This summer, CEDAC’s affiliate Children’s Investment Fund (the Fund) hosted its "Let's Take It Outside" (LTIO) training on outdoor play spaces at Mass Audubon's Boston Nature Center. The one-day interactive training offered 14 non-profit early childhood education (ECE) and out-of-school time (OST) organizations across Massachusetts an overview on how to successfully u...
CEDAC Staff Shares Technical Expertise on Affordable Housing and Community Development Panels
As a public private community development financial institution, CEDAC’s technical assistance focuses on understanding the interplay between project development and public policy. CEDAC’s staff includes experienced practitioners in the areas of affordable housing production and preservation, and community facility development serving the early education sector. We ...
Bidding Farewell to Commissioner Tom Weber and Deputy Commissioner Bill Concannon
This week, the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) offers thanks to two state officials who have been extremely important to the creation and successful implementation of the Early Education and Out of School Time (EEOST) Capital Fund: Commissioner Tom Weber and Deputy Commissioner for Administration/Chief Financial Officer Bill Concannon. Bot...
Governor Baker’s FY18 EEOST Award Announcement
On August 15th at Crispus Attucks Children’s Center in Dorchester, Governor Baker announced $4 million in FY18 Early Education and Out of School Time (EEOST) Capital Fund awards to the following organizations, each receiving $1 million: Citizens for Citizens, Inc. in Fall River, which serves 200 children and plans to make playground improvements, window replacements...
Children’s Investment Fund Becomes a Certified CDFI
In June, the Children’s Investment Fund (CIF) received some welcome news – the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund had certified CIF as a CDFI. This certification enables us to apply for federal funding to increase low-cost lending capital for early childhood education (ECE) and out-of-school time (OST) facility ...
Let’s Take It Outside: Developing Natural Play Spaces
On June 14th, 23 participants from 14 non-profit early education and care (ECE) and out of school time (OST) organizations across Massachusetts gathered at the Mass Audubon Boston Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary in Mattapan for 2018’s Let’s Take It Outside: Developing Natural Play Spaces (LTIO), a one-day training offered through the Children’s Investment Fund (...
Building Stronger Centers Through the Children’s Investment Fund
The Children’s Investment Fund (“the Fund”) offers technical assistance, training and financial support to non-profit early education and care (ECE) and out of school time (OST) programs across Massachusetts. In late May, the Fund administered the tenth Building Stronger Centers Training Institute (BSC), a comprehensive four-day program for ECE and OST providers. ...
The Challenges of Facility Improvement Projects
The business of providing care to young children can be very challenging. Child care directors of early education and care (ECE) and out-of-school time (OST) centers are required to balance multiple and complex responsibilities as administrators, fundraisers, facility managers, educators, and advocates often at the same time. Many programs are located in spaces and buildin...
Guiding Quality Early Education Facility Design
A well-designed, well-equipped environment supports learning, but child care programs are often located in church basements, old storefronts, and other substandard spaces that were not intended for educational uses. At Children’s Investment Fund (the Fund), we believe that all children deserve to learn in safe physical environments that help support healthy development. ...
Celebrating 40 Years of Community Development in Massachusetts
Welcome to CEDAC’s new blog. We plan to use this platform to share additional news, helpful information and perspectives on important topics. The launch of this blog coincides with a very special milestone for CEDAC – our 40th anniversary year – and we thought we’d take this opportunity to announce an exciting year-long effort to celebrate CEDAC past, present, ...