Schools
The San Diego Foundation, Dr. Seuss Foundation: $1M In Grants Available To Increase Access To Quality, Affordable Early Education & Care
"Their support helps intensify the focus on preparing a child to read in their earliest years."
March 21, 2022
The San Diego Foundation and the Dr. Seuss Foundation have partnered to offer $1 million in grants to nonprofits supporting young children, ages 0 – 5, and their families in San Diego County.
Find out what's happening in San Diegofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“We are excited to partner with the Dr. Seuss Foundation on early literacy,” said Mark Stuart, president, and CEO of The San Diego Foundation. “Their support helps intensify the focus on preparing a child to read in their earliest years – a time when brain development and learning is critical to academic success and lifelong learning.”
The 2022 Early Childhood Initiative Equitable Opportunities Grant supports nonprofit organizations implementing strategic efforts to build regional resilience by increasing equitable access to high-quality, affordable early education and support services for children, ages 0 – 5, and their caretakers.
Find out what's happening in San Diegofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Past Early Childhood Initiative grants have increased access to quality, affordable early education and care through service expansions, improved access to early intervention and behavioral health supports, and resources for disproportionately impacted children and families.
The partnership has enabled the expansion of this year’s Early Childhood Initiative grant, which will include a focus on supporting early grade-level readiness and access to opportunity by ensuring a strong foundation for literacy in the earliest years.
This approach recognizes the connection between educational readiness and social determinants of health, considering whole family health, financial security, and access to supportive services in the approach to early literacy and educational readiness.
“The Dr. Seuss Foundation is committed to improving literacy and learning, and through this partnership, we are focused on ensuring young children have access to learning opportunities that build the foundation for lifelong success,” said Jay Hill, executive director of the Dr. Seuss Foundation.
Research confirms that patterns of learning in preschool are closely linked to later achievement: children who develop more skills in the preschool years perform better in the primary grades, particularly in the area of literacy. Yet locally in San Diego County, 72% of economically disadvantaged 3rd graders did not meet language and literacy standards in 2020-2021, according to theCalifornia Assessment of Student Performance and Progress.
In addition to early literacy, the Early Childhood Initiative Equitable Opportunities Grant will fund projects focusing on:
- Early Education Service Expansions
- Instructional Quality Improvements and Educational Staff Support
- Healthy, Equitable Starts for Children and New Parents
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Prevention and Intervention
Nonprofit organizations are invited to apply through 2:00 p.m., Friday, May 6, at SDFoundation.org/grantseekers. Maximum awards are expected to range between $75,000 and $100,000.
Times of San Diego is an independent online news site covering the San Diego metropolitan area. Our journalists report on politics, crime, business, sports, education, arts, the military and everyday life in San Diego. No subscription is required, and you can sign up for a free daily newsletter with a summary of the latest news.
