San Diego Foundation and the Dr. Seuss Foundation are committing $1 million in total funding for the 2023Early Childhood Initiative Equitable Opportunities Grant.
Donor Name: San Diego Foundation
State: California
County: San Diego County (CA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/10/2023
Size of the Grant: $500,000
Grant Period: 12 months
Details:
The San Diego Foundation Early Childhood Initiative strives to increase access to quality, affordable early childhood education and developmental care in San Diego County. This year’s grant builds on the 2022 Early Childhood Initiative Equitable Opportunities Grant launched in partnership with the Dr. Seuss Foundation, which expanded to include a focus on early literacy.
Understanding that early childhood care is essential to supporting families and ensuring long term success for children, the Early Childhood Initiative strives to increase access to quality, affordable early childhood education and developmental care in San Diego County. The Early Childhood Initiative works collaboratively with regional partners to:
- Strengthen families
- Increase health equity
- Bolster the regional workforce
- Support economic growth
Goal
The 2023 Early Childhood Initiative Grant supports nonprofit organizations implementing strategic efforts to build the region’s resilience by increasing equitable access to educational opportunity and supportive services for young children and their caretakers.
Strategies
The following are strategies that support the goal of the 2023 Early Childhood Initiative Equitable Opportunities Grant. Organizations will be asked to identify the lead strategy they plan to employ in their application. The program or project should address one or more of the descriptions under the chosen lead strategy. All applicants are encouraged to address service and support for low-to-moderate income families, and communities experiencing negative social determinants of health.
Early Literacy and Access to Early Education
- Support evidence-based programs that strengthen language development and early literacy for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, including family literacy, to provide a strong foundation for early grade-level readiness;
- Increase the number of spaces available for children ages 0-5, or make early education services available to more families through expanded access to early learning.
Instructional Quality Improvements and Educational Staff Support
- Support professional training, curriculum development, program implementation, materials and/or mentorship to improve instructional practices and support early childhood staff.
- Projects should have potential to impact a group or network of early childhood professionals;
- Work to eliminate bias and further the equitable treatment of all children in the early education and care sector, including but not limited to addressing preschool expulsion/suspensions as part of an effort to ensure greater equity within programs and services.
Healthy, Equitable Starts for Children and Parents
- Expand services that aim to achieve birth equity and promote safe, healthy pregnancy and birth conditions for mothers and babies, bolstered by access to supportive services and/or care coordination;
- Support parents of children ages 0-5 through evidence-based parenting education programs with a focus on positive parenting skills and knowledge about early childhood development and early learning.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Screening, Prevention and Intervention
- Expand access to ACEs screening for children ages 0-5 and provide referral pathways for trauma informed care;
- Strengthen mental and behavioral health services to prevent and address trauma for young children and their families experiencing crises (including children involved in foster care and child welfare services).
Funding Information
This total includes $500,000 in funding from the San Diego Foundation Early Childhood Initiative and $500,000 of funding from the Dr. Seuss Foundation.
Eligibility Criteria
- Each proposal must be led by a nonprofit with 501(c)(3) public charity status, operating in and serving San Diego County.
- A 501(c)(3) public charity may serve as a fiscal sponsor for another applicant to administer the grant and provide regular financial reporting to SDF.
- Organizations may be part of more than one proposal, but may only serve as lead applicant for one proposal.
- Projects must be completed within a 12-month timeline.
- Previous applicants or recipients of Early Childhood Initiative funding are eligible to apply.
- San Diego Foundation will not fund endowments, existing obligations/debt, scholarships, or projects that promote religious or political doctrines.
- Projects must expand care for low-to-moderate income communities and/or populations experiencing health disparities or negative social determinants of health.
- Given their focus on long-lasting solutions and building the capacity of this sector, projects must demonstrate having other significant resources or plans in place to ensure program longevity.
For more information, visit Early Childhood Grant.
