Press Releases

Richmond, Va. (April 2, 2019) – The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), a statewide public-private entity that supports early childhood education and school readiness for the Commonwealth’s youngest children, elected four new board members at the organization’s quarterly board meeting on March 20, 2019. The new board members who will serve a three-year term include: Toni R. Ardabell – Market President, Bon Secours Richmond Richard...

Read More

RICHMOND—First Lady Pamela Northam today announced that the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), in partnership with the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) and the University of Virginia (UVA), received a one-year $9.9 million competitive federal Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families. These federal funds will be used by VDOE...

Read More

RICHMOND—Governor Northam today announced that the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), in consultation with the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), will award six grants to local communities that have proposed innovative approaches to expand access to high-quality preschool for at-risk children through partnerships with community-based early childhood programs. This is the third cohort of mixed-delivery grantees since 2016. Funding for the grants was included in...

Read More

RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today announced that for the first time in the Commonwealth, early childhood educators will have access to a seamless pathway for earning marketable credentials in early childhood education. Now, due to regulatory changes made by the Board of Education and internal policy changes by participating community colleges and universities, early childhood educators can further their education efficiently through a streamlined pathway connecting...

Read More

Richmond, Va. (Oct. 24, 2018) – The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation has released the 2018 edition of Virginia’s Biennial School Readiness Report Card. While the 2016 Report Card tracked a number of indicators over a ten-year period, this edition reviews trends over the past five years in two domains – Risks and Results. The School Readiness Report Card and accompanying Interactive Map Tool (www.virginiareportcard.com) help...

Read More

Richmond, VA (Oct. 9, 2018) – The Virginia Chamber Foundation and the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) hosted an invitation-only luncheon and executive briefing for statewide business executives on “The Economics of Early Childhood: Smart Beginnings for Virginia’s Workforce Pipeline.” The event, held Tuesday, Oct. 9 at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, strengthened the growing recognition from Virginia’s business community that a strong educational start...

Read More

Richmond, Va. (Sept. 17, 2018) – The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation has awarded Innovative Partnership grants to six Smart Beginnings entities that are engaged in collaborative initiatives designed to improve access to high-quality early childhood education for young children in their respective communities. First launched in 2015, Innovative Partnership grants are funded by a state appropriation to support local communities as they implement and document...

Read More

SMITHFIELD, Va., July 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Smithfield Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Smithfield Foods, Inc., is pleased to announce a $50,000 donation to the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF). This donation will fund an innovative pilot program that aims to improve the quality of early childhood education in the communities where Smithfield’s employees live and work. Positively benefitting many Virginia families, the...

Read More

Richmond, Va. (June 20, 2018) – The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), a statewide public-private entity that supports early childhood education and school readiness for the Commonwealth’s youngest children, elected three new board members at the organization’s annual meeting on June 20, 2018.The new board members who will serve a three-year term include:Stephen Moret, President & CEO of Virginia Economic Development PartnershipShannon Rudisill, Executive Director,...

Read More

Richmond, Va. (June 4, 2018) – The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation will convene the state’s first-ever Virginia Early Childhood Integrated Financing Symposium on June 14-15 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.Policymakers, state agency officials and six teams of community leaders selected from Smart Beginnings initiatives across the Commonwealth will meet with national experts to explore strategies and mechanisms to integrate financing across early childhood...

Read More

Richmond, Va. (Jan. 25, 2018) – The W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Mich., awarded a grant of one million dollars to the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) to renew support for Smart Beginnings for Southside Families (SBSF) – a unique dual-generation initiative that began in 2015. The initiative serves families with young children in the cities of Danville, Emporia and Martinsville along with Brunswick,...

Read More