Caring for Springfield's Future
Abstract
In 1999, the leadership of the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation imagined a community that cares for all of its children; a community where every child is safe, healthy, cared for, nurtured, and expertly educated. The leadership wondered aloud, “What would it take for Springfield to become such a community?” and partnered with a group of community and business leaders, child and family advocates, citizens of Springfield, and professionals in the fields of physical, social, emotional and cognitive early childhood development to find the answer. The Cherish Every Child initiative was the succinct response; to become such a community, Springfield must indeed cherish every child.
In the fall of 2002, this group of committed individuals collaborated to develop an overarching plan for meeting the initiative’s goal: to improve the lives of children, birth through eight, and their families. The key approaches would include interventions and improvements, as well as initiatives that could ultimately lead to effective organizational, political and institutional change in the delivery and quality of services to young children and their families.
