Investing in Early Childhood Education
Our children’s first steps toward a healthy, happy future happen well before they learn to walk. Early childhood education plays a vital role in shaping a child’s future, and robust support services provide children and their caregivers access to the healthcare, nutrition, and enrichment activities they need to thrive.
Established in 2016, First Steps is a network of agencies and individuals working to support young children and families in the New River Valley. The Fund for the NRV provides financial and in-kind support to the network.
Book Walks Get Attention of Beloved Author of “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”
Throughout November, the Community Foundation’s First Steps initiative worked with partners across the region to hold Book Walks featuring three classic children’s books: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, and If You Give a Moose a Muffin.
Imagine our delight when we heard from the author, Laura Numeroff, that she was excited to have her work featured! Read our article to learn more.
Understanding the Need
Our Priorities
In late 2015, the Community Foundation engaged researchers from Virginia Tech to study the relationships between agencies supporting NRV children and families, their common challenges, and shared priorities. Respondents then came together in 2016 to see the results of the study and identify three priorities that they could pursue collaboratively.
Activities and Accomplishments
First Steps consists of two groups – Info Hub, Common Voice/Workforce – that align with our priorities. Our recent activities have focused on building connections between providers and giving them the tools to advocate for themselves and their profession.