Roanoke, VA

The early childhood development work in Roanoke, Virginia, was recognized in the category of "Ones To Watch" for the Common Good Awards at the United Way 2012 Community Leaders Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.  The inaugural Common Good Awards, created for the 125th Anniversary of United Way, shines a spotlight on communities around the world that are creating community-wide change in education, income and health – the building blocks of a good life.  Communities recognized demonstrate strong collaborations across a variety of sectors, demonstrate effective use of data to inform strategies and show successful engagement of volunteers and advocates.

Business execs hear about link between school readiness, workforce development and national security

Roanoke, VA (April 7, 2011) – Almost 100 local business leaders in greater Roanoke learned that investing in quality early childhood development is not only vital to growing a smarter workforce, it’s a matter of national security. So said Brigadier General John W. Douglass, U.S. Air Force (ret.) at a breakfast meeting on April 7 at the Hotel Roanoke.

ROANOKE, VA – NOVEMBER 1, 2010

Quality early education matters. Now, Roanoke's parents have two additional childcare centers from which to choose and feel confident that their children are in a great learning environment. One Step Further Childcare Center and Northwest Child Development Center, both located in the Northwest neighborhood of the City of Roanoke, recently received a 3-Star Quality Rating from the Virginia Star Quality Initiative (VSQI). The VA Star Quality Initiative (VSQI) is a state-wide system designed to assess, improve and communicate the level of quality in early care and education settings. Participation in the VSQI is voluntary, and programs that participate demonstrate their commitment to quality beyond basic expectations and licensing requirements. This rating puts these two centers in line with 190 other early learning centers rated throughout the state, which are already touted for their quality learning environments through this system.

(July 2010) – Smart Beginnings Greater Roanoke, a local collaborative working to improve the quality of early education and care in the Roanoke, has received a significant grant of $100,000 from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), a public-private partnership headquartered in Richmond, Va.