In July of 2020, Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC), a Grand Rapids early childhood education center, received a $520,000 renewal grant ($260,000 annually for two years ) in support of its Empowering Parents Impacting Children (EPIC) Program.

EPIC is a two-generational early childhood education model which provides family coaches to more than 1,000 children enrolled in ELNC Early Head Start and 3- and 4-year- old preschool programming. EPIC’s support ensures families’ basic needs are met so parents can act as their child’s first and best teacher and children are ready to learn when they enter kindergarten. Once basic needs are met, EPIC coaches engage parents in building a Social Capital Inventory Plan to assist families in building support systems, obtaining employment and educational credentials, improving wellbeing, and learning advocacy and communication skills to best support their families upon exiting ELNC programming.

The Steelcase Foundation is excited to continue supporting the EPIC program and ELNC’s efforts to meet the needs of children and families in our community to put children on a path to future educational success.