Alexandria leaders will discuss the early childhood initiatives across the city in a first-ever series of conversations.
The Kids’ First Years (KFY) State of Early Childhood 2025 event will be held at First Baptist Church (2922 King Street) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Mayor Alyia Gaskins will kick off the free event with opening remarks, along with KFY CEO Michelle Smith Howard. The event is intended to bring together city leaders, educators, and advocates to “build a thriving early childhood system that fuels the city’s economy, strengthens the workforce and supports every family,” according to the nonprofit.
“Early childhood is everyone’s business,” Smith Howard said in a press release. “This event will celebrate the progress of the KFY Collective, along with engaging and educating key stakeholders about the long-term impact of strong early care and education systems on the health and economic vitality of the broader community in Alexandria.”
The event schedule is provided below.
- 8:45 to 9:45 a.m. – A panel focusing on local innovation and partnerships in Alexandria, moderated by J. Glenn Hopkins, Hopkins House. Panelists are Kate Garvey, Department of Community and Human Services; Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt, Alexandria City Public Schools; Barbara McLaughlin, The Child and Family Network Centers; Melissa Riddy, Inova
- 10 to 10:50 a.m. – A panel focusing on national trends, state policies and their implications in Alexandria, moderated by Dr. Tammy Mann, Board Chair, Kids’ First Years. Panelists are Soumya Bhat, Children’s Funding Project; Anne Hedgepeth, Child Care Aware of America; Rebecca Ullrich, Virginia Department of Education
- 10:55 to 11:35 a.m. – A fireside chat about the power of philanthropy and public investment exploring how philanthropy and public-private partnerships can help expand and sustain quality early childhood education. Speakers are Lori Morris, Bruhn-Morris Family Foundation; Marica Cox Mitchell, Bainum Family Foundation
- 11:40 to 12 p.m. – Kathy Glazer, President of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), will share findings and insights from the VECF’s Shovel Ready Virginia Task Force, which recently released recommendations to strengthen the child care infrastructure and workforce in the Commonwealth
- 12 to 1 p.m. – Closing Remarks, Call to Action, Lunch and Networking
Smith Howard said that the event is an opportunity to create a vision and strategic direction for participants.
“We hope it will continue on an annual basis because our shared mission is to ensure that every child in Alexandria gets the strong start in life that they deserve,” she said.
