Georgia Mjartan joined Early Matters to highlight First Five SC, a pioneering, tech-driven solution transforming how parents in South Carolina access essential services for children under five. Developed by South Carolina First Steps under Georgia's leadership, First Five SC streamlines access to publicly funded services like healthcare, childcare, and nutritional support through an innovative, user-friendly website.

Before First Five SC, parents had to navigate a confusing and frustrating maze of government bureaucracy to get the help they needed. Now, the initiative provides a simple, centralized digital entry point, cutting through the red tape and putting families at the center of government services.

The impact has been remarkable. In its first year, over 137,000 families visited the platform, leading to more than 2,400 completed applications. First Five SC was also recognized for its success at the 27th Annual Webby Awards, an internationally respected honor for excellence on the internet.

Other states are taking note. With support from the newly launched First Five for All initiative, states like Nevada are adopting the model to better serve their communities. By making access to early childhood services more efficient, First Five SC is setting a new standard for how government can better support families.

About the Guest

Georgia Mjartan is the president and CEO of the Central Carolina Community Foundation. Previously, she served for seven years as executive director of South Carolina First Steps, ensuring that the state’s young children are prepared for school, healthy, and supported by their parents and community. Before joining First Steps, Georgia served for 12 years as executive director of Our House in Little Rock, Arkansas, an anti-poverty program empowering low-income and homeless families and individuals to succeed in the workforce, school, and life.

Georgia has been recognized for her work by Southern Living Magazine, which named her one of the 2016 “Southerners of the Year.” She has also been named “Nonprofit Executive of the Year,” “Arkansan of the Year,” and a “Woman of Influence” by business journals in Arkansas and South Carolina.

Relevant Links
South Carolina First Steps: https://www.scfirststeps.org
First 5 SC: https://first5sc.org
First Five for All: https://www.first5forall.org

---------------------------------------
Subscribe to Early Matters:

• Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3EgluC8
• Apple: https://apple.co/3qIp7Ol
• iHeart: https://ihr.fm/44oFE7R
  
  

Follow Us on Social Media:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/_CCFP and https://twitter.com/kbstevens
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-on-child-and-family-policy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centeronchildandfamilypolicy

See the Center on Child and Family Policy's Work: www.ccfp.org

Sign Up for Updates: https://www.ccfp.org/sign-up-for-ccfp-updates

Email the Show: EarlyMatters@ccfp.org.

------------------------------------

Ivana Greco joined the podcast to discuss her proposal for a "GI Bill for Homemakers," targeting mothers and fathers who dedicate themselves to the crucial work of home and community. She compares the career trajectories of Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and William Rehnquist to illuminate obstacles faced by homemakers who are re-entering the paid workforce, arguing that we should treat those who spend time on the “home front” with the kind of support and respect we treat those who serve in the military.

Greco suggests two main policy areas: providing educational opportunities for parents re-entering the workforce and incentivizing employers to hire those who have been out of the workforce caring for children. Finally, she emphasizes that, in addition to the important work of raising children and caring for the home, homemakers also play a vital role in nurturing community bonds and fostering social interaction. She notes that the mass entry of women into the workforce led to less vibrant communities, underscoring the limitations of a GDP-centric view of societal success.

More info HERE

About the Guest

After graduating cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2011, Ivana Greco spent a decade working as a successful attorney, specializing in qualified retirement-plan advising and healthcare litigation. A couple of years ago, she left her paid employment to work as a full-time mother of her three children, caring for a toddler and homeschooling her two young sons. She is also a writer, publishing regularly on family policy and other issues that impact stay-at-home parents, and serves on the Center on Child and Family Policy’s advisory council.

---------------------------------------
Subscribe to Early Matters:

• Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3EgluC8
• Apple: https://apple.co/3qIp7Ol
• iHeart: https://ihr.fm/44oFE7R
  
  

Follow Us on Social Media:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/_CCFP and https://twitter.com/kbstevens
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-on-child-and-family-policy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centeronchildandfamilypolicy

See the Center on Child and Family Policy's Work: www.ccfp.org

Sign Up for Updates: https://www.ccfp.org/sign-up-for-ccfp-updates

Email the Show: EarlyMatters@ccfp.org.

------------------------------------

Leading family researcher Jenet Erickson joined Early Matters to discuss the complex role of childcare in child, maternal, and family well-being. Erickson describes the evolving landscape of work and family life, with important shifts in both women’s and men’s roles within the home and the workforce.

She expresses concern about growing policy momentum towards universal childcare, emphasizing the importance of aligning childcare policies with the preferences and needs of families. Finally, she highlights the paramount importance of strong parent-child relationships for the healthy development of young children. She argues that policy should be driven by recognizing and prioritizing those core relationships. A “work-ist” rather than “family-ist” orientation fails to fulfill the essential human need for deep, bonded connection with other people.

READ MORE HERE: Child Care: What Parents Want — What Children Need (https://www.ccfp.org/ccfp/child-care-what-parents-want-what-children-need-with-jenet-erickson)

About the Guest
Jenet Erickson is a leading family policy researcher focusing on maternal and child well-being in the context of work and family life, and on the distinct contributions of mothers and fathers in children's development. She is a research fellow at the Institute for Family Studies and at the Wheatley Institution, an associate professor in at Brigham Young University, and has been a columnist on family issues for the Deseret News since 2013. Her work has been featured in in the New York Times, Slate Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, Wall Street Journal, and the Today Show, among others.

---------------------------------------
Subscribe to Early Matters:

• Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3EgluC8
• Apple: https://apple.co/3qIp7Ol
• iHeart: https://ihr.fm/44oFE7R
  
  

Follow Us on Social Media:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/_CCFP and https://twitter.com/kbstevens
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-on-child-and-family-policy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centeronchildandfamilypolicy

See the Center on Child and Family Policy's Work: www.ccfp.org

Sign Up for Updates: https://www.ccfp.org/sign-up-for-ccfp-updates

Email the Show: EarlyMatters@ccfp.org.

------------------------------------