investing in the early years
Children are born learning. Numerous scientific studies and economic analyses document the value of investing in the first five years to ensure that more infants, toddlers and preschoolers in disadvantaged families grow up eager to learn and ready for school.
Established in 2005, the Buffett Early Childhood Fund is committed to establishing a more level playing field for all children as they enter kindergarten — a goal that should be a given in any society that values equal opportunity.
The Buffett Early Childhood Fund invests in young children and their families living in Omaha, the state of Nebraska and across America. We seek to redefine "education" in America to encompass the first five years of life and learning through an integrated strategy to invest in:
- Practice, through Educare Centers in the nationwide Bounce Learning Network
- Policy, through the Birth to Five Policy Alliance and the First Five Years Fund
- Knowledge, through the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and the National Forum on Early Childhood Program Evaluation) and the work of Nobel Laureate in Economics James Heckman
Our investments in Nebraska include support for the new Nebraska Sixpence Early Learning Fund, an innovative and sustainable funding source combining private and public investments to improve quality experiences for at-risk children in their first three years of life, and the early childhood component of Building Bright Futures, an ambitious community-wide effort in Omaha to comprehensively improve educational excellence and equity.
To view a message from Susan A. Buffett: A Promise to Keep
Susan A. Buffett also supports efforts to improve child and family welfare in Omaha through The Sherwood Foundation.
