Welcome New ICS Board Members! | |
Dr. Carlomagno Panlilio
Associate Professor of Education
Dept. of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education
Penn State University
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In addition to serving as an Associate Professor at Penn State University, Dr. Panlilio is also a faculty member with the Child Maltreatment Solutions Network in the Social Science Research Institute, a faculty affiliate with the Population Research Institute, and a faculty affiliate with the Child Study Center. He also leads the Learning, Adversity, and Self-Regulation (LASR) lab. He has many years of experience as a clinical practitioner working with child welfare systems and schools. Dr. Panlilio received his doctorate in human development from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a specialization in developmental science and a certificate in Education Measurement, Statistics and Evaluation. | |
Keisha Gray, HRD
Chief Strategy Officer
Spartanburg Academic Movement
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Keisha Gray joined the Spartanburg Academic Movement after serving as the Director of Human Resources with Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Keisha also served as the Director of Human Resources with the Herald-Tribune Media Group in Sarasota, FL. While in Spartanburg, she served as the Program Director for Early Childhood Development investments at the Mary Black Foundation. Keisha received her Master’s degree from Webster University in Human Resource Development. She has participated in numerous community organizations and Boards throughout her career. | |
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Apply Now!
ICS Merl Code Early Educators Fellowship
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Are you an early educator in South Carolina? | |
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It is our pleasure to announce that the Institute for Child Success is launching the ICS Merl Code Early Educators Fellowship. This Fellowship highlights the importance of building and maintaining a robust pipeline of early career educators dedicated to the field of early childhood and improving child and family outcomes. We are excited about the impact on an area both central to the ICS mission and near and dear to Merl’s heart. Each year, three up-and-coming leaders in early childhood education in Merl’s home state of South Carolina will be selected to participate in a one-year fellowship.
Highlights of the fellowship include:
- Receiving an award of $5,000
- Developing and communicating a research plan impacting young children
- Accessing mentorship and a fellowship alumni network
The Honorable Merl F. Code
Merl is Of Counsel in the Greenville law firm of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak, & Stewart, P.C. He is a municipal court judge in Greenville and the owner/president of several Upstate businesses. Merl's parents, both educators, greatly influenced him.
In addition to ICS and Furman University, Merl serves on several local boards. He proudly co-leads the Greenville Racial Equity and Economic Mobility Commission.
Submit application materials to info@instituteforchildsuccess.org by Friday, June 28.
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"The Holy Grail of Success":
Hello Family's Impact Recognized in Forbes
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The Hello Family Initiative has had significant positive impacts on birth outcomes, school readiness, and child well-being in the Spartanburg community. | |
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Two recent articles highlighted the positive impact that the Hello Family Initiative has made for families in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The first piece in Forbes Magazine spotlights the transformative power of Pay for Success programs. Janis Dubno of the Sorenson Impact Institute shares:
“I am very proud of the partnership between the Institute of Child Success, Maycomb Capital, and Sorenson in developing the Hello Family PFS project. It has been wildly successful in its goals around improved birth outcomes, increased school readiness, and enhanced childhood health and well-being.”
The second piece highlights the undeniable impact that this network of support services has had on the Spartanburg community. Kaitlin Watts of the Center for Early Childhood Success at Spartanburg Academic Movement explains:
“Without Hello Family, low birth weights would be almost double,
and there would be more avoidable emergency room visits.”
Hello Family Spartanburg's network of services has serving over 1,800 children and families in the Spartanburg community. A number of local organizations provides support to new families, including Family Connects, BirthMatters, Triple P and Quality Counts. ICS is proud to support the Hello Family Initiative.
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Newsweek: Child Care Empowers
Families & Our Economy
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Bryan Boroughs discusses the importance of child care in the United States. | |
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Bryan Boroughs, ICS Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, wrote a recent Op-Ed in Newsweek highlighting the crucial role that child care plays in society, not just allowing families to thrive but underpinning our economy as well. Read on for an excerpt from the piece:
"A report by the Council for a Strong America reveals that the U.S. loses an estimated $122 billion annually due to childcare challenges that affect parents' ability to work effectively. This figure encapsulates lost earnings, diminished productivity, and reduced tax contributions. But the cost is not solely monetary — it also manifests in reduced workplace diversity and stifled professional growth, particularly among women who disproportionately bear the brunt of childcare shortages....
By recognizing the extensive benefits and acting on the business case for childcare support, companies can transform these challenges into strategic opportunities. In doing so, they not only assist their employees and fortify their operations but also pave the way for a more resilient and thriving economic future. We have both a significant opportunity and a profound responsibility to advocate for and implement effective childcare support, rallying not just for the well-being of our enterprises but for the betterment of our communities."
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Empowering Pediatricians and Families Through Reach Out and Read | |
ICS staff Dr. Manya Bell and Dr. Tyson Barker join Reach Out and Read staff Leah Gillen and Nikki Shearman in Boston, MA. | |
Manya and Tyson at a Reach Out and Read event. | |
Tyson entertains the audience at the Reach Out and Read Leadership Conference, kicking off their panel discussion by reading the children's book "Maybe A Bear Ate It!" | |
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Pediatric well-child visits are vital for the health of young children and their families, especially in promoting early relational health. Reach Out and Read, in collaboration with the Institute for Child Success, is launching a project to enhance the well-child visit experience. As a first step, we are co-designing a measure with parents to assess the most important aspects of these visits. We will pilot-test the measure this fall and plan to use it in networked quality improvement projects throughout the Reach Out and Read network starting in early 2025.
Learn more about the work Dr. Manya Bell and Dr. Tyson Barker are doing to support Reach Out and Read here, and learn more about our Measurement & Evaluation support services here.
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ICS Team Spotlight:
Strategic Finance Planning
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ICS offers a variety of services across the early childhood ecosystem. One area of our work is Strategic Finance Planning. Federal, state, and philanthropic funding streams can be complex, all with different requirements. Many providers, stakeholders, and change agents lack the time and comprehensive guidance to maximize funding streams. Increasingly, local communities are taking the lead in creating revenue streams to support local need for quality early childhood programming. Cities and counties are developing innovative public funding mechanisms, employing such levers as property and occupancy taxes, county and city budgets, school board collaborations, and children’s funds and endowments. Rather than focus on one funding stream, ICS utilizes a holistic approach, building successful strategies tailored to each jurisdiction’s economic goals, tax base, need, and priorities.
Here is a snapshot of several current projects:
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Analysis of Options: ICS has helped several city and state jurisdictions analyze revenue and finance options available to support early childhood investments—ranging from traditional options such as tax and fiscal policies, to innovative options such as Pay For Success (PFS) and outcomes-based financing. In all cases, we can examine the particular landscape of the jurisdiction/s involved, as well as the technical options available, to recommend the most effective paths forward.
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Feasibility Studies and Outcome-Based Impact Analyses: ICS was privileged to be a recipient of funding from the federal Social Innovation Fund (SIF) which allowed us to complete 10 feasibility studies in different communities across the U.S. to explore using PFS funding to expand early childhood funding.
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Transaction Structuring: ICS led the transaction structuring work for a PFS project in Spartanburg, South Carolina, developed in close partnership with the City of Spartanburg, Mary Black Foundation, and others. The project is designed to provide a continuum of services, including home visiting and other parent supports, to young children and families in Spartanburg.
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Resource Documents: ICS has released several related papers focused on PFS from varying angles and tax policies such as the Earned Income Tax Credit. As part of our SIF-support technical assistance, ICS has developed a number of tools and templates to guide communities through assessing PFS feasibility.
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Events: ICS has hosted several Pay for Success conferences across the United States focused on early childhood opportunities.
Contact Mary C. Garvey to learn more about our Strategic Finance Planning work.
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ICS works on behalf of children from prenatal to age 8.
You can support our work by helping to
fund our research and advocacy.
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