Annual Report

WE ARE THE FRONTLINE First Steps Helps Caregivers and Families Navigate COVID-19

Katie Thompson and her daughters celebrate at the Radford Early Learning Center during an Early Childhood Champion Awards watch party.

In July 2020, Senator Tim Kaine visited the New River Valley to hear from early educators, healthcare workers, and parents about the desperate need for childcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CFNRV provides leadership for First Steps, a network of individuals and organizations supporting young children and families. With this in mind, Senator Kaine’s office approached the CFNRV about convening the July discussion, and the staff invited about twenty participants to speak to the senator about “how childcare is supporting frontline workers during the pandemic.” While grateful for the opportunity to share their insight and expertise, Katie Thompson, Director of the Radford Early Learning Center, summed up the

sentiment of many childcare providers in attendance when sharing, “We are not just here to support frontline workers. We are the frontline.” Thompson is among the hundreds of NRV early educators and humans service providers who have worked tirelessly to support children, families, and employers during the pandemic. They have also given their time and talent to First Steps, seeing the network as a critical way to share information and to advocate for childcare and support services as essential to the region’s economic well-being. Throughout the pandemic, the relationships that First Steps has fostered proved vital.

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THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE NEW RIVER VALLEY

Photo by Katie Thompson