Since 2013, Reinvestment Fund’s Policy Solutions team has been tracking the supply, demand, and shortage of childcare in Philadelphia. What distinguished our approach to understanding the local childcare environment from other “childcare desert” studies was our perspective as potential childcare investors. We developed a complete mapping of the universe of childcare, including that which was not licensed or certified, to reflect all of the choices available in the market. We shared the results of our first analysis on the newly created public website, childcaremap.org, where public officials, families, providers, and educators could learn about the childcare needs in their community.
The findings and conversations sparked by the first report helped lead to the creation of the Fund for Quality (FFQ), an initiative that provides business planning and facility financing supports. With support from the William Penn Foundation and later the Vanguard Strong Start for Kids program, FFQ has invested over $15 million to create more than 3,000 high-quality childcare seats in underserved communities in Philadelphia.
“The most successful childcare funding model would mean that we’ve successfully met the business owner where they are. Understanding the diverse childcare business types and needs, our aim is to offer products that allow businesses to increase their capacity,” commented LaToshia DeVose, Program Director, Early Childhood Education at Reinvestment Fund.
The analysis, published annually, is the basis of Reinvestment Fund’s work to support children and families across the region. After a decade of research, we look back on the largest trends and changes that have impacted the city’s early learning sector and offer lessons about where to focus our efforts over the next decade.
Building Blocks: A Woman-Owned Media and Arts Hub Plants Roots in Baltimore
As the first Black woman in Maryland to literally buy a block on Baltimore’s waterfront, Dr. Vonnya Pettigrew, owner and CEO of Root Branch Media Group, recognizes her role in history. A media mogul, visionary and entrepreneur with a strong track record in creating opportunities for youth, entrepreneurs and creatives, Pettigrew and her team set up shop in their new home with the plans and vision to transform the space into a media and arts hub for local groups and community members to branch out and grow.
Over the last three years, Reinvestment Fund has invested $280 million—45% of our portfolio—to organizations owned or led by people of color. Dr. Pettigrew was introduced to Reinvestment Fund through her finance team and her corporate attorney. According to Dr. Pettigrew, the opportunity to partner with a CDFI made sense, given the social dimensions of Pettigrew’s work. In December 2023, Root Branch Media Group completed the property acquisition with real estate financing from Reinvestment Fund.
As Pettigrew said, “All of us together have a piece in this movement. Together, we are building a community.”
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“Improving food access, economic strength, and resilience for communities across the country requires a multifaceted approach with both national and localized solutions,” said Don Hinkle-Brown, President and CEO of Reinvestment Fund.
The historic public-private HFFI Partnerships Program will enable more than 750 loans and grants over the next five years to support over 1,400 food retail and supply chain projects, sustaining over 2,500 local jobs. View the 2023 HFFI Partnerships Program Grantees award book.
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