The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) was founded in 2005 as a public-private partnership with Virginia's Office of Early Childhood Development. Its mission is to provide leadership to foster Smart Beginnings for all young children in Virginia and through them a vital future for the Commonwealth.
In addition to Smart Beginnings, VECF supports several different initiatives to ensure that children enter kindergarten healthy and ready to learn:
Virginia Star Quality Initiative: The Virginia Star Quality Initiative is a quality rating and improvement system for child care centers and preschools.
Virginia Job One: VA Job One holds events to inform and engage business leaders on the importance of early childhood on the future prosperity of Virginia.
Virginia KidsNow!: Virginia KidsNow! is a group for parents of young children and other young professionals who recognize the importance of school readiness for every child.
The Foundation is also currently involved in several other long-term projects:
Danville Regional Foundation Grant: In 2010, the Danville Regional Foundation awarded an
unprecedented $5.4 million grant for Smart Beginnings Danville-Pittsylvania County to dramatically expand the region’s commitment to school readiness for thousands of young children. VECF helped to secure this funding and will oversee the progress made during the five-year grant period.
Department of Defense Partnership: Virginia is one of 13 states chosen for a Department of Defense pilot program to increase access to quality affordable childcare for military families. The DoD-appointed Child Care Liaison is housed in the VECF office and works closely with the Foundation and partner organizations to assess and improve the quality of childcare and after-school care offered to military personnel.
Virginia Plan for Smart Beginnings: This strategic plan was created to improve, integrate, and evaluate all early childhood services, infrastructure, and public engagement efforts in the Commonwealth.
Read the Plan.
Early Childhood Advisory Council: This working group was formed by the Governor of Virginia to demonstrate the state's commitment to early childhood. The Council is co-led by VECF President Scott Hippert and Secretary of Education Gerard Robinson.
Learn more.