The Heising-Simons Foundation

The Heising-Simons Foundation will commit up to $6.6 million from 2015 through 2018 as part of a new public-private initiative it has launched to leverage federal investments in early childhood education. The Foundation will invite proposals to help match federal investments in early childhood-focused programs in order to increase the pool and quality of resources available in California and nationally in the areas of family engagement, implementation of federal policy at the state level, and research to uncover what works in early learning. Up to $2.6 million will support efforts to enhance the quality of family engagement in California’s U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships and Preschool Expansion Grant, assuming federal grants are awarded to California applicants. Up to $2 million will facilitate planning and implementation of federal investments, such as the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), and advancing the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program in California and other states to ensure these important programs meet their full potential. Up to $2 million will complement federal research efforts to help uncover what works in supporting young children’s learning and development.