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In This Issue
- Thank you for your support!
- Register for NDM
- Our Impact in 2023
- ICS in the Field
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Thank you for your support! | |
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2023 was a tremendous year for ICS and we are extraordinarily grateful for your support. Your gifts of time, resources, and advocacy have helped us reach more children and families than ever, across the nation.
Over the past year, ICS served children and families in 26 states through 48 distinct initiatives & projects. The IMPACT Measures Tool reached over 26.5 Million children through 40,000 website visits across all 50 states.
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In Spartanburg, SC, the ICS-catalyzed Hello Family project helped reduce newborn ER visits by more than half. Additionally, through 24 conference presentations, numerous webinars, the Desmond P. Kelly Nurturing Developing Minds annual conference, and both federal and state advocacy training, we helped thousands of early childhood professionals gain the resources they need to help young children thrive.
Finally, we send a special thank you to Jean & Bill Schmidt for their December matching gift challenge. With this contribution, and the support provided by all of our friends and partners, ICS is poised to help more children succeed in the coming year.
We look forward to an even more impactful 2024.
With gratitude,
Jamie Moon, CEO
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📣 Register Now for NDM 2024! 📣 | | |
Desmond P. Kelly, MD Nurturing Developing Minds Conference & Research Symposium
"Cultivating Lifelong Family Wellbeing"
Part of a 2-day event, in partnership with Furman University’s
Institute for the Advancement of Community Health (IACH)
March 7-8, 2024
Furman University - Younts Conference Center
Greenville, SC
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Thanks to your support, we've helped improve the lives of millions of young children and their families! Learn more about our wins below: | |
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Our Impact Across The Nation
Our wins:
- Served children in 26 states
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48 initiatives & projects
- Reaching over 26.5 Million children through the IMPACT Measures Tool
- Helping to catalyze over $866 Million for South Carolina children
- Reducing newborn ER visits by more than half in Spartanburg, SC
- Providing continuing education for 210 early childhood professionals
- Creating a Unifying Tool for early childhood systems
Read our full report of 2023 wins here.
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The Impact of IMPACT
IMPACT's 2023 wins:
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26.5 Million young children & families reached
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500,000 children served through early childhood workforce outreach
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40,000 visits to the IMPACT Measures Tool
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1,800 outreach attendees
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405 early childhood measures scored and added to IMPACT
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50 states where IMPACT has been accessed
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26 educational resources on measurement
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24 conference presentations
Read our full report on the Impact of IMPACT in 2023 here.
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Learn more about the IMPACT Measures Tool here. IMPACT is a free, interactive collection of measures to help early childhood professionals select the measures that are the best fit for the communities they serve. ICS created a science-backed scoring system to analyze the strengths of each measure holistically, including its cost, usability, cultural relevance, and technical merit. | |
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Our Impact In South Carolina
ICS helped catalyze.....
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$866 million for SC families since 2010
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$53 Million annually in new statewide preschool expansion
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$33 Million toward quality nurse home visiting
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$8.5 Million for Hello Family Spartanburg
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500,000 working families benefiting from Earned Income Tax Credit
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53,000 children receiving books from Reach Out and Read
Read our full report of ICS's 2023 wins in South Carolina here.
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“The ECCA (Early Childhood Common Agenda) has made me gain confidence in a way I never thought I could. Being a member of the ECCA means I have become a voice for those without one. Being a part of the ECCA means I have become someone I didn’t think I could be. I am a Latina leader working daily to advocate for positive change... I wouldn’t be where I am as an advocate, a leader, or a person without the ECCA and the continuing support and encouragement of everyone involved!”
-Nicole, Community Health Worker
“I think of ICS as being at the forefront of the innovation in social services - there is so much going on in the early childhood world, lots of evidence-based practices that service providers are thinking hard about how to implement and implement well in their community. I think of ICS as a thought leader and as a supporter of those initiatives.”
-Deirdre, Nonprofit Director
"ECCA is a ray of hope, for we are taking our lead from families, parents, and children who are living this experience... it has rejuvenated my spirit and determination to make learning and growing for our youngest children more developmentally appropriate and sustaining."
-Crystal, Executive Director of Dorchester County First Steps & ICS Board Member
“I will use what I learned to develop better ways to serve the preschoolers in my county.”
-Webinar attendee
“The IMPACT Measures Tool’s educational content increased my responsibility for workplace measurement and improved my ability to generate high-quality data at work.”
-IMPACT Measures Tool user
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Articles on the Childcare Crisis,
Globally and Locally
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Affordable childcare is becoming harder to find, both in the United States and worldwide. | |
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Two recent articles highlight the urgency of the childcare crisis, both close to home and across the globe.
According to a recent Bloomberg article, soaring childcare costs are driving millions of women out of the workforce worldwide and costing the global economy billions of dollars per year. Women are disproportionately affected by the need to stay home and care for children, due to unaffordable childcare -- it is estimated that the global economy would increase by over 10% if women participated at the level of men. In the US, an estimated $237 billion is lost due to women leaving the workforce to care for their children. This is similar across Europe ($255 billion), and across the world.
In the United States, South Carolina Senator Ross Turner and Bob Morgan recently published an opinion piece in The State highlighting how the childcare crisis is contributing to general workforce challenges in South Carolina. Over 78,000 jobs are currently vacant across the state, largely due to a lack of affordable childcare which helps parents stay in the workforce. 27% of parents who were surveyed listed a lack of childcare as the top barrier for them to work. Access and cost are key issues: nearly 50% of parents in the state live in a childcare "desert", with little to no access to childcare options. And the average cost of childcare in the state is over $9,000 per year, out of reach for many families.
At ICS, we recognize that access to affordable, high-quality childcare is essential for thriving communities. Our research highlights that a key solution to increasing the number and affordability of child care centers is to improve staffing. Solutions focus on reducing burnout by improving conditions and compensation for these crucial workers, who earn an average of $12 per hour and often receive no healthcare coverage.
Children, parents, and early childhood workers all deserve better. Read our resources to learn more about the state of the early childhood workforce, and what can be done to improve these systems that underpin our communities.
ICS Resources on Investing in the Early Childhood Workforce
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ICS and the ECCA Visit the
South Carolina State House
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Deborah DePaoli and members of the ECCA at the South Carolina State House. | |
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ICS Palmetto Engagement & Policy Director Deborah DePaoli and members of the South Carolina Early Childhood Common Agenda visited the South Carolina State House this month. The ECCA is a coalition led by the Institute for Child Success, Save the Children Action Network, and the South Carolina Infant Mental Health Association.
Together this group leads a coalition of dozens of community advocates dedicated to improving outcomes for young children (age 0-5) and their families. The ECCA is designed to present a united front on matters related to early childhood health, education, and family well-being to policymakers in South Carolina. In past years, dozens of organizations have signed on to the ECCA, resulting in significant wins at the South Carolina State House—including 4K expansion, Earned Income Tax Credit, and more.
Learn more about the ECCA here.
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Riley-Wilkins OneSouthCarolina Award Dinner | |
Saheigh Leveque, Citlaly Rojo, Deloris Knight, Dr. Dolores Stegelin, Linda Brees, Bryan Boroughs, Deborah DePaoli | |
Deborah DePaoli, Dick Riley, Citlaly Rojo, Deloris Knight. | |
Saheigh Leveque, Senator Ronnie Sabb | |
Deborah DePaoli, Senator Katrina Shealy | |
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Earlier this month, ICS team members attended Furman University's 17th annual Riley-Wilkins OneSouthCarolina Legislative and Civic Awards Dinner in Columbia, South Carolina. This event highlighted Senator Nikki Setzler and Harris DeLoach for their exceptional contributions to the well-being of the people of South Carolina.
See all of the pictures from the evening in our Facebook post!
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Reading About Kindness
During MLK Week
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Presenting at Clemson University | |
Linda Brees reads with children at the Nest School in Greenville, SC. | ICS Senior Fellow Linda Brees read a book about kindness with children at the Nest School in Greenville, SC, in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. week. This activity was in partnership between ICS and South Carolina First Steps as part of the Child Well-Being Coalition to spread kindness among young children. | |
ICS Senior Fellow Dr. Dee Stegelin with Dr. Jill Shelnut. | ICS Senior Fellow Dr. Dee Stegelin was an invited speaker to the Family, School and Community classes in the ECE program at Clemson University on January 18th. Pictured are Dr. Stegelin, ICS Senior Fellow, and Dr. Jill Shelnut, ECE faculty member and program coordinator. | |
South Carolina Coalition for Safer Schools
on WYFF 4 News
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Deborah DePaoli is interviewed on WYFF 4 News. | |
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ICS Palmetto Engagement and Policy Director Deborah DePaoli was featured on WYFF 4 News Greenville this week to discuss the South Carolina Coalition for Safer Schools. The goal of the coalition is to create a safer environment for children to grow, both at school and in their communities. ICS is a member of this initiative, along with the South Carolina Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Palmetto State Teachers Association, Family Connection of South Carolina, and more.
Watch the interview here.
Learn more about the South Carolina Coalition for Safer Schools here.
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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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