The Institute for Child Success (ICS) is pleased to announce that two of ICS's most committed supporters, Jean and Bill Schmidt, have pledged to match any donation, up to an overall total of $15,000! Dr. Bill Schmidt is the retired Medical Director of the Prisma Health Children’s Hospital and a founding and active ICS board member. Now through December 31 (11:59 PM EST), you can double your gift!
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ICS is committed to supporting children and their families through diverse thinking, savvy policy and innovative financing that considers inclusion, equity, and sustainability.
Help ICS keep our fingers on the pulse of the early childhood sector and turn information to action. Together, we can build a world where every child succeeds and families thrive! Please consider supporting ICS with a tax-deductible gift. Remember, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar (up to an overall total of $15,000), by the Schmidts!
Thank you for your support and generosity. We wish you and your family Happy Holidays and a healthy New Year!
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To date, we have raised $8,470 toward our $15,000 goal!
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Click the button above to donate electronically. If you would like to donate by check, please mail your check to the address below. |
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If donating by check,
write MATCH in the memo line and
mail to: ICS, P.O. BOX 17811
Greenville, SC 29606.
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If you are interested in supporting ICS
through a gift of appreciated stock,
a direct distribution from an IRA or
through a Donor Advised Fund,
please email ICS or call 864-287-8063.
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Child care providers in South Carolina continue to struggle to make ends meet as the COVID-19 public health emergency has continued. In a new ICS survey report of child care providers, providers continue to serve fewer children than previously, facing significant revenue reductions which threaten their long-term stability, as well as struggling to access supplies necessary for their operations.
Sixty-two respondents took the survey in late October/early November. Respondents were located in 15 of the state’s 46 counties and included all provider types of the child care sector. Just over half of the responding centers had closed for some period of time but are now open; 37 percent remained open throughout the pandemic. Since March, respondents incorporated a range of precautionary measures to try to avoid the spread of COVID-19; most common were taking temperatures of staff and children, creating a policy on how to handle any possible COVID-19 cases for staff and/or children, and requiring face masks for staff. However, providers are still experiencing difficulties accessing and affording the protective items they need, including gloves, masks, and hand sanitizer.
Across all ages, providers were serving fewer than two out of three children they are licensed to serve, resulting in lower revenue. On average, providers who report financial impacts each lost $102,951 through lost revenue and increased costs since the public health emergency began, equivalent to losing $13,727 each month since the start of the pandemic.
Providers were asked to rank their stress and concerns in three areas on a scale of 1-10, with one being “not at all stressed” and ten being “the most stressed I have ever been.” The highest area of concern was about health and well-being of families they served, with an average rating of 7.1. Providers were also concerned about the financial stability of their centers as well as safety of staff members, rating both over 6.5.
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Virtual Nurturing Developing Minds Conference and Research Symposium |
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On Friday, February 26, 2021 from 9:30 am –3:00 pm, researchers, policymakers, medical practitioners, early childhood educators and all those working to optimize children’s development will convene online for interactive learning.
We anticipate offering continuing professional development credits for medical practitioners as well as early childhood educators.
Agenda and registration materials coming soon!
Brought to you by:
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ICS Director of Innovation and Inclusion, Mary Garvey, was quoted in a motherhood blog post on young children and racial bias, in particular speaking about ignoring race altogether. "When people don’t speak about race, it’s much easier to see others as bad just because they’re different," she says, "Everyone sees color, so we need to help our kids understand how to react to the differences when they notice them.”
Director of Policy Research, Megan Carolan, was quoted in an NBC news piece, Isolated by pandemic, Americans are sending more Christmas and holiday cards to stay in touch. In talking about using holiday cards as a family activity to maintain some normalcy this year, she said, “My son is now old enough to be aware of what he is missing and decorating the cards is something we can do from home that still feels festive. It’s also an activity that enables him to practice drawing and writing. So, in a way, it’s part of our virtual preschool. He gets to draw and color and personalize these cards. And who doesn’t want a customized Christmas card from a three-year-old?”
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Thank you for your support in 2020! It has been a challenging year and we are grateful for your support - whether it be financial support or the support you provide by participating in our events, sharing our resources, or advocating on behalf of children and families.
Gratefully,
The ICS team
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You Shop. Amazon Gives.
Bookmark smile.amazon.com and set Institute for Child Success Inc as your charitable organization. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to ICS.
AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.
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ICS works on behalf of children from prenatal to age 8.
Help support our research and advocacy with a contribution.
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The Institute for Child Success is Founded by: |
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The Institute for Child Success is fueled by the BlueCross® BlueShield® of South Carolina Foundation, the Mary Black Foundation, and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, an independent licensee of the BlueCross and BlueShield Association. |
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