First Children's Finance

Today, for #WomensHistoryMonth, we celebrate Maya Angelou, poet, author, and civil rights activist, whose words empowered millions. From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" to her unforgettable poetry, Maya Angelou taught us about the power of strength, resilience, and our voices. "I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." – Maya Angelou.? #MayaAngelou #Poetry #Legacy #PhenomenalWoman #WomensHistoryMonth

Anne Sullivan was the "Miracle Worker" who changed the world of education. Despite her own struggles with vision loss, she became Helen Keller’s teacher, using patience, innovation, and perseverance to unlock communication for the deaf and blind. Her work redefined special education and proved that every student has potential when given the right support.

If you're a working parent -- or hoping to be -- good child care is critical. But child care businesses face innumerable challenges, and every year we try to measure those through an annual survey of child care providers in MN. Join Suzanne Pearl and Tu-Uyen Tran as they describe the current health, challenges, and opportunities facing this critical economic sector.

This #WomensHistoryMonth, we celebrate Katherine Johnson, the brilliant NASA mathematician who calculated the flight paths that sent astronauts into space! Breaking barriers as a Black woman in STEM, she proved that intelligence and perseverance can change history. Her work made space travel possible and continues to inspire generations! #KatherineJohnson #HiddenFigures #NASA #WomenInSTEM #BlackExcellence #MathGenius #Trailblazer

Today is the perfect day to bring some magic into child care! From counting gold coins in a treasure hunt to exploring shades of green in art activities, St. Patrick’s Day is full of fun ways to build early learning skills. Let’s spark curiosity with sensory bins of rainbow colors, clover crafts. Here are some ideas of activities for today. Rainbow Color Hunt? Encourage kids to find objects of each color in the rainbow around the room. This helps with color recognition and sorting skills. Storytime: Irish Tales Read books like How to Catch a Leprechaun or There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover to celebrate the holiday with storytelling. Shamrock Art & Crafts Make shamrock collages with green paper, tissue paper, or even finger painting. This is great for fine motor skills and creativity! #StPatricksDay #LearningThroughPlay #LittleLeprechauns #EarlyChildhoodFun #earlylearning

Today, we celebrate the most deliciously infinite number - π (3.14)! Pi Day isn’t just about the tasty dessert, it’s also a great reminder of how important math is in everyday life, and child care! From measuring ingredients in a baking activity to counting toys, recognizing shapes, and even counting fingers, math helps children develop critical thinking, and processing skills that create a love of learning and problem solving. So, whether you’re solving equations or savoring a slice, today is the perfect excuse to celebrate math in a fun way! #PiDay #nonprofit #MathIsSweet #EarlyLearning #STEM #LetThemEatPie #Math

Discover the impact FCF made in the past year in supporting child care providers, communities and systems that are working to make a difference. From key projects to important metrics to major milestones, our report highlights the work our organization is doing every day. ? Read the full report & see our impact at the link below. ? Annual Reports - First Children's Finance ? ?#newsletter #childcare #stayInformed #earlylearning #communityimpact #annualreport

The First Children's Finance March 2025 Newsletter has arrived!? Stay updated on child care, training opportunities, and community impacts across the United States. This quarter, we highlight stories focusing on providers, communities and systems working to sustain quality child care where it’s needed most. Also check out our first organizational Annual Report! You can read the newsletter and join our email list at the link below! ? https://conta.cc/3FlEpj5 ?#newsletter #childcare #stayInformed #earlylearning #communityimpact

The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Mary Jane McLeod Bethune became one of the most important Black educators, civil and women’s rights leaders and government officials of the twentieth century. The college she founded set educational standards for today’s Black colleges, and her role as an advisor to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave African Americans an advocate in government.? Bethune opened a boarding school, the Daytona Beach Literary and Industrial School for Training Negro Girls. Eventually, Bethune’s school became a college, merging with the all-male Cookman Institute to form Bethune-Cookman College in 1929. It issued its first degrees in 1943.

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month! March is dedicated to raising awareness, promoting inclusion, talents, and contributions of individuals with developmental disabilities. Developmental disabilities are a group of conditions that affect learning, language, behavior, and physical abilities. They include: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Cerebral Palsy Intellectual Disabilities Speech & Language Disorders Down Syndrome and more Child care providers are at the front line of caring for these individuals and allowing them to flourish under their guidance. This month we raise awareness of these individuals and hope that you take time to learn more on the subject. To learn more on how you can celebrate DD Awareness, visit: ?https://nacdd.org/ #DDAwareness2025 #DDAM #DDAM2025 #NewOpportunities