Thursday | May 1
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM | Fireside Chat: The Role of Philanthropy in Navigating Change with Public Sector Partners
Introduction: Shannon Rudisill, Executive Director, ECFC
ECFC and our Policy Workgroup have prioritized better understanding how Federal policy and budget changes will impact states and communities where young children and their families live, learn, and work. Private and public funders are facing the challenge of deploying resources in this era of uncertainty. How might we use this moment of disruption to rethink systems that work for all children and families? In every state, public administrators across education, health, child welfare, and family economic supports continue their work toward child and family well-being. This kickoff dialogue with Reggie Bicha, President and CEO, American Public Human Services Association, and Steffanie Clothier, Director, School Readiness, Gary Community Ventures will set the stage for our day of conversations.
May 1 | 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM | Tribal, State, and Local Governments: Delivering for Children and Families in a Time of Uncertainty
ECFC members have a strong track record as partners and co-investors with public sector colleagues. How can we strengthen relationships with government leaders at all levels and across the political spectrum? What does this moment of disruption demand of us to be more effective and influential on behalf of young children and their families? Join us for a session with the top organizations representing Tribal, state, and local leaders to explore how philanthropy and government can collaborate effectively.
- Moderator: Steve ErkenBrack, President and CEO, Buell Foundation
- Jenna Bannon, Associate Director, Children and Families Program, National Conference of State Legislatures
- Tim Blute, Director for the Center for Best Practices, National Governors Association
- A.C. Locklear, Chief Executive Officer, National Indian Health Board
- Tonja Rucker, Director, Early Childhood Success, Institute for Youth, Education, & Families, National League of Cities
♦ ♦ ♦ REFLECTION ♦ ♦ ♦
- Having learned more about the roles and perspectives of our public sector partners, what are you thinking about your work in relation to the public sector? New insights? Possible next steps to take in your role?
May 1 | 1:15 PM – 2:15 PM | “What’s Happening” Huddles With Field Experts
ECFC members and field experts will host discussions about what is happening in several sectors serving young children and families.
Space 1: What’s Happening With Safety Net Programs
- Field Expert: Ann Flagg, former Director, Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Administration for Children & Families, U.S. Dept. Health and Human Services
Space 2: What’s Happening in Maternal and Child Health
- Field Expert: Kanika Harris, Executive Director, National Association to Advance Black Birth
- Related watch: Listen to Me, co-directed and produced by Dr. Harris, explores four women at the front lines of the Black maternal health movement walking the tightrope of racism and birth in America, funded by Black Public Media.
- Related watch: Before a Breath, ProPublica documentary on stillbirth featuring a preconception doula model created by Dr. Harris.
Space 3: What’s Happening in Education/Early Care and Education
- Field Expert: Katie Hamm, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development, Administration for Children and Families
May 1 | 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM | Peer Learning & Connection Huddles
Member-led opportunities for peer-sharing on initiatives planned or underway; common interests in aligned work or co-investing; and opportunities for funder action.
Ballroom XL | Equitable Governing of Early Childhood Systems:
The Heising-Simons and W.K. Kellogg Foundations have partnered with New Venture Fund to advance the Early Childhood Governance and Financing Project (ECGFP). Now entering its sixth year, ECGFP has insights into what it takes to govern early childhood systems effectively, informed by the eight states and territories supported by the project. Join discussion host September Jarrett, Heising-Simons Foundation to consider the importance of early childhood governance as a lever for creating impact and the role private funders can play.
Ballroom XL | Supporting Field Building Infrastructure in Home Visiting
We all value and invest in evidence-based program models but sometimes fail to recognize and support the infrastructure that is essential for programs to scale impact. Join discussion host Malia Ramler, Heising-Simons Foundation to learn about protecting and leveraging existing home visiting infrastructure, and opportunities to scale and enhance home visiting services through support for the National Home Visiting Network and the National Home Visiting Data Yearbook.
- Related: ECFC Webinar Archives, The Necessity of Infrastructure for Equitable Systems Change: Home Visiting Modeling the Way, February 2025
Space 1 | Raising Revenue for Child Care
Gary Community Ventures, along with a coalition of Colorado funders and partners, is gearing up to take the next step in a statewide child care initiative designed to raise the state revenue needed to tackle the affordability crisis and incorporate solutions to the challenges of supply building and workforce in Colorado. Steffanie Clothier from Gary Community Ventures will share insights from their journey and how they're putting the pieces together to win.
Space 2 | Supporting Efforts to Improve the Count of Young Children in the Census
The Annie E. Casey Foundation has worked closely with the Census Equity Initiative and helped fund Count All Kids to improve Census data that helps allocate federal funding for many programs serving young children. Join discussion hosts Florencia Gutierrez, Annie E. Casey Foundation and Debbie Stein, Count All Kids, to consider how funders can support Count All Kids efforts in states and communities and why they should do so now.
Space 3 | Making the Ideal Real
Every child deserves access to high-quality, affordable early care and education from birth. Families must be trusted, early childhood educators respected and well-compensated, and administrators equipped to build and sustain thriving programs. The Bainum Family Foundation’s WeVision EarlyEd initiative is not just reimagining child care, it is actively working with 22 solutions lab sites across 10 states and DC to replace outdated assumptions with bold, achievable solutions that align policy, funding, and mindsets. Join discussion hosts Marica Cox Mitchell and Shayna Cook from the Bainum Family Foundation to talk about how we move America forward and build the future child care system our country needs now.
4:00pm-5:00pm | Closing Session: Key Priorities for Philanthropy Action
Funders for kids and families hold a lot of power, influence and expertise. Now more than ever we need to shift philanthropy’s mindset to become resource liberators, to use their influence and power to help move resources and opportunities to grantees and communities in order to be responsive and flexible for community needs. In this session, we will consider priority actions for short-term response to support grantees (triage) and long-term responses including re-envisioning what it will take to protect charitable and nonprofit infrastructures that serve kids and families and position philanthropy as co-investors with government leaders and partners.
Introduced by:
- Shannon Rudisill, Executive Director, ECFC
- Eric Buchanan, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Buffett Early Childhood Fund
♦ ♦ ♦ REFLECTION ♦ ♦ ♦
Having spent two days with funder peers, community grantees and policymakers:
- What are you thinking about recommendations from the ECFC Policy Workgroup?
- What resonates?
- What is missing?
- Are there things that your foundation is doing now that you weren’t doing before, are doing differently, or stopped doing?
- Are there opportunities for collective action on behalf of young children that you want to see ECFC facilitate among members?