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In This Issue
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Dear Friends of ICS
Letter from ICS President
On behalf of the ICS Board of Directors and ICS staff, I thank everyone for their ongoing support of ICS and our mission to ensure the success of young children, prenatal to age five. With your help, 2013 has been a tremendous year for the Institute.
As a result of the encouragement, collaboration, and commitment of our many friends, ICS continues its efforts to strengthen the early childhood system throughout South Carolina. New policies, innovative interventions, and cutting-edge financing mechanisms are moving forward as a result of ICS-led initiatives. We eagerly look forward to 2014 and are excited to continue our work with each of you.
ICS is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. We rely on philanthropic support to sustain our innovative and entrepreneurial early childhood initiatives. Please consider including ICS in your end-of-year giving plans, so that we may maintain the pace of our important work. Click here to learn more about how you can invest in ICS.
We wish everyone a Happy Holiday season and thank you for your commitment to improving the lives of our youngest children.
Cordially,
Jamie Moon
ICS President
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Early Learning Ventures Visits South Carolina
On December 9th, ICS joined partners from Greenville and Spartanburg in hosting a visit of a team from the Early Learning Ventures Alliance in Denver, Colorado. Early Learning Ventures Alliance (ELV Alliance) is a network of centers and family child care homes working together to strengthen both the quality and fiscal stability of their programs. ELV Alliances provide quality support, administrative services, comprehensive child development, and family resources. Child care providers, who are affiliates of an ELV Alliance, are able to focus on their core business of delivering high-quality services to children and families. ICS joined Greenville First Steps, Spartanburg First Steps, the United Way of Greenville County, the United Way of the Piedmont, and the Mary Black Foundation is hosting two sessions in Greenville for child care providers and systems level leaders, and two similar sessions in Spartanburg to explore the shared services model and its potential applicability to South Carolina.
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 On Monday, November 18, the ICS Board of Directors and Advisory Council met together in Columbia for a joint leadership meeting. The group was honored to have Dr. Kent McGuire, President and CEO of the Southern Education Foundation in Atlanta, as the keynote speaker. The Southern Education Foundation (SEF) focuses on public policy and educational practice from pre-K to higher education in the southern United States. Through a variety of programs and services, SEF is particularly concerned with questions of equal access to quality education for children and youth. In his remarks to the ICS Board and Advisory Council, Dr. McGuire discussed the importance of early childhood education and wellbeing in efforts to improve outcomes for all members of society. Prior to joining SEF, Dr. McGuire was the Dean of the College of Education at Temple University and a Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Dr. McGuire also served as Senior Vice President at MDRC, where his responsibilities included leadership of the corporation's Education, Children, and Youth division.
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On November 20th, ICS hosted "Exploring Alternative Finance Strategies: Louisiana's School Readiness Tax Credits" a webinar with Geoffrey Nagle, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Tulane University and Director of Tulane's Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health. In 2007, the Louisiana Legislature passed Act 394, which enacted a package of tax credits known as the School Readiness Tax Credits. These credits allow tax breaks to families, child care providers, child care directors and staff, and businesses that support child care in an effort to encourage child care facilities to voluntarily participate in the quality rating program administered by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Dr. Nagle was instrumental in designing these credits and working for their passage. To download the complete PowerPoint presentation please click here.
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ICS Expands Advisory Council
As ICS grows and takes on more initiatives with statewide and national impact, the organization continues to develop its governance and advisory leadership groups. In October, ICS merged the Strategic Leadership Advisory Council (SLAC) and Statewide Advisory Council into one entity, the ICS Advisory Council. The ICS Advisory Council provides the Board of Directors with critical input regarding the strategic direction of the organization.
New members of the ICS Advisory Council, which had previously not served on either the SLAC or statewide council, include:
Charles Patrick
Attorney
Richardson, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman, LLC
Charleston
Elizabeth Winer
Chair of the Community Advisory Board
Nurse-Family Partnership
Charlotte, NC
Sam Cook
Sustainable Forestry Program Director
The Center for Heirs' Property Preservation
Murrells Inlet
The Honorable Andy Patrick
South Carolina House of Representatives
Hilton Head Island
In speaking of the new ICS Advisory Council members, ICS Board Chair Susan Thomson Shi said: "ICS is pleased to welcome the new members of our Advisory Council and we are grateful for their time, their commitment to our work, and their passion for improving the lives of children, prenatal to age 5. We look forward to working with them for years to come as we have been privileged to work with those who have been a part of our effort for some time already. We would not enjoy the success we have had without the passion, enthusiasm, and guidance of these volunteers."
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ICS Sets Date for the 2014 Celebration and Awards Luncheon
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Children's Trust, Greenville First Steps, and ICS Host Community Cafe in Nicholtown Community
ICS recently joined Greenville First Steps in co-hosting a Community Caf� on School Readiness in Greenville's Nicholtown Community. This conversation explored the needs and challenges of that particular community relative to ensuring the success of all young people in school and life. Rep. Chandra Dillard (D- Greenville) has been leading an effort in collaboration with the United Way of Greenville (Nicholtown Early Learning Task Force) to explore possible solutions for improving services for young children and their families in this community. ICS and Greenville First Steps were pleased to join with the Children's Trust in facilitating this Community Caf� to support the Nicholtown Early Learning Task Force effort.
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Greenville Office
(864) 382-3329 105 Edinburgh Court
Greenville, SC 29607 Columbia Office
(803) 748-1246
1201 Main Street
Suite 1980
Columbia, SC 29201
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