A Jacksonville child care center is among 22 sites across the country selected for the WeVision EarlyEd Solutions Lab, which is studying what makes the “ideal” child care program.
J’Bear Learning Center in Springfield is one of four in Florida that are part of the inaugural lab, funded by the early childhood-focused Bainum Family Foundation in Washington, D.C.
“The ultimate goal … is to demonstrate, in a tangible and practical way, that the ideal child care families and early childhood professionals continue to ask for can be made real — right now,” Marica Cox Mitchell, the foundation’s vice president for early childhood, said. “The sites will achieve this goal by demonstrating what’s possible when child care sites have appropriate funding, accountability, and autonomy — core components of the ideal child care system.”
J’Bear was founded in 2016 by registered nurse Myrna Wright, who also manages the center. She said she first learned about the lab program at a 2024 child care association conference.
“They were doing such innovative and impactful work in the child care field and I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of it,” she said. “Being selected to participate in an initiative that has the potential to change the world made everything feel real — it was now my responsibility to rise to the occasion.”
As a funded lab site, J’Bear will not use restrictive income eligibility requirements, which will accommodate more needy families. “Too often, families have to sacrifice quality for affordability,” Cox Mitchell said.
Sites will be able to increase staff pay based on public school wages and meet industry standards, she said.
She declined to specify the size of J’Bear’s grant but said each site is “allocated funding based on the number of children they serve and their approach to making quality child care affordable.”
All 22 sites will share “lessons learned” with each other at annual convenings. Also, researchers from the Urban Institute, an independent social and economic policy research organization, will “gather, analyze and share data and insights” from the from the sites to “help shape public policy and funding decisions,” Cox Mitchell said.
“By amplifying the voices of families and early childhood professionals, these findings will help drive smarter investments and policies that build a stronger, more effective child care system,” she said.
As a lab site, Wright said, J’Bear has access to the latest child care tools, technology and program development, as well as opportunities for expansion and scholarships and grants for families and increased training and networking for staff.
Parent and community engagement is a lab focus. Those ties will be strengthened through the center’s newly established Parent Cafe, which will also host Family Empowerment Workshops “taking our mission beyond our doors and into the hearts of our community, Wright said.
bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville child care center 1 of 22 selected for national child care initiative
Reporting by Beth Reese Cravey, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
