New Report Links Work of Minnesota Early Childhood Initiative to Early Care and Education Research, Documents Local Strategies and Outcomes
(October 2007)
The Minnesota Initiative Foundations (MIFs) have released a new report that examines strategies and outcomes of the Minnesota Early Childhood Initiative and links them with existing research on early care and education. The report, “Building Nurturing Communities of Thriving Children” was produced by Wilder Research on behalf of the MIFs. In it, 18 of the nearly 400 projects and programs implemented thus far by the 64 Early Childhood Coalitions were assessed. The featured programs represent model or exemplary strategies in their respective regions, including in northeastern Minnesota.
The Minnesota Early Childhood Initiative was launched in 2003 as is a collaborative statewide program of the six MIFs, who used a common process to engage community members to identify strengths and needs, create a vision, develop strategic action plans, and implement projects and programs to strengthen local early care and education resources. The process is designed to help communities become more nurturing places that are equipped to provide children the best possible start to a healthy life of learning, achieving, and succeeding. The Initiative has also raised considerable local, statewide, and national awareness of early childhood issues.
“Oftentimes, school readiness is simply measured by whether or not a child knows the ABCs and 123s,” said Lynn Haglin, Vice President/ KIDS PLUS Director of the Northland Foundation, “and it’s so much more than that. This report demonstrates how a broad array of coalition projects are contributing in measurable ways to the healthy development and school readiness of young children, and it connects these efforts to research and evidence-based practices.”
In preparing the report, Wilder Research interviewed coalition coordinators who were asked to describe their models, outline what they expected to achieve, describe factors that contributed to the project’s success, and the assumptions or “theories of change” that informed their strategies.
“This report crystallizes what has been accomplished by the Minnesota Initiative Foundations’ grassroots early childhood community organizing process,” states Richard Chase, Ph.D., Wilder Research. “It also illustrates the key building blocks of a nurturing community environment and how local citizens can work together to ensure young children thrive.
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To learn more about the Minnesota Early Childhood Initiative or to request a hard copy of the report, please contact the Northland Foundation at info@northlandfdn.org or by calling (218) 723-4040.
About The Minnesota Initiative Foundations
The Minnesota Initiative Foundations were created in 1986 as a partnership between The McKnight Foundation and the citizens of Greater Minnesota. Set up as independent nonprofit philanthropic organizations with local boards of directors, the six foundations are: the Initiative Foundation based in Little Falls; the Northland Foundation in Duluth; the Northwest Minnesota Foundation located in Bemidji; the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation in Owatonna; the Southwest Initiative Foundation in Hutchinson; and West Central Initiative based in Fergus Falls.
About Wilder Research
Wilder Research, the research and evaluation group within the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, is dedicated to practical health and human services research. To learn how Wilder Research can work with you to evaluate a program, test an idea, do a cost-benefit analysis, conduct a survey, or better understand trends and issues that affect your community, go to www.wilderresearch.org, e-mail: research@wilder.org, or call 651-647-4600.