Archived Press Releases

Smart Beginnings Wythe Bland is conducting a comprehensive community needs assessment to determine the full-scope of current and potential early childhood development programs and services that will help young children be successful in school. read more ...

The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) announced today that the Danville Regional Foundation (DRF) has awarded an unprecedented five-year grant of over $5.4 million for Smart Beginnings Danville- Pittsylvania County to dramatically expand the region’s commitment to school readiness for thousands of young children. read more ...

Smart Beginnings Rappahannock Area, a community-based coalition working to improve early childhood education and school readiness in the region, announced it has received a $150,000 grant from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), a statewide public-private partnership. read more ...

The U.S. Department of Defense has selected the Commonwealth of Virginia, among 12 other states, to participate in a nationwide pilot partnership to ensure that all military families in active service have access to high quality early education opportunities for their young children. read more ...

The needs of young children around the Commonwealth will take center stage in mid-October. A two-day statewide Summit, Virginia’s Plan for Smart Beginnings: Strategies for 21st Century Prosperity, is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, October 20-21, at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen. read more ...

A top military officer is the featured speaker at the first major gathering of Virginia Kids Now!, a new initiative of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) that targets young professionals who are committed to helping young children be successful in school and in life. read more ...

Smart Beginnings Alexandria/Arlington, a local collaborative coalition working to improve the quality of early education and care in Alexandria and Arlington, has received a significant grant of $125,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), a public-private partnership headquartered in Richmond, Va. read more ...

Smart Beginnings Central Virginia, a local collaborative coalition working to improve the quality of early education and care in the cities of Lynchburg and Bedford, and Amherst, Appomattox and Campbell counties, has received a significant grant of $100,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF). The VECF is a public-private partnership headquartered in Richmond, Va. read more ...

The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) has moved to new offices in the Koger Center at 8001 Franklin Farms Drive, Suite 116, Richmond, VA 23229. The organization will occupy most of a first-floor wing of the building. read more ...

The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) has elected several new members to its Board of Directors, including elected officials, a retired brigadier general and executive leaders from corporations and educational institutions from around the state. read more ...

Smart Beginnings Virginia Peninsula, a local collaborative coalition working to improve the quality of early education and care in Newport News and Hampton, has received a significant grant of $150,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), a public-private partnership headquartered in Richmond, Va. read more ...

Smart Beginnings Western Tidewater, a local collaborative coalition working to improve the quality of early education and care in the City of Franklin, as well as in Southampton and Isle of Wight counties, has received a significant grant of $100,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), a public-private partnership headquartered in Richmond, Va. read more ...

Smart Beginnings Hopewell-Prince George, a local collaborative coalition working to improve the quality of early education and care in the City of Hopewell, as well as in Prince George County, has received a significant grant of $116,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), a public-private partnership headquartered in Richmond, Va. read more ...

Smart Beginnings Martinsville Henry County, a local collaborative coalition working to improve the quality of early education and care in the City of Martinsville, as well as in Henry County, has received a significant grant of $100,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), a public-private partnership headquartered in Richmond, Va. read more ...

Smart Beginnings Shenandoah Valley, a local collaborative coalition working to improve the quality of early education and care in the Cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton and Waynesboro, as well as in Augusta, Page, Rockingham and Shenandoah counties, has received a significant grant of $125,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), a publicprivate partnership headquartered in Richmond, Va. read more ...

The statewide Smart Beginnings initiative brings people together to help Virginia’s youngest citizens, ages prenatal to five, be better prepared for success in school and in life. Community leaders from the public and private sectors in Wythe and Bland counties recently received a $50,000.00 Smart Beginnings planning grant from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF). The early childhood development and education initiative will be known as Smart Beginnings Wythe Bland. read more ...

Smart Beginnings Greater Roanoke, a local collaborative working to improve the quality of early education and care in the Roanoke, has received a significant grant of $100,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), a public-private partnership headquartered in Richmond, Va. read more ...

Early childhood development as the foundation of Virginia’s 21st century workforce is the focus of an exciting day-long Summit. read more ...

The statewide Smart Beginnings initiative brings people together to help Virginia’s youngest citizens, ages prenatal to five, be better prepared for success in school and in life. Community leaders from the public and private sectors in Russell and Washington counties, as well as the city of Bristol, Va., recently received a $50,000 Smart Beginnings planning grant from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF). read more ...

What do George Mason University and the Federal
Reserve Bank of Richmond have in common? Executive-level officers of both of those esteemed institutions are featured speakers at a statewide Summit to improve the state’s early childhood development system, so that today’s young children will become tomorrow’s workforce and maybe even executive-level officers themselves. read more ...

A new training program that is custom-designed to develop the leadership skills of early childhood stakeholders in communities around Virginia will honor the first-ever class of graduates locally on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 6:00 PM. read more ...

Community leaders from the public and private sectors in Smyth and Tazewell Counties applied for and received a $50,000 Smart Beginnings planning grant from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF). The statewide Smart Beginnings initiative brings individuals together to help Virginia’s youngest citizens, ages prenatal to five, be better prepared for success in school and in life. read more ...

More than 100 statewide professionals in early childhood development and education are gathering in Richmond today to discuss strategies and initiatives to help young children get high-quality early learning experiences in the first five years of life. read more ...

The statewide Smart Beginnings initiative brings people together to help Virginia’s youngest citizens, ages prenatal to five, be better prepared for success in school and in life. Community leaders from the public and private sectors in Franklin and Patrick counties applied for and recently received a $50,000 Smart Beginnings planning grant from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF). read more ...

The statewide Smart Beginnings initiative brings people together to help Virginia’s youngest citizens, ages prenatal to five, be better prepared for success in school and in life. Community leaders from the public and private sectors in seven counties in Virginia applied for and recently received a $50,000 Smart Beginnings planning grant from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF). read more ...

The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation has promoted Maria Brown to Vice President of Programs. She joined the VECF in 2008 as Senior Director of Initiatives and Technical Assistance, with responsibility for building and maintaining the Foundation’s focus on high-quality early learning programs and services for young children, as well as managing the technical assistance required to support the VECF’s grantees and service providers statewide. read more ...

Phylis Benner has joined the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) as Special Projects Coordinator. In this position, she will be responsible for oversight of many aspects of Virginia’s new quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for daycare centers and preschool program providers, also known as the Star Rating Initiative. read more ...

The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) recently awarded eight new grants totaling $580,000 to support high-quality early childhood services in more than 25 cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth. read more ...

Smart Beginnings New River Valley, a collaborative coalition formed to support high quality early childhood services for the region’s young children, has received a grant of $50,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF). read more ...

Smart Beginnings Crater Region, a collaborative coalition formed to support high-quality early learning initiatives for the area’s young children, will receive a grant of $50,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF). read more ...

Smart Beginnings Alexandria/Arlington, a collaborative coalition formed to support high quality early learning initiatives for young children, has received a grant of $100,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF). read more ...

Smart Beginnings Fluvanna County, a collaborative coalition formed to support high-quality early learning initiatives for young children in the county, will receive a grant of $50,000 from the Virginia Early childhood Foundation (VECF). read more ...

The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) announces that Charles Edward “Eddie” Williams has joined the staff in Richmond, Va., as Marketing Communications Manager. read more ...

Smart Beginnings Southwest Virginia, a collaborative coalition formed by People Incorporated of Virginia to support high-quality early learning initiatives for the region’s young children, will receive a grant of $50,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF). read more ...

United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County announces that the Success By 6 Coalition of the Shenandoah Valley, launched in 2001 to address the needs of young children from ages 0-5, will be renamed Smart Beginnings Shenandoah Valley. read more ...

Smart Beginnings Hopewell-Prince George, a collaborative coalition formed to support high-quality early learning initiatives for young children in the region, will receive a significant grant of $100,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF). read more ...

Smart Beginnings Appalachian Region, a collaborative coalition formed recently to support high-quality early learning initiatives for young children, will receive a grant of $50,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF). read more ...

Smart Beginnings Appalachian Region, a collaborative coalition formed recently to support high-quality early learning initiatives for young children, will receive a grant of $50,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF). read more ...

Two high-profile leaders in the state’s business community were elected to the board of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation: James W. “Jim” Dunn, the retired president and CEO of the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce and now an organization consultant for Bon Secours Richmond Foundation, and Glenn E. Kinard, regional president of PNC Bank in Fredericksburg, Va. The announcement was made at the board’s monthly meeting in January 2009. read more ...

Smart Beginnings of Martinsville and Henry County has been selected by Champions of Inclusive Communities (ChampionsInC) to be spotlighted as part of their Community Recognition Program which identifies communities that are good models of community-based service systems. read more ...