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September
16, 2003
The Minnesota Early Childhood Initiative, with
community coalitions now forming in Brandon and Perham,
got another financial boost when leaders learned that The
Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Minneapolis awarded
$72,000 to the statewide effort.
The McKnight Foundation, Minnesota's largest
private foundation, has already pledged $3.2 million in program
support and matching funds. Other contributors include The
Minneapolis Foundation and The Sheltering Arms Foundation.
"Our success will be due in great part
to those who believe that every young child should and can
thrive in Minnesota," said Nancy Jost, West Central Initiative
Early Childhood Initiative Coordinator. "Through significant
investments, The Phillips Foundation and others are sending
the message that our youngest children are a top priority."
The Minnesota Early Childhood Initiative is
a statewide campaign to give children under six an opportunity
to thrive and receive the stimulation and encouragement necessary
for healthy development.
Over the next three years, a total of 36 communities
statewide will receive training and develop a citizen-based
plan to ensure that young children have access to the community
support, care and education needed for success in school and
later life. Each community will also receive a combination
of training, technical assistance and financial support from
the Minnesota Initiative Foundations.
Jost cited a recent study by the Minnesota Department
of Children, Families and Learning that suggested as many
as 50% of children entering kindergarten do not have the basic
skills necessary to succeed in school.
"The formula is a simple one; we
can invest wisely in early opportunities now, or we can pay
deeply in the future," she added. "If everyone comes
alongside parents and families in the care and education of
our youngest children, we will not only send children to school
ready to learn and be successful, but we will build stronger
and more economically viable communities."
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