Thrive Birth to Five

🌟 Last Friday, Thrive Birth to Five in partnership with VPM hosted an inspiring Basics Train the Trainer event at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden featuring Ron Ferguson, founder of The Basics!

The Basics mission is simple but powerful: to pursue equity and excellence by building community capacity, supporting parents and caregivers as the most important influences in their young children’s lives. 💛

We were thrilled by the engagement and energy from all participants and can’t wait to continue expanding this mission across Virginia! 🚀

Thank you to our sponsors, Estes Foundation, Robins Foundation, and VPM.

For more information The Basics Virginia and VPM.

🎉 Celebrating!! 🎉

Thrive Birth to Five, Ready Region Central is proud to announce the completion of 100% of Spring VQB5 CLASS Observations!

✨ 488 sites
✨ 1,608 classrooms
✨ 119,528 minutes of insight into children’s experiences

This accomplishment reflects an incredible collective effort and commitment to strengthening early childhood education across our region.

A huge THANK YOU to the Observers, Educators, Improvement Partners, and Administrators who made this possible. Your dedication, collaboration, and passion for supporting children and families continue to make a lasting impact every single day. 💙

🍎 We are Recruiting CLASS Observers for the Upcoming Fall Cycle! 🍎

Do you care about high-quality child care? Are you looking for meaningful work with the flexibility to manage your own schedule? Help make a difference for young children and educators in our community.

✨ Flexible scheduling
✨ Meaningful impact
✨ Support high-quality early learning

Reach out to the Thrive Birth to Five VQB5 team to learn more about how to get started.

Exciting News! 🌟

Thrive Birth to Five was awarded the grant for Infant and Toddler Specialist Network (ITSN) for Central Virginia!

80% of the brain develops before age 3 - infant and toddler care is especially important! As an ITSN hub, TB5 will improve the quality of care and education that infants and toddlers receive through training and coaching educators.

Stay tuned - eligible child care providers can begin services as soon as July 1.

Interested in applying? Email a resume and cover letter to [email protected] by June 10th! For more information, visit https://thriveb5.org/about-us/open-positions/.

Thrive Birth to Five was delighted to celebrate Early Childhood Care and Education in the Commonwealth with the ceremonial signing of HB18/SB3 (Del. McClure/Sen. Aird), HB1208/SB134 (Del. Sewell/Sen. Locke), and HB211 (Del. Gardner) on 5/27. These important measures reflect Virginia’s continued commitment to young children, families, and the early childhood workforce, strengthening the systems that help every child thrive from birth to five.

We are especially proud of Thrive Birth to Five board member Delegate Gardner for her leadership in moving this legislation forward and championing policies that support Virginia’s youngest learners and the communities that care for them. We were also happy to celebrate alongside Brian Anderson of ChamberRVA, a fellow Thrive Birth to Five board member and strong advocate for children, families, and a thriving workforce.

Last Thursday, TB5 hosted their annual Spring CLASS Observer Professional Development Day! We were honored to welcome representatives from the Virginia Department of Education - VDOE along with keynote speaker John Richardson-Lauve.

John shared powerful insights on bias, perspective, and understanding, reinforcing the value of strengthening interactions earlier in life.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for a day of learning, reflection, and professional growth!

Yesterday, Thrive Birth to Five was proud to support our fellow Ready Region in Norfolk at Minus 9 to 5's Executive Briefing on Early Childhood Investment: Unlocking Economic Growth in Hampton Roads.

Strong childcare systems strengthen our workforce, support families, and drive long-term economic growth. Investing in early childhood is an investment in the future of our communities.

TB5 was proud to support the Richmond Public Schools PreK Recruitment Event on Wednesday, May 13. With 90% of brain development occurring by age 5, early childhood education plays a critical role in preparing children for lifelong success. Apply today for PreK opportunities in your community!🚸