Celebrating 40 years of Service to Children & Families

 In recent historical memory, the 1960’s stand as a seminal time when social change was high on the political and social agendas of this country. It stands as an era when everyday citizens believed not only that it was time for change, but also that change was really possible. People everywhere rallied, believing that through their actions it would be possible to achieve a transformed society where fairness and equal treatment would produce widespread improvement in the quality of life for everyone.

Into this climate the National Black Child Development Institute was born. Conceived by the Black Women’s Community Development Foundation whose concerns were that of the unsatisfactory conditions faced by families wanting to rear healthy children, they decided to organize a national advocacy group. In 1970, the Institute was incorporated and the work began to organize groups within communities as a basis for creating a unified national voice to develop strategies to improve the life circumstances of the developing Black child through policy change.  Since 1970, the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) has remained steadfast in its mission –“To improve and advance the lives of black children and their families through education and advocacy.” With a focus on early childhood education, child welfare, elementary and secondary education, and health, the Institute accomplishes this mission by:

1)      Serving as a vital information resource to all individuals who work directly with children, in particular child care professionals, educators, parents, social workers and academicians; and

2)      Providing direct services at the local level through its nationwide affiliate network composed of volunteers, who work in concert with the Institute to improve child welfare services, provide access to universal early care and education, build family support services, and provide vital information on children’s health.

Over the years this mission to protect and improve the quality of life for children through the age of fourteen has benefited millions of children. A select number of our accomplishments to date include:

• Conducting a landmark study on children in foster care which resulted in subsequent progressive national policies;
•  Advocating successfully for progressive adoption policies and subsidies that permitted older and single parents to adopt;
• Working successfully to create public policy and influence legislation that directly affects the lives of African American children by testifying before Congress on every significant child care bill from the Comprehensive Child Development Act of 1970, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, the School Construction Act of 1999 to the Consequences for Juvenile Offenders Act of 1999 and orchestrating a special hearing on parenting in 2000;
•  Working to gain public support to provide access to universal early care and education which has become a priority for governors in more than half of the states;
•  Promoting publicly supported quality child care programs for mothers who were entering the work force in increased numbers, resulting in the enactment and special allocation of funds by a substantial number of states for child care;
•  Implementing and expanding a community based nationwide intervention/prevention program entitled Entering the College Zone from five to twenty five cities to get more disadvantage middle school students on the college track;
•  Providing leadership to agencies like the National Institute of Health (NIH) to decrease health disparities; and
• Building and nurturing partnerships with organizations ranging from the National Education Association (NEA), the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and a number of corporations like, United Parcel Service (UPS), Proctor and Gamble (P&G), State Farm Insurance Companies, and government agencies like the National Institute of Health (NIH).

 NBCDI has made tremendous strides in its efforts to improve the lives of children.  However, if we are to continue our work and have a significant impact then it is critical that the Institute forge new boundaries and position itself by raising its profile in the market place to become the leading voice for children of color well into the next century.

To accomplish the vision and create a nationwide awareness of NBCDI as the preeminent organization working on behalf of children of color, NBCDI works to sustain and expand the following core program areas:

•  The Early Years and Parenting—Love to Read, The  Parent  Empowerment Program, African American Parents Project and SPARK: Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids
• The Middle Years – Entering the College Zone
• Community Mobilization – The National Affiliate Network

Program Descriptions

 Love to Read is a research based national early literacy program designed to help reverse the achievement gap and to improve the academic success of African American children.  Love to Read is targeted towards parents and caregivers of children ages 0 through 6.  To date, NBCDI has published the Love to Read Early Literacy Report targeted towards policy makers and practitioners with contributions by leading researchers. In partnership with the National Association for the education of Young Children (NAEYC), NBCDI has distributed well over 30,000 copies of the report.

SPARK DC (Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids) is a national initiative of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.  As the SPARK lead agency in the District of Columbia (DC), NBCDI has launched a five-year comprehensive school readiness program in Wards 1, 7, and 8.  The goal of the program is to provide communities with support to ensure that young children are ready for school and schools are ready for children. To date the project has reached 1,500 children and families in DC.

Parent Empowerment Project (PEP) is a four-part parenting education curriculum that identifies and describes culturally competent and appropriate parenting practices and activities that focus on parent strengthening and education, infant and child development, and family support.

African American Parents Project conducted in partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  To date NBCDI has developed and published the Helping Children Cope with Crisis Guide, which is specifically designed to provide parents with materials, resources and activities that help them help their children.  Over 80,000 copies of the guide have been distributed to schools, churches, and national and community based organizations.

Entering the College Zone (ECZ) is conducted in 23 cities nationwide and is a collaborative effort between NBCDI, major public school systems, and colleges and universities.  The goal of program is to increase substantially the number of disadvantaged students who enter college by equipping them and their parents during middle school with the skills and resources that will allow them to navigate through the college preparation process. To date more than 35,000 children have participated in the ECZ program.

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® is a program designed to provide sequenced educational scholarship opportunities for child care center teachers, directors and family child care home providers who work in regulated settings. The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Project offers scholarships to study Early Childhood Education at metro area colleges and universities. We provide scholarships to supplement the costs of payment for teachers to earn their CDA credentials, their Associate degree or their Bachelor degree in Early Childhood Education, Human Development, Child Development or Special Education.

Promoting Positive Nutrition Project is a health and nutrition education initiative supported by the Walmart Foundation, the project is designed to encourage healthy nutrition practices specifically among Black families with young children.  In the first year of the project, NBCDI strengthened and supported existing nutrition campaigns; heightening the visibility and effectiveness of these programs in Black communities; and piloted in-depth healthy eating strategies in multiple states.  Working in partnership with local child care centers, schools and community-based organizations, as well as with our BCDI affiliates, campaign creators, national groups and leading experts in the child nutrition and health fields, NBCDI has been able to create lasting nutrition education curricula and materials, as well as additional strategies that effectively and successfully connect positive nutrition messages and actions with traditionally hard-to-reach Black families and communities in Philadelphia, PA; Greensboro, NC; Milwaukee, WI; Atlanta, GA; and Ft Lauderdale, FL.

NBCDI Additional Resources

The Annual Conference is one of the leading professional development gathering for those working to improve the lives of children, youth, and their families. Every year thousands of educators and professionals from around the country in early care and education; elementary and secondary education and administration; child welfare and youth development; research; and local, state, and federal policy convene to gain knowledge and acquire skills needed to ensure a quality future for all children and youth.

The annual conference reaches out to 2,000 individuals from around the country, who serve 2.5 million children and families in their respective communities.

The Calendar of Children is where the past meets the future. Like a history book that’s open every day of the year, this handsome work of art overflows with historical facts saluting four centuries of African American achievement, inspiring poetry and guiding words to encourage children, and positive images celebrating our future. The calendar is received by 16,000 individuals annually.

Child Health Talk (CHT) is NBCDI’s maternal and child health publication targeting African American parents with the goal of communicating health and wellness messages.  Bi-annually, CHT provides readers with information on nutrition, child development and education, easy-to-prepare recipes, literacy, and health and fitness.  By featuring articles on education, child development, nutrition, and available programs and services, CHT addresses the holistic emotional and physical health needs of children as well as the informational needs of parents.

Still operating from its headquarters in Washington, DC after 40 years, NBCDI‘s work to advance the quality of life of Black children and families through advocacy and education claims many accomplishments and today remains a powerful testament to the vision of its founders. This historic photographic window onto NBCDI will honor them and others who have given their love and energy to the care and growth of children, and the communities who have benefited from their commitment. It will pay tribute to those who have supported the organization over the years and document the achievements they made possible. In looking toward the future, it will provide a model of success for other organizers to emulate, and it will make the case for current and potential stakeholders to provide the resources and support necessary for the work to continue for the next generation.