How Miami’s nonprofits are battling COVID headwinds to raise money and serve community
From The Miami Herald: “Yes, it’s a terrible time, but people are stepping up.” he says. “We’ve seen this especially with organizations who have built relationships with donors who believe in the mission.”
Mighty, Mighty Bosses
From Early Learning Nation: “Many of us have come to realize that an investment in children is an investment in all of us. These are future workers. They’re going to make our economy work.”
Childhood education advocate Dave Lawrence honored with ‘Sand In My Shoes’ award
From The Miami Herald: “As chair of the Children’s Movement of Florida, Lawrence has helped expand access to children’s health insurance, education and literacy.”
300 Volunteers Needed To Help Students Improve Reading Skills
From South Florida Sun Sentinel: “Through the ReadingPals program, volunteers connect with students from pre-K to second grade in an effort to establish a love for literacy while improving reading and comprehension competence.”
ReadingPals Set The Stage For Future Learners
From The Daytona Beach News-Journal: “When students read with their reading mentors, they don’t see it as work, so it is no longer stressful or overwhelming. They begin to love reading.”
State Lawmaker, CEO Of Early Learning Nonprofit: Child Care Providers 'Need Help'
From WLRN: “They still have to pay the rent for their space. They’re still trying to pay their teachers. They still have to pay their insurance.”
Baby talk: Business leaders say state's future workforce is at risk
From Business Observer: “Seeing that situation, a group of Florida business leaders calling themselves Bosses for Babies are championing the need for additional support for the state’s young children and their parents and caregivers.”
Kids Get a Haircut and a Reading Lesson at This St. Pete Barbershop
From Tampa Bay Times: “I don’t take for granted knowing how to read. Being able to teach to those younger than me is something I’m dedicated to doing.”
Opinion: Pandemic underscores the need for funding early childhood learning programs
From Tampa Bay Parenting: “Readiness doesn’t mean just knowing the academic basics. It means a child has a willing attitude and confidence in the process of learning: a healthy state of mind.”
Florida’s top CEOs — 135 strong — call for masks and more to stem rising COVID-19 cases | Opinion
From South Florida Sun Sentinel: “Feeling safe and being safe will be the cornerstones of our economic recovery as health and prosperity are inextricably linked.”
Non-Profit Organization Seeks Volunteers to Play With Babies
From WPTV-NBC 5: “When the mothers go to work, volunteers usually help care for the babies.”
Jeff Vinik invests $3 million on early learning research in Hillsborough County
From Tampa Bay Times: “The investment is part of a growing business recognition that improving education for preschoolers helps build a more talented and prepared workforce.”
Florida’s re-opening requires support for our youngest learners
From Community News: “Florida and its business community must take several steps to ensure our early learning system survives the landscape upon which we are embarking.”
Waterford UPSTART: The Next Best Thing to Being There
From Early Learning Nation: “Why aren’t all four-year-olds in pre-K? For one thing, demand dwarfs supply, a result of budget shortfalls that persist despite the evidence that funding correlates with learning.”
Online pre-K may be better than nothing
From Sarasota Herald-Tribune: “There’s no such thing as online pre-K. Even though learning is happening, it can’t be what they can learn in a classroom.”
Without access to childcare, mothers struggle to rejoin labor force
From WPGL-Local 10: “Our child care industry was already in crisis before the pandemic, and we now face a potential disaster if child care is not prioritized.”
They’re considered essential, but child-care centers say state hasn’t done much to help
From Miami Herald: “While Florida has mandated that child care centers are ‘essential’ businesses, owners of child care centers feel they have been left behind.”
Opinion: Child care must become priority amid COVID-19
From Naples Daily News: “This isn’t only about parents having a safe place for their children to go while they work; this is about the future of Florida.”
Mark Wilson, David Lawrence: A too-hidden key to a more rapid recovery
From Florida Politics: “If we want people back to work quickly after COVID-19, child care must become a priority now.”
Vance Aloupis pushes state to provide child care for Florida’s first responders
From Florida Politics: “We must ensure that we are doing everything we can to support those men and women who are working each and every day to pull Florida through.”