Education Program Invests Over $2.2 Million to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Early Grades Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 12/17/2024 on 12/17/2024 Across the country, chronic absenteeism –defined as missing 10 percent or more of school days during the academic year– has remained persistently high in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In California, the greatest increase has been in elementary schools, especially in kindergarten. This crisis has resulted in the White House Policy Council issuing a …
Heising-Simons Foundation Awards $25.6M to Systems Change Efforts in Second Quarter of 2024 Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 7/16/2024 on 7/16/2024 Heising-Simons Foundation awarded $25.6 million to systems change efforts across 57 grants during the second quarter of 2024. This latest round of funding supports advancing climate and clean energy policies, ensuring that AI does not disrupt the 2024 election, and developing a clearer understanding of the causes of underrepresentation of women in math and physical …
Rebecca Gomez Op-Ed in Ms. Magazine: Child Care Funding Cliff Is Upon Us Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 4/5/2024 on 4/5/2024 “Since Congress failed to extend the child care stabilization funding from the American Rescue Plan Act in September 2023, the supply of child care has fallen off a cliff in many places across the United States, and its effects on families and the early childhood education workforce are being felt more than ever,” says Rebecca …
Families Lead California Initiative Awards $4 Million to Strengthen Diverse Parent Leaders Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 4/2/2024 on 4/2/2024 The Heising-Simons Foundation’s Education program has awarded $4 million over two years to support of 11 community-based organizations working to strengthen the pipeline of diverse parent leaders in California. This marks the second round of funding for these 11 organizations, which are part of Families Lead California, an initiative that builds parent leaders’ power to influence policy to reflect the priorities of families with children ages 0-8 in the Golden State.
Heising-Simons Foundation Grantees Awarded MacKenzie Scott Large Grants Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 3/29/2024 on 3/29/2024 Several grantees of the Heising-Simons Foundation have been awarded unrestricted grants in the $1-2 million range for “outstanding work advancing the voices and opportunities of individuals and families of meager or modest means, and groups who have met with discrimination and other systemic obstacles,” Yield Giving announced this week. Our grantees join a total pool …
Q&A: Families Lead California Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 1/25/2024 on 1/25/2024 Left to right: Shiree Teng (Teng & Smith), Ernesto Saldana (Teng & Smith), Sergio Luna (ICUC). All photos by Masha Chernyak. All photos by Masha Chernyak. All photos by Masha Chernyak. As families across California continue to struggle with a host of social and economic stressors, the Foundation’s Families Lead California initiative seeks to support …
Dr. Rebecca Gomez Q&A with Child Care Aware of America Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 11/30/2023 on 11/30/2023 “We came so very close to getting a historic entitlement for child care in this country via Build Back Better, [and] even though we did not succeed, I think it’s important to recognize that advocates and organizers have, working in coalition, fundamentally changed the conversation about child care in this country,” said Dr. Rebecca Gomez in a Q&A with grantee Child Care Aware® of America.
3.2 Million Children Expected to Lose Child Care Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 10/11/2023 on 10/11/2023 At the end of last month, $39 billion in federal child-care funds made available through the American Rescue Plan Act expired––and, as a result, more than three million children across the nation are expected to lose child care, with more than 70,000 child care programs likely to close. The Century Foundation (TCF), an Education grantee …
Rebecca Gomez Op-Ed Urges Congress to Invest in Child Care as $39 Billion in Federal Funding Expire Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 9/26/2023 on 9/26/2023 A vast majority of voters believe it’s important for working parents to be able to find and afford quality child care for young children. When Congress lets $39 billion in federal child-care funds made available through the American Rescue Plan Act expire at the end of this month, the consequences for providers, educators, families, and workers will be catastrophic.