A $10 million major gifts campaign by
Sheltering Arms Early Education
and Family Centers
Serving Working Families since 1888
Secure the future stability of one of the most respected providers of:
• Child care and early learning
• Comprehensive family support services
• Professional development for early childhood educators and
family support professionals
Who We Are
• Each day, we provide early learning, child care and support
services to more than 2,500 children and their families, regardless
of income.
• Each year, we offer training, technical assistance and professional
development to more than 4,000 early childhood and family
support professionals.
• For decades, we have been transforming communities through
research-based approaches to early learning, community building
and family support services.
Nationally Recognized
• National Head Start Association Program of Excellence
• Finalist for Managing for Excellence Award by The Community
Foundation for Greater Atlanta
• An exemplary program for Engaging Diverse Families by the
National Association of the Education of Young Children
• A model program researched in The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s
Human Services Workforce Initiative
• An exemplary program in the prevention of child abuse and
neglect by the Center for the Study of Social Policy
The Importance of Learning Early
• Neuroscience research has shown that 85% of a child’s brain
structure is developed by age 3.
• Early experiences can have a lasting impact on a child’s later
learning, behavior and health.
• Children who attend high-quality, early learning programs
demonstrate a 31% growth in vocabulary and an 85%
increase in print awareness, which are the skills that produce
successful readers.
How the Community Benefits
A $1 investment in early learning today saves $17 in the future by:
• Increasing school readiness
• Lowering the prison population
• Creating a more stable and educated workforce
• Changing communities
Our Emulated Model…
High-quality early care and education
• On average, every Sheltering Arms child meets or exceeds
97% of milestones for each stage of development.
Comprehensive support services for families
• Families are connected to resources they need to
succeed including one-on-one counseling, educational
advancement, job training and more.
…Our Emulated Model
Professional development for early childhood and family
support professionals
• The Sheltering Arms Georgia Training Institute creates a more
effective team of professionals on the front lines.
Community-building partnerships and services
• Centers serve as the anchor in community revitalization efforts,
linking with school systems, public housing, social service
agencies and more.
The Challenge...
• The demand and cost for Sheltering Arms services and facilities is
growing at a faster rate than funding.
• Each year, Sheltering Arms must start over to raise 90% of its
funding from 67 different sources.
• Such fragmented funding can undermine the effectiveness and
continuity of services for the low-income working families who
need them the most.
…The Challenge
• Recent state and federal decisions have resulted in a greater
uncertainty about funding for Pre-K and Head Start programs.
• Local United Way support varies significantly from year to year as
a result of changing priorities and overall campaign funding.
The Critical Needs
• Tuition Scholarships for low-income, working families who don’t
qualify for federal aid, but can’t afford to pay full tuition.
• Teacher Development and Retention for a well-educated,
experienced and stable staff vital for healthy child development
and success.
• Capital Support for expanded, best-in-class facilities with child
development environments that meet stringent health and safety
requirements, inspire learning and enrich communities.
Teach Today Fund:
Tuition Scholarships
A permanent fund of $2,762,773 helps Sheltering Arms ensure consistent
tuition support for families regardless of fluctuating funding sources.
Teach Today Fund:
Tuition Scholarships
Serving More Working Families
• More families than ever are seeking support to help cover the
average annual tuition of $10,000 per child.
• On average, many Sheltering Arms families need a tuition
scholarship of about $4,770 per child.
• Even if a child is income-eligible for a coveted, subsidized slot at
Sheltering Arms, the public subsidy only covers about 2/3 of the
cost of service, leaving a gap of about $2,500 per child.
Teach Today Fund:
Tuition Scholarships
This is the projected funding gap for tuition scholarships.
Reach Tomorrow Fund:
Teacher Development and Retention
A permanent fund of $904,621 that supports teacher development,
salaries and benefits can prevent the talent pool from leaving the
classrooms that depend on them.
Reach Tomorrow Fund:
Teacher Development and Retention
Train and Retain the Best Teachers and Staff
• Funders and regulators require higher teacher credentials without
the commensurate increase in funding.
• Support for the Sheltering Arms Georgia Training Institute will
enable Sheltering Arms to train and certify its staff to use
leading-edge, early education research and best practices.
• Turnover for Sheltering Arms teachers has stayed at about half the
national annual average (10% to 15% compared with 30% to
40%), but that rate is inching upwards.
Reach Tomorrow Fund:
Teacher Development and Retention
These are additional expenditures required for staff to earn mandated
credentials combined with the commensurate increase in salaries and benefits.
Capital Support
A permanent fund of $6,332,606 will help replace two aging facilities and
maintain the other 14 facilities so they meet research-based standards for
health, safety and education.
Capital Needs
Expanded facilities could help Sheltering Arms serve some of
the 4,254 children on the waiting list.
An optimal facility serves 125 to 194 children in:
• 8 to 14 classrooms
• 16,000 to 25,000 square feet
• 2.5 to 3.5 acres for playgrounds and parking
Capital Costs
These are the additional expenditures to replace the Duluth and Jonesboro
centers and maintain the other 15 centers.
The start-up cost for a
state-of-the-art, cost-efficient
center is $2.6 million to
$3.8 million or about $165
per square foot.
Campaign Results
•
MORE tuition scholarships for low-income, working families
•
MORE educated, experienced early childhood teachers/staff
•
MORE facilities equipped for children and families to learn and thrive
•
MORE productive employees who aren’t distracted by child care issues
•
MORE children prepared to become the workforce of tomorrow
•
MORE revitalized communities with families that work
Help Us Teach Today to
Reach Tomorrow
“We’ve got to remember that we either
invest in our children on the front end
or pay dearly on the back end.”
-Glenda Hatchett, former chief judge for Georgia’s
Fulton County Juvenile Court