From research and from experience, we know that building blocks of a healthy life are interconnected – health, education, income are the essential tools to build a thriving life and yet each of these factors have significant impact on each facet of a person’s life. An investment in early childhood education is an investment in workforce development, K12 Education, employment, health, society, and Black and Brown families and communities.
As a part of our generational commitment to racial equity and inclusion, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation is committed to improving early childhood education because we believe every child in Milwaukee deserves access to the very best start in life, and there’s no time to waste. Research shows that 80% of a child’s brain is developed by age 3, with developmental disparities forming before a child’s first birthday. Black and Latinx children are disproportionally affected by this lack of access to quality early childhood education at their most vulnerable time of life. GMF is actively working to change this narrative by investing in a quality ECE space in the ThriveOn King development and is a critical partner in the Thriving Spaces MKE early childhood education initiative.
The Foundation is committing $500,000 to support for-profit early childhood education providers in the City of Milwaukee with priority focus on our neighbors in Harambee, Halyard Park and Brewer’s Hill and planning to invite donors to match this commitment. The Foundation’s upcoming round of loans will have a specific focus on where support is critical; the early childhood education sector was among the hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and faces ongoing obstacles in today’s economic climate. Approximately 30% of early childhood education facilities in Milwaukee have closed since the outset of COVID-19 and the organizations located in and serving Milwaukee’s Halyard Park, Harambee, and Brewer’s Hill neighborhoods play a vital role in supporting children and their families.
If you are an early childhood education provider applying for this program, please visit the ThriveOn Loan page.
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