Entries For: August 2008

The table was provided to the Foundation by Thrive by Five Washington, a local partner in early learning.

The Foundation provided free Getting School Ready!® and 10 Simple Ways booklets in both English and Spanish. Community members were also able to learn more about the Foundation’s coalition strategy in supporting early learning across Washington State.

A brilliant day. Thanks to all that made it out to this great event!

This morning when I was walking from my bus to the office, I was coming down a particularly steep hill. Half way down a man on crutches and only one leg came whizzing by me. His empty pant leg was flapping in the breeze as he made his way down the hill. I caught up to him at the traffic light and said “You really negotiate hills well”. He turned to me and smiled, his crutches were now resting on his shoulders and he was balancing on one leg, and he replied “I’m just doing the best I can” The light turned green and he continued, leaving me in the dust. It was interesting to see how people reacted as he went by him. People watched him until he turned the corner. I felt I could read their thoughts. If I was reading them correctly, they were thinking “Wow, would you look at him!”

In this time of the Olympics when we are seeing young people from all countries “do the best they can”, its good to remember all the unheralded folks out there, parents, grandparents, caregivers and all those little kids who may be watching the Olympics and thinking that someday they will be standing on that podium because they did the best that they could.

So to all of you out there, thank you for doing the best that you can.


Jeanne Anderson

Labels for Education Child Care Grants is a program resulting from an innovative partnership joining Campbell’s Labels for Education, Costco Wholesale Corporation and the Foundation for Early Learning. The program has enjoyed  7 great years serving the early learning community in Washington state. The program has been designed to award label credits to child care centers and home care businesses to purchase items that enrich early learning environments. Over the years, up to 10,000,000 labels have been distributed towards materials and supplies and over 3,700 children have benefited!

This July we launched the 12^th round of grants and the program provided outreach to over 900 providers in 12 different counties across Washington!

See below for the Round 12 grants program highlights:

• A total of 27 child care centers/homes were awarded LFE grants.
• 100% of awardees had both STARS training and WA state DEL licensing.
• As many as 18% of teachers had BA degrees relating to early childhood and/or education and 25% had AA degrees.
• 70% of awardees had supplemental credentials, awards or had participated in extra   training.
• Skagit county had the most providers awarded grants with 15 total.
•  A total 813 children ages 0-18 will benefit from these LFE grants.
• 614 of the children served are ages 0-5.
• 452 of the children served also receive state child care subsidies.
• A total of 292 items were ordered from the 2008-2009 LFE Catalog.
• The Silver Rider Tricycle, Cassette Recorder Listening Station and Double Sided Book Display were among the favorite items ordered.

This round was a great success! Round 13 serving King and Snohomish counties has begun and the Foundation will be accepting application through August 22. To learn more, see us on the website or contact Hannah@earlylearning.org.