Philanthropists Gather for Baby Futures SummitSeptember 22, 2008 |
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 More than 150 business leaders and philanthropists throughout L.A. County gathered at The California Endowment recently to learn why investing in early childhood programs should be at the top of their giving list. The Baby Futures Summit, hosted by The Los Angeles Public/Private Funders Partnership for Infants & Toddlers and supported by First 5 LA, was designed to make a case for early childhood research, policy and programs as being vital to the groundwork for a healthier community. The Sept. 12th Baby Futures event featured keynote speaker Ross Thompson, a psychology professor at UC-Davis and founding member of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. He was also a member of the committee producing the ground-breaking report, From Neurons to Neighborhoods (National Academy Press, 2000). Thompson explained how a child's brain grows into adulthood and the critical periods when intervention and enrichment can have a long-term impact. A panel of experts also discussed new research in the field of infant mental health and promising practices emerging from the field, along with available services and how policy and advocacy in the Los Angeles region can play a part in the allocation of city, state and federal dollars. Moderated by Cindy Oser of ZERO TO THREE, an early childhood advocacy organization, the presentations motivated the audience to learn more. To help guide their next steps a "toolkit" of resources was provided along with an invitation to attend a 'Learn, Do, Give' luncheon in October sponsored by the Public/Private Funders Partnership. The day was inspired primarily by Richard Atlas, a retired investment banker who founded The Atlas Family Foundation. Passionate about his own mission to support early childhood programs, Atlas invited attendees to personally connect with him in hopes of encouraging them to invest in the early years of children's lives. To learn more about Baby Futures go to www.babyfutures.org. |
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