movement assembles a 13-member board of directors, bringing together some of Florida’s most influential decision-makers to help guide its vision and impact.
2016
With the passage of HB 5101, The Movement—alongside key advocacy from benefactor Mike Fernandez—helps eliminate the five-year waiting period for legally residing immigrant children to access health insurance. As a result, tens of thousands of children across Florida gain access to the pediatric care they need.
2016
The Movement partners with a nationally recognized firm to develop a statewide advocacy strategy, expanding its grassroots base to tens of thousands of supporters across Florida.
2017
The Florida Legislature establishes the Committee on Early Grade Success to craft a long-term plan for early learning reforms—setting the course for future legislation and funding priorities.
2018
HB 1091 passes with strong support from early childhood advocates across Florida. The bill establishes quality measures for early learning centers that receive state funding for subsidized child care—ensuring wise use of taxpayer dollars and measurable, positive outcomes for children enrolled.
2019
The Movement launches #100Mayors for Early Childhood, gathering support from over 100 mayors across Florida. Each signs a joint letter urging the Governor to prioritize early childhood issues at the state level.
2020
The Movement hosts its first annual Built to Thrive Summit, a virtual gathering that draws over 700 live participants. With an interactive, fast-paced agenda, the summit features national experts and local changemakers across politics, business, and early childhood, including keynote speaker Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D.
2020
The Movement launches Bosses for Babies, an initiative that brings together business leaders committed to early childhood. The campaign showcases how companies can drive impact through family-focused practices—proven to strengthen the workforce and support community prosperity.
2021
Building on the recommendations of the Early Grade Success Committee, the Florida Legislature passes HB 419—a comprehensive VPK reform bill that makes historic improvements to standards and accountability for early learning programs.
2022
The legislature appropriates more than $200 million of new funding for early learning, and Governor DeSantis says "Early learning and early literacy really is the key."
2022
The Movement hosts the first annual ReadingPals Conference & Celebration, marking 10 years of its early literacy initiative. Held virtually, the event brings together participants from across the state to hear from experts on early brain development and the healing power of storytelling after trauma.
2022
With support from the Helios Education Foundation, The Movement launches The Future Project—an initiative to reimagine early learning policy and funding in Florida. Through a statewide listening tour and community feedback sessions, the project engages more than 1,000 Floridians, with a special focus on parents and early childhood educators.
2023
After two years of collaborative work through The Future Project, The Movement releases Florida’s Early Learning Roadmap. Shaped by input from nearly 1,000 Floridians—including parents, educators, and advocates—the plan reflects insights from more than 65 listening sessions and 100 conversations statewide. A steering committee, made up of 70% parents and educators, works over 10 months to craft this bold, actionable vision for early learning policy and funding.
2024
The Movement launches The Future Call, a biweekly virtual gathering that spotlights progress and possibility in early learning. Held every other Tuesday via Zoom, each session features a promising initiative, best practice, or inspiring story aligned with a recommendation from Florida’s Early Learning Roadmap. These short, interactive conversations bring together parents, educators, advocates, and policymakers to learn, connect, and build momentum for change.
2025
Bosses for Babies celebrates a major milestone: welcoming its 100th boss. Hector Ponte, South Florida Region Executive at Wells Fargo, joins the initiative, spotlighting the company’s family-supportive policies like paid parental leave and business education for early learning entrepreneurs. The coalition continues to grow, uniting business leaders committed to building a stronger Florida through family-focused workplaces.
2025
The Movement produces the first-ever KidCast at the Capitol during Children's Week. Six-and seven-year-old students from Brownsville Preparatory Academy in Tallahassee interview state leaders about their work and how they’re helping make Florida better for children.
2025
The Movement launches Florida’s Early Childhood Data Hub, bringing together data from trusted sources across six categories: demographics, early learning programs, early learning workforce, maternal and child health, healthy development, and funding. This resource empowers advocates to explore trends, identify needs, and tell stronger stories on behalf of Florida’s children.
Founders
In 2010, at the founding of The Movement, a bipartisan coalition of 28 of the state’s most prominent citizens came together to work on behalf of Florida’s children.
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Carol Jenkins Barnett
Chair and President, Publix Super Markets Charities
Lakeland
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Sam Bell III
Former House Majority Leader; now with Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney law firm
Tallahassee
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Allan Bense
Former House Speaker; now president of GAC Contractors
Panama City
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Cecilia Bryant
Attorney and former vice chair of the State University System Board of Regents
Jacksonville
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Bob Butterworth
Former attorney general and Department of Children and Families secretary; now Of Counsel at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney law firm.
Fort Lauderdale
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Marta Casas-Celaya
Director of government and community affairs for Comcast
West Palm Beach
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Betty Castor
Former legislator, education commissioner, University of South Florida president and chair of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
Tampa
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Scott Clemons
Former legislator and mayor; now president of The Clemons Company
Panama City
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David Dennis
President and CEO of Eckerd Youth Alternatives
Clearwater
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Manny Diaz
Former mayor and president of U.S. Conference of Mayors; now senior partner in Lydecker Diaz law firm
Miami
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Rob Gidel
Former chair of the Florida Polytechnic University board; now managing partner of Liberty Capital Advisors
Orlando
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Pegeen Hanrahan
Former mayor; environmental engineer and principal in Community and Conservation Solutions
Gainesville
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Kathryn Hensley
Former K-12 and college educator; now St. Lucie County School Board member
Fort Pierce
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Ed Jennings
Former legislator; now U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development administrator
Gainesville
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Toni Jennings
Former lieutenant governor and legislator; now chair of Jack Jennings & Sons construction
Orlando
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Greg Langowski
Former executive director of the Palm Beach Republican Party; now regional director for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio
Palm Beach
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David Lawrence Jr
Retired Miami Herald publisher; now chair of The Children’s Movement of Florida
Coral Gables
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Roberto Martinez
Former U.S. attorney and State Board of Education member; now partner in Colson Hicks Eidson law firm
Coral Gables
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Gepsie Metellus
Executive director of the Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center
Miami
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Jon Mills
Former House Speaker; now dean emeritus and professor at University of Florida’s College of Law and Of Counsel at Boies Schiller & Flexner law firm
Gainesville
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Sandy Murman
Former legislator; now Hillsborough County commissioner
Tampa
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John “Q” Quiñones
Former legislator and Osceola County commissioner; now an attorney and certified mediator
Kissimmee
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Nan Rich
Former legislator and board member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
Weston
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Mario Rubio
State policy director for the city of Jacksonville
Jacksonville
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Burt Saunders
Former legislator; now an attorney with GrayRobinson law firm
Naples
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H.T. Smith
Former National Bar Association president; now an attorney, law school professor and community leader
Miami
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Bill Sublette
Former legislator; now an attorney and head of his own law firm
Orlando
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Margaret Tidmore
Mentor coordinator and parent liaison at New Horizons Learning Center
Panama City