Helios Grant Will Help Florida’s Youngest Learners
The Children’s Movement of Florida (The Movement) has secured a $1 million grant from Helios Education Foundation to strengthen early learning across the state. The funding powers Florida’s Early Learning Roadmap, a practical, three-year plan to expand access, raise quality, and keep early education more affordable for families. It’s a focused push to make the first years of learning stronger—and easier to reach—for every child.
What the Early Learning Roadmap Sets Out to Do
The Roadmap grew out of community conversations held across Florida. The Movement listened to parents, early educators, policymakers, and local businesses and pulled those ideas into a clear set of priorities. At the center: removing the barriers that keep families from quality care and learning. That includes a real-world problem you hear about everywhere—too few early educators and pay that doesn’t reflect the importance of their work. By drawing on many perspectives, the Roadmap aims to build an early childhood system that’s sturdy, fair, and responsive to what families and providers actually face day to day.
What This Funding Makes Possible
Madeleine Thakur, CEO of The Movement, said the grant will speed up improvements in early learning throughout Florida. The recommendations in the Roadmap aren’t abstract; they’re the building blocks needed to meet the needs of parents, children, and the people who teach and care for them. With this support, The Movement can move from plan to action more quickly and at greater scale.
Key Initiatives Backed by the Grant
With Helios Education Foundation’s investment, The Movement will advance several priority efforts:
- Legislative advocacy to secure policy and funding changes that open more seats for children and make programs easier for families to access.
- Strategies to improve compensation and day-to-day support for early educators, helping stabilize the workforce and reduce turnover.
- Broader outreach to parents, educators, and community partners so people can coordinate, share what’s working, and tackle persistent challenges together.
Leadership Voices Supporting the Work
Paul J. Luna, President and CEO of Helios Education Foundation, commended The Movement’s approach. He underscored a simple idea that research and experience both back up: investing in early childhood sets children up for long-term success. The goal is straightforward—give every child the chance to thrive starting in pre-kindergarten, and the benefits ripple forward.
A Broad Advisory Board Guiding Implementation
Turning the Roadmap into action is the job of an Advisory Board of 40 stakeholders who reflect the community that helped shape it. The Board brings together educators, researchers, and civic leaders, including Cari Miller, Chancellor of Early Learning at the Florida Department of Education, and Dr. Herman Knopf, lead researcher at the Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood. Their charge: keep the work grounded, practical, and accountable.
Where the Grant Details Will Be Shared
The Movement will highlight the grant and what comes next during its Built To Thrive virtual summit. Speakers include Harvard Business School Professor Joseph Fuller, Florida Senate President-Designate Ben Albritton, and Florida House of Representatives Speaker-Designate Daniel Pérez. It’s designed to spark a focused conversation on what Florida can do now to advance early learning—and how to measure progress over time.
About The Children’s Movement of Florida
The Children’s Movement of Florida advocates for the state’s youngest children. The organization pushes for policies that support high-quality early learning, access to healthcare, and strong parent support. If you want to explore their mission and current initiatives in more depth, visit their website for a clear picture of the work underway.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Florida’s Early Learning Roadmap trying to achieve?
It’s a three-year plan to improve access, quality, and affordability in early learning across Florida. The Roadmap turns community input into concrete steps that families, educators, and policymakers can act on.
How will the $1 million grant affect early educators?
The grant supports efforts to improve pay and provide stronger on-the-job support. That’s meant to help retain skilled educators, reduce turnover, and make classrooms more stable for children.
Who serves on the Advisory Board, and what do they do?
The Board includes 40 stakeholders—educators, researchers, and community leaders—such as Cari Miller and Dr. Herman Knopf. They help guide implementation so the Roadmap stays practical, aligned with local needs, and accountable for results.
What can I expect from the Built To Thrive virtual summit?
It’s where The Movement will share details about the grant and next steps. You’ll hear from speakers like Joseph Fuller, Ben Albritton, and Daniel Pérez and get a clearer sense of how Florida plans to advance early learning now.
How can I learn more about The Children’s Movement of Florida?
You can visit their website to see their advocacy priorities, read about current initiatives, and follow updates on the Roadmap and related work.
