Annual Report

Serving as a Regional Hub In addition to its own programs, First Steps has been a valuable resource to other community leaders looking to access childcare and social service providers. First Steps members helped to design the grant program administered by Montgomery County and the Towns of Christiansburg and Blacksburg to distribute CARES money to childcare providers. First Steps also helped the NRV Public Health Task Force to reach out to childcare providers when the COVID-19 vaccine first became available. Officials appreciated the ability to access expertise quickly, and to disseminate information through a pre-existing network. Celebrating Early Childhood Champions Well before the COVID-19 pandemic, the First Steps network wrestled with how to raise the profile of the early care and education workforce. They provide essential services to families and bring a wealth of professional training and experience to a field that is too often unappreciated and underpaid. The pandemic only sharpened the focus on their heroic efforts. To recognize them, First Steps created the Early Childhood Champion Awards. The program is an extension of the awards previously administered by the Alliance for Better Childcare Strategies. The new program recognizes extraordinary teachers, human service providers, healthcare providers, and advocates who work to meet the needs of young children and their families. In 2021, 19 individuals or teams were nominated, and small cash prizes were awarded to five, including three honorees – Karen Gallagher of the Virginia Tech Child Development Center for Learning and Research, Sarah Nucci of Wonder Universe, and Kim Wasil of North Blacksburg Kindercare. Elizabeth Foster, one of the founders of Valley Interfaith Child Care Center, was honored as the runner up, and Leslie Blevins Graham, lead preschool teacher at Imagination Station in Pearisburg, was selected as the 2021 NRV Early Childhood Champion. The awards will be offered annually with nominations solicited each spring. More information about the 2021 nominees and award winners can be found at cfnrv.org/news-events.

NRV CARES is active with the First Steps network and a Responsive Grant recipient.

Navigating Unchartered Territory Together Since 2018, First Steps has held “Meet Yourself” sessions across the NRV. Organizations working in early childhood education and development share information about their programs and network with others to improve referrals and spur collaboration. During COVID, First Steps launched a virtual series featuring experts in areas like mental health, accessing federal childcare funding, and navigating virtual learning. Speakers shared resources and discussed how they as both parents and professionals were working through the challenges of the pandemic. Network members also meet monthly as part of the Common Voice work group to share funding and policy updates at the state and federal level. Kim Thomason, Program Manager for Early Childhood Education at Virginia Tech, has been a longtime member of First Steps and has been involved in advocating for childcare at the regional and state levels. She shares, “The connections and partnerships formed through First Steps give additional opportunities for the needs of families and children to be met. It is a place where partners can express their passion and concerns while moving forward with a collective goal of “the next best step”. I always walk away with more than I came with and for this I am grateful to the First Steps community.”

Photo by NRV CARES

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2020 - 2021 ANNUAL REPORT