On June 14th, 23 participants from 14 non-profit early education and care (ECE) and out of school time (OST) organizations across Massachusetts gathered at the Mass Audubon Boston Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary in Mattapan for 2018’s Let’s Take It Outside: Developing Natural Play Spaces (LTIO), a one-day training offered through the Children’s Investment Fund (...
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Building Stronger Centers Through the Children’s Investment Fund
Jun. 20, 2018
Tess Carenbauer
Tess CarenbauerThe Children’s Investment Fund (“the Fund”) offers technical assistance, training and financial support to non-profit early education and care (ECE) and out of school time (OST) programs across Massachusetts. In late May, the Fund administered the tenth Building Stronger Centers Training Institute (BSC), a comprehensive four-day program for ECE and OST providers. ...
Improving Space through Research
Jan. 31, 2018
Kira Taj
Kira TajOver a decade ago, a college professor and her students routinely observed how children interacted with teachers in an early childhood education program in Connecticut. They found that only 3 percent of each child’s time was spent interacting with an educator. This low percentage was notable, considering that research shows that engagement with a caregiver is essential t...
Exploring Innovative Financing for Early Education
Oct. 11, 2017
Theresa Jordan | 
Roger Herzog
Theresa Jordan | Roger HerzogAt a time when federal funding is in flux and early education and care remains chronically underfunded, state and local innovative efforts to finance child care facilities can offer smaller-scale solutions. Through its commitment to supporting high-quality early education and care with public dollars (for a background on MA’s commitment through the EEOST Capital Fund pro...
Investing in Spaces for Children
Sep. 27, 2017Theresa Jordan | Kira Taj
Theresa Jordan | Kira TajMassachusetts is only the second state in the nation to make capital bond financing available for early childhood education (ECE) and out-of-school time (OST) facilities. In 2013, state legislators passed a bill that led to the creation of the Early Education and Out of School Time (EEOST) Capital Fund, which provides capital grants of up to $1 million for providers across...
Guiding Quality Early Education Facility Design
Sep. 13, 2017Theresa Jordan | Kira Taj
Theresa Jordan | Kira TajA well-designed, well-equipped environment supports learning, but child care programs are often located in church basements, old storefronts, and other substandard spaces that were not intended for educational uses. At Children’s Investment Fund (the Fund), we believe that all children deserve to learn in safe physical environments that help support healthy development. ...