2022 Exemplary Partner: Vanguard

The Vanguard Strong Start for Kids Program is driven by decades of research that support high-quality improvement, expansion, and sustainability efforts for early learning centers. Co-led by Crystal Shannon and Rashanda Perryman of The Vanguard Group Foundation, the program has a history of supporting child care systems-building work in Arizona, where child care providers and families have faced unprecedented challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In Arizona, 48% of families live in child care deserts and lack critical access to high quality child care and pre-k opportunities. 

Like LISC, Vanguard leverages investments by building on the strengths of community-based organizations. The trusted relationships with communities that have been underserved guide their grant making and decision-making and are informed by direct feedback. 

This early care and education (ECE) and care space is new to LISC Phoenix, and understanding data, engaging with the community, and developing a plan to enter this space needed to start with research. Vanguard’s invitation to LISC Phoenix to provide $100,000 of support for a child care landscape analysis has been a catalyst in establishing relationships that will enable the development of long-term ECE facilities investment. The roadmap to build a strategy for tackling this facility challenge is the seed Vanguard planted and is being recognized for this year.

Effectively building quality child care supply requires an intentional focus on funding, training, and support for providers. It also requires an intentional focus on infrastructure solutions. Already, public and private capital critical to a long-term, disciplined focus to drive meaningful and measurable social impact in the early childhood sector has begun. The community engagement and analysis made possible by Vanguard’s support will help maximize that investment for years to come. 

< Return to 2022 Community Awards