What is Early Childhood Development?
Early childhood development is defined by the Foundation as the process of growth that occurs prenatally through the first five years of life. Improving the health and wellness of Spartanburg County through a focus on early childhood development will require efforts that address adolescent pregnancy, children's physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development, and children's relationships with families and other caregivers.
Children who are born healthy, grow up in stable families, have nurturing relationships with adults, and spend time in environments that provide stimulating experiences are more likely to succeed academically, socially, and economically. On the other hand, inadequate development during the first years of life can lead to lifelong difficulties, including decreased educational attainment, less economic self-sufficiency, increased juvenile and adult criminal behavior, and poor health. For more information about early childhood development and the importance of the first five years of life on community health and wellness, click here to read a research paper written for the Mary Black Foundation by Anne Mitchell.
What are the Targeted Results?
The intended outcomes of the Foundation’s investment in early childhood development are: (1) more children in Spartanburg County, SC will enter school “ready to learn” and (2) fewer adolescents in Spartanburg County, SC will experience an unintended pregnancy.
Therefore, the Foundation will invest in three types of efforts – Programs & Services; Policies & Places; and Planning & Capacity Building – that will lead to (1) an increase in the number of children who enter school “ready to learn” and (2) a decrease in number of adolescent pregnancies.
Programs & Services may include the provision of resources, information, direct assistance, social support, or skills to children and teens directly or to those who work with them. Also, this category is appropriate for general operating support for organizations that provide services and work to change policies and places.
The results we seek are (1) an increase in the actual number of children who are assessed as “ready for school” when entering kindergarten and (2) a decrease in the number of adolescent pregnancies among the population served. We give priority to projects that:
• Use “science-based” approaches or innovative strategies that are grounded in research.
• Target people at high risk for poor health and social outcomes.
• Are of sufficient duration and intensity to make a difference in the lives of the participants.
• Clearly identify ways to track the success of their participants.
Policies & Places refer to the environmental conditions that affect early childhood development and adolescent pregnancy. For example, a change in policies can lead to improved standards and funding for child development centers that result in improved educational attainment, and policy changes that affect comprehensive health education for children in middle and high school can result in less risky behavior among youth. Likewise, creating new or improving existing places that provide quality early care and education or reproductive health services for teens will directly affect school readiness and adolescent pregnancies, respectively.
The results we seek are (1) the presence of more specific policies that provide resources (quality standards, money, political will, media coverage, etc.) for early childhood development and (2) more places created or improved that provide (a) quality care and education for young children, (b) services and information for adolescents about reproductive health, or (c) support services to families with young children and adolescents. We give priority to projects that:
• Clearly demonstrate sufficient community support to achieve the change in policy or place.
• Clearly demonstrate the impact that the change in policy or place will have on school readiness or adolescent pregnancy.
Planning & Capacity Building for organizations that have as part of their core mission an improvement in early childhood development or the reduction of adolescent pregnancy. Investments in this area strengthen the organizations we fund so that they can achieve and sustain stronger results.
We give priority to projects that:
• Clearly demonstrate how an investment in planning or capacity building will strengthen the ability of the organization to improve early childhood development or reduce adolescent pregnancy.
How to Apply for Funding?
The Mary Black Foundation generally accepts applications for funding four times a year. Click here to learn more about the Foundation’s grantmaking procedures.
What do we Fund?
For a listing of past Early Childhood Development Foundation grants, click here.
Early Childhood Development Resources
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