Why Are Our Children Doing Better? Nancy Award Nominations Due March 25

March 8, 2011

When you think of who has helped improve the well-being of our children, does someone or some organization some to mind? Have they exemplified unwavering dedication and outstanding contributions through program innovation, policy, advocacy or mentorship?

Created in 2007, the Nancy Award shines the spotlight on outstanding contributions by individuals or groups to enhance life for young children and honors the spirit and legacy of Nancy Latimer, whose leadership, passion and commitment to children are exemplified by award recipients.

The fifth annual award will be presented June 29 by the Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network, an MCF network, at the Annual Nancy Latimer Convening for Children and Youth.

Nominations should include the following, not to exceed two pages:

  • For individuals: A brief biographical and professional overview, noting the nominee’s significant activities and accomplishments on behalf of children in Minnesota.
  • For groups: A brief overview of the significant activities and accomplishments of the group on behalf of children in Minnesota.
  • Overviews may be bulleted lists or narratives.
  • The name and contact information of the nominator, as well as a brief statement of the connection between the nominator and nominee.
  • The names, e-mail addresses and phone numbers of two individuals who can provide additional information about the nominee, if needed.
  • Contact information, including title, e-mail address and phone number, for the nominee.

E-mail nominations by March 25 to: Vicki Itzkowitz, Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network coordinator, vitzkowitz@aol.com

Prior Nancy Award recipients are:

2010   Arthur J. Rolnick, senior vice president and director of research, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis; and Jane Kretzmann, senior program officer, Minnesota Community Foundation and The Saint Paul Foundation.

2009   Dr. Glenace Edwall, director, Children’s Mental Health Division, Minnesota Department of Human Services, and chair, Minnesota Child Psychologists; and Zoe Nicholie, early childhood systems specialist and director of the Build Initiative and public policy work at Ready 4 K.

2008    Dr. Martha Farrell Erickson, Ph.D., founding director, University of Minnesota Children, Youth & Family Consortium, and director, Irving B. Harris Programs, Center for Early Education and Development.

2007     Early Childhood Caucus, Minnesota State Legislature, accepted by Rep. Nora Slawik and Sen. Claire A. Robling.

About Nancy Latimer

As a longtime senior program officer at The McKnight Foundation, a leader of the Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network, and a lifelong advocate for children, Latimer made many contributions to the healthy development of young children, the prevention of child abuse, and the creation of public and policy support to improve the lives of Minnesota’s children and families.

About the Early Childhood Funders Network

The Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network provides information to network members and policymakers, monitors how changing public policy affects early childhood issues and organizations, and works to strengthen the voice for early childhood within Minnesota philanthropy.

- Chris Murakami Noonan, MCF communications associate

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Don’t Close the Achievement Gap, Prevent It

June 29, 2010

In recent years, I’ve heard a lot about efforts to close the achievement gap, a national embarrassment that is especially evident in Minnesota.

Last week I attended “Window of Opportunity: Babies Can’t Wait, The 4th Annual Nancy Latimer Convening for Children and Youth” co-sponsored by the Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network and the Minnesota Council on Foundations. Evidence presented there was clear – poor children (and their families) need services and intervention, long before the children enter school, to ensure an achievement gap doesn’t start.

Dr. Richard Chase of Wilder Research puts it this way, “We have to stop talking about how to close the achievement gap. We have to think about how to prevent the achievement gap.”

Chase talked about the necessity of multiple, coordinated services to achieve this and defined three essentials that very young children need to thrive:

  • A caring and responsive caregiver
  • A language-rich environment
  • Opportunities to safely explore

In our state, 15 to 20 percent of our babies are vulnerable. Their families live in poverty, increasing the risk that they simply won’t get what they need to succeed. In 2008, 60 percent of American Indian babies in Minnesota were born into poverty, 42 percent of African American, 33 percent of Hispanic, 10 percent of Asian, and 8 percent of white babies. Low-income children of color make up a growing portion of Minnesota’s babies today and of Minnesota’s students and workforce tomorrow. Their success matters.

Dr. Megan Gunnar, a professor at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development also spoke. She introduced the theory of “serve and return,” a continual process of the child “serving something out” and how, in a responsive environment, their “serve is returned.”

This high stakes game doesn’t happen on a tennis court. Instead, imagine a baby smiling and cooing at mom and then waiting for a smile or encouraging word to come back. If she doesn’t get a response, she tries less and less often, and ultimately her brain development slows. An unresponsive environment just doesn’t provide what a child needs.

Why the lack of response? Caregivers in low-income families are depressed or emotionally stressed 15 to 20 percent of the time, rendering them ineffective at the all important “serve and return.” Lack of access to affordable mental health care and other services exacerbates the problem.

For both speakers, the answer is clear. Increase funding for the whole child, the whole family and the whole community and do it now.

Chase summarized, “Close the gap between what science is telling us and what we do. Investing in early childhood gives us the biggest bang for our buck. It’s certainly a better investment than stadiums or airlines.”

Awards Presented
This year’s “Nancy” awards, presented in honor of Nancy Latimer, went to Jane Kretzmann, senior program officer at the Minnesota Community Foundation (an MCF member) for her work promoting the healthy development of young children, including development of the Project for Babies, and Arthur J. Rolnick, economist, senior vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis for showing the link between early childhood education and healthy communities and economies.

- Susan Stehling, MCF

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Announcing the 2009 “Nancy” Award Winners: Two Leaders Improving Young-Children’s Lives

June 23, 2009

Honoring the legacy of Nancy Latimer, lifelong advocate for children and families, the Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network, an MCF network, announced today that its Third Annual “Nancy” Award recipients are Dr. Glenace Edwall and Zoe Nicholie.

Throughout their careers in research, teaching and administration, Edwall and Nicholie have tirelessly worked to strengthen policies and systems affecting the healthy development of children throughout Minnesota.

Dr. Edwall has served as director of the Children’s Mental Health Division at the Minnesota Department of Human Services since 2000. She is responsible for the state’s county-administered mental health service system, supports the state’s 95 children’s mental health and family service collaboratives, and oversees policy related to children’s mental health benefits provided through Medicaid. Dr. Edwall’s work has increased the identification and service capacity of the state to meet the mental health needs of young children and their families.

Zoe Nicholie retired this year from Ready 4 K, the statewide early childhood advocacy organization, where she directed the Build Initiative and Ready 4 K’s public policy work. She helped broker a new coordinated, comprehensive early childhood system. She also helped lay the groundwork for the creation of a statewide early learning council and launch the Minnesota Quality Rating and Improvement System, a collaboratively developed system of assessments, incentives and education to improve the quality of child care.

The co-chairs of the Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network steering committee described this year’s recipients, saying:

“This award recognizes the recipients’ extraordinary leadership, passion and commitment to the development of children. Their work on policy and systems has changed the lives of children and families here in Minnesota and beyond.” – Amy Crawford, executive director of The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation

“Both Glenace and Zoe are gifted leaders. They have brought people together around a common vision and have been adept at bridging organizational and sectoral boundaries.”  – Denise Mayotte, executive director of The Sheltering Arms Foundation

The Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network created the “Nancy” Award to honor Latimer, whose 20-year career at The McKnight Foundation included serving as senior program officer.

Latimer, wife of former St. Paul mayor George Latimer, passed away in 2006.

The Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network works to strengthen the individual and collective efforts of funders to enhance the well-being of Minnesota children and their families. Network membership is open to staff and trustees of MCF members.

Currently, 27 grantmaking organizations participate actively.  The network co-sponsors an annual briefing on children’s issues, presents quarterly briefings on early childhood topics, and holds an annual convening.

The Third Annual Nancy Latimer Convening for Children and Youth*, at which the “Nancy” Awards will be presented, is June 25, in Brooklyn Park, Minn.

- Chris Murakami Noonan, MCF Communications Associate

*This event is open to the public.

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