Reflections from our program manager, faith garnett On October 8, Washington Area Women’s Foundation’s Early Care and Education Funders Collaborative (ECEFC) brought together members and grantee partners for a learning session with Nat Kendall-Taylor, CEO of the FrameWorks Institute, on how narrative and framing shape the way people understand early care and education and other complex social realities. One idea has stayed with me: how we communicate about a problem shapes where people locate the problem and where they look for solutions. In early care and education, it is easy for the story to become one about individual families, educators, or programs: the choices they make, the pressures they face, or what they need to do differently. But that can obscure the larger forces shaping their experiences, including public policy, compensation, affordability, access, and investment. If we want people to understand why systems need to change, we have to help them see the system. Nat...

“The issue is not knowing how to fish. The issue is that there is a gate to the river.” Last week during our State of Women & Girls Breakfast, Jennifer Iverson, Executive Director of Child Resource Connect, shared: “The issue is not knowing how to fish. The issue is that there is a gate to the river.” It is a powerful reminder that the challenges facing women and families are not about effort or ability. They are about barriers to access and historically inequitable systems. At Washington Area Women’s Foundation, our grantmaking focuses on removing those barriers, from advancing maternal health and birth equity to investing in early childhood educators and expanding access to quality, affordable care. This work determines whether a mother survives childbirth, it shapes whether a child enters school ready to learn, and it impacts whether families can establish economic stability. April 11-17 is Week of the Young Child and Black Maternal Health Week. Join as we celebrate our grantee...

Soft heart. Sharp mind. Unbreakable backbone. Women carry a rare balance of strength and care. The soft heart that checks on a neighbor, nurtures a child, and builds community; the sharp mind that leads organizations, shapes policy, and drives solutions; and the unbreakable backbone that keeps moving forward even when the weight of families, workplaces, and communities rests squarely on her shoulders. Women’s History Month invites us to reflect not only on the trailblazers who paved the way, but also on the responsibility we share today to build systems where women are supported, valued, and able to thrive. That’s why investing in women is not just the right thing to do, it’s essential to the health of our communities. When we support early childhood education, we strengthen families and give children the foundation they deserve. When we advance maternal health and birth equity, we ensure that every mother has the dignity, care, and safety she deserves during one of life’s most profound...