News & Insights
Centerprises: Where Business Meets Mission in Early Childhood
A systems-level solution for sustainable early education At the Systems of Care Initiative (SOCI), we’ve learned that real change doesn’t come from isolated efforts — it comes from building systems. That’s why we coined a new word for a new way of doing business in...
Agilities in Action – Preparing Children and Parents for Bright Futures
Guest Article by Key Partner and Funder The DeBruce Foundation As early as elementary school, students begin to develop strengths and interests that they will use throughout their careers. At The DeBruce Foundation, we call these strengths and interests Agilities©,...
From Gaps to Gains: Closing the Kindergarten Readiness Divide
One year. An 82% jump in readiness. Here’s what happens when systems align for children. Last year, only 5% of children in one of our centerprise cohorts, Operation Breakthrough, would have entered kindergarten fully ready. Just one year later, that number rose to...
Why Early Education is Everyone’s Business
Investing in early childhood education isn’t just good policy—it’s a strategy for economic growth and community well-being. When we talk about early education, many envision finger paints, storytime, and ABCs. But what’s often overlooked is that high-quality early...
Year One of Start Young proves successful; Year Two underway.
The Family Conservancy, a nonprofit serving at-risk children and families throughout the Kansas City metro, launched Start Young on July 1, 2018. Start Young is a public-private collaborative designed to improve child care in Wyandotte County, increasing access to...