Carlson joins community partners that provide high-quality early childcare resources to all families

CarlsonAR-PrefAnn Ruhl Carlson, Coordinator of Early Childhood Education Programs at the Institute of Child Development, has recently joined two community groups that focus on making high-quality childcare and early childhood education available to all families.

Carlson has joined the Caring for Kids Initiative Advisory Council, a public/private collaborative scholarship for low-income families that ensures access to quality early education opportunities for children prior to entry in kindergarten. The Caring for Kids Initiative includes parent education and family supports which focus on family stability and serves west suburban Hennepin County areas.

Carlson is also serving on the Strategic Planning Committee for the Bloom Early Learning Center & Child Care in Plymouth. Bloom is a non-profit early learning center with a “special mission to make the highest quality childcare, programs and curriculum (and fun!) accessible to the entire community.” Bloom and the Caring for Kids Initiative describe their overall goal similarly as working to ensure that all children enter school in kindergarten ready to succeed.