29 Local Governments Selected for Childhood Development Partnership
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Communities selected for StriveTogether have demonstrated a commitment to ensuring kids have a strong start in life.
Seven national organizations announced Tuesday they will partner with 29 communities across the country to focus on child development from birth to age 3 with the goal of increasing readiness for kindergarten.
A child’s brain develops faster in that period than at any other time, meaning investments in the first three years of life “are most critical in helping more children become more confident, empathetic, contributing members of their communities,” according to an announcement.
The National Association of Counties, National League of Cities, Center for the Study of Social Policy, National Institute for Children’s Health Quality and StriveTogether selected community partners that are demonstrating a commitment to ensuring children have a strong start in life.
The partnership is funded by the Pritzker Children’s Initiative, a project of the J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation. The Sorenson Impact Center, housed at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business is working with the children’s initiative and the partner organizations to manage the project.
Communities involved in the project include:
National Association of Counties
- Boone County, Missouri
- Champaign County, Illinois
- Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
- Pierce County, Washington
- Ramsey County, Minnesota
- Washington County, Virginia
- Watauga County, North Carolina
- Tarrant County, Texas
Center for the Study of Social Policy
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Denver, Colorado
- Guilford County, North Carolina
- Los Angeles County, California
- Kent County, Michigan
- Multnomah County, Oregon
- Orange County, California
- Onondaga County, New York
- Ventura County, California
- Volusia and Flagler Counties, Florida
National League of Cities
- Austin, Texas
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Denver, Colorado
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
National Institute for Children’s Health Quality and StriveTogether
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Norwalk, Connecticut
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Spartanburg County, South Carolina
- Tucson, Arizona
The selected communities will launch the initiative in partnership with national organizations, which will provide tools to strengthen early childhood systems and share best practices with other cities, counties and states. In turn, communities will share resources that will drive policies and make the case for public and private investment in core services for infants and toddlers.
“The communities will support a strong start for babies and toddlers through local solutions: giving children a healthy start at birth, strengthening support for families with infants and toddlers and expanding high-quality care and learning environments,” Janet Froetscher, president of the J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation, said in the announcement.
Kate Elizabeth Queram is a Staff Correspondent for Government Executive’s Route Fifty and is based in Washington, D.C.
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