| Established in 2006 as a “venture philanthropy” fund, the First Children's Finance Growth Fund combines the funding with the expertise early care and education programs need to not only identify their most critical business challenges but to actually tackle them.
The Growth Fund recognizes that quality care for children in their earliest years yields tremendous human, economic and social benefits—and reduces costs to individuals and communities later. Every dollar invested in quality early childhood development produces a return on investment of 12% to 16%, with the greatest returns realized among children in low income families. Communities need a stable and educated populace in order to thrive. Yet, too many children enter kindergarten less than fully prepared for school. Across the nation, roughly 70% of children age 5 or younger attend early education programs. Reliable, quality care supports productive, healthy children and families and reduces employee absenteeism.
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