Bainum Family Foundation Announces 5-Year, $100 Million Funding Commitment to Early Childhood Education

Foundation’s largest-ever commitment to date deepens commitment to critical early years

Funding adds to outgoing board chair Barbara Bainum’s legacy, advances mission to help children and families thrive

D.C. — The Bainum Family Foundation announced today a $100 million commitment to funding early childhood issue areas over the next five years — the largest single commitment in the foundation’s 56-year history. With this investment, the Foundation is doubling down on its mission to create lasting systems change for the well-being of children and families. The funding will provide grantees and partners with the stability they need to meet the needs of young children and their families while advancing transformative ideas and solutions to pave the way toward a more equitable future.

“Reimagining a system to support children and families requires giving those closest to the challenges the time and space they need to develop innovative solutions,” stated David Daniels, CEO and President of the Bainum Family Foundation. “Our financial commitment reflects our belief in this approach and is fueled directly by the guidance of our partners. We aim to show up in the way that is most meaningful to them. As we continue our journey as an organization, I encourage other philanthropies to explore partner-centric approaches anchored on community feedback and directed by those
closest to the work.”

The Bainum Family Foundation’s new investment comes at a time when American families, especially those with young children, cannot equitably access the resources they need to support their children during this critical developmental period. Lack of access to high-quality programs, skyrocketing costs, and inadequate pay and support for educators leave families with few options and put countless parents — especially women — on the sidelines of our economy. Black and brown communities are bearing the brunt of these impacts, deepening inequities that are only set to worsen with time. With the end of the federal child care stabilization program, more than 70,000 child care programs could close and about 3.2 million children could lose their spots in a child care program. Despite this extreme drop-off over the child care cliff, the crisis continues to go unaddressed.

This commitment is a direct response to partners who have shared the importance of longer-term funding to create systemic change and improve outcomes for children and families. In recent years, the Bainum Family Foundation has primarily focused funding on Washington, DC, and Florida. This investment will allow them to expand support to other geographies, simultaneously fueling direct services for young children and advocacy that can drive transformative change. Through initiatives like WeVision EarlyEd, the foundation is using its resources to define ideal child care and make this real for families now and in the future, rather than simply naming that the crisis exists. Data from “proximity experts” (families and early childhood education professionals with lived experiences and specialized expertise) are guiding the direction of these investments.

“The Bainum Family Foundation is doubling down on our commitment to empowering early childhood.” said Marica Cox Mitchell, Vice President for Early Childhood at the Bainum Family Foundation. “This new commitment will help families and practitioners who support young children navigate outdated and under-resourced systems while also challenging the status quo to reimagine and illustrate what could be if they have equitable access to the resources they want and need to thrive.”

The announcement builds on the leadership of outgoing board chair Barbara Bainum, LCSW-C and her vision to direct the foundation’s investments toward the critical early childhood years and vital support for families. Over her tenure, Barbara has offered her expertise to lead the foundation in distributing over $258 million in awards to more than 1,300 partner organizations.

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About Bainum Family Foundation
The Bainum Family Foundation is working to create a society where all children thrive. We work alongside communities experiencing racial and economic disparities to create lasting systems change for the well-being of children and families. Founded in 1968 by Stewart Sr. and Jane Bainum, the foundation today focuses on Early Childhood and what children need for a strong start in life (including early learning, health and mental health, family economic security, and stable housing). Our Legacy Programs support faith-based education and other issues important to the Bainum family. Visit us at bainumfdn.org.