Kiddie Academy Educational Child Care donates $40,000 to Family Promise

ABINGDON, Md., Dec. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of Kiddie Academy's 40th anniversary, the organization has donated $40,000 to Family Promise to fund a new training program and provide scholarships focused on helping women achieve career growth in early childhood education. Kiddie Academy's contribution will help launch the Family Promise Leadership Academy in 2022 to offer training for staff at Family Promise affiliates that provide prevention, shelter and stabilization services to their respective communities.

"More than 60% of families served in our affiliate shelters are composed of female heads-of-household," said Claas Ehlers, chief executive officer of Family Promise. "Our aspiration is to equip these women with stability and the opportunity to develop their careers, which will help us reach our goal of changing the future for 1 million children by 2030 through community-based programs." 

Ehlers said partnerships with organizations like Kiddie Academy help support and scale this goal. The early childhood education space is largely led by women; and Kiddie Academy is acutely aware of the impact women have in the workforce, according to Ehlers, who added that Family Promise looks forward to working with Kiddie Academy to address this area of need in its communities.

According to McKinsey & Company's annual "Women in the Workplace'' study, conducted in partnership with LeanIn.Org, the pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on women, who are often the primary caregivers in their families. Therefore, Kiddie Academy-funded scholarships will be available to women served by Family Promise who plan to start a career in early childhood education. These scholarships will help them earn the appropriate state credentials, like a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential™ that is accepted in classrooms across the country.

"We have relied on the immense contribution women provide to the workforce through our own business over the past 40 years," said Nicole Salla, chief marketing officer at Kiddie Academy. "Nearly 99% of teachers and staff at our franchise locations and more than 61% of employees in our corporate offices are women, many of whom have young children of their own, which makes the cause of supporting working mothers even more important to us."

Working with Family Promise on initiatives to support working women is integral to the company's holistic approach to finding sustainable solutions for families.

Throughout its four decades in operation, and particularly in response to the hardships experienced by parents in recent years, Kiddie Academy has developed excellent benefits for its corporate employees, including increased parental leave, phase-back-in plans after family leave, additional child care tuition support and more flexible working hours. The organization encourages its franchise owners and other businesses to offer benefits like this to their employees.

"We're truly inspired by everything Family Promise does to assist families in need and look forward to supporting these critical initiatives," said Casey Miller, Kiddie Academy executive vice president. "Every business, no matter its size, can play a part in supporting working parents and ultimately making an impact in the life of a family."

About Kiddie Academy®
Since its inception in 1981, Kiddie Academy has been a recognized, national leader in educational child care. The company serves families and their children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old, offering full-time care, before-and after-school care, and summer camp programs. Kiddie Academy's proprietary Life Essentials curriculum, supporting programs, methods, activities, and techniques help prepare children for life. Kiddie Academy has received corporate accreditation from the globally recognized Cognia accreditation system, signifying its commitment to quality education and the highest standards in child care. For more information, visit KiddieAcademy.com or find Kiddie Academy on Facebook at Facebook.com/KiddieAcademy.

About Kiddie Academy® Franchising
Kiddie Academy Domestic Franchising is based in Maryland and currently has 275+ open Academies located in 31 states and the District of Columbia. With 35 new Academies expected to open in 2021, Kiddie Academy's network will grow to more than 300 open and operating locations this year. For more information, visit Franchising.KiddieAcademy.com.

About Family Promise
Family Promise envisions a nation in which every family has a home, a livelihood, and the chance to build a better future. What began as a local initiative in Summit, NJ, more than 30 years ago has become a national movement that involves 200,000 volunteers and has served more than 1 million family members since its founding. Currently, Family Promise is working in over 200 communities in 43 states to ensure that families experiencing or at risk of homelessness have a safe place to call home. To get involved, visit FamilyPromise.org.

Media Contact:
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SOURCE Kiddie Academy