With Special Guest Childcare Advocate Rachel Giannini
Closed Captioning Available

Almost seven years ago, Beth Am established its multi-faceted Equal Start social justice initiative to address the fact that early childhood education (ECE) is critical to the intellectual and emotional development of children, but not available to many families, especially in underserved communities. COVID-19 has both revealed and exacerbated the chronic undervaluing and underfunding of childcare in our communities. A significant majority of the public now understands the critical role that ECE plays in our society. ECE not only nurtures young children in the development of skills necessary for success in numerous areas, but also enables adults (especially working women) to return to the workforce with the confidence that their young children are being cared for and educated appropriately.

In 2019, the Kindling Group in Chicago produced a stunning 75-minute documentary entitled No Small Matter that beautifully portrays the importance of early childhood education. The importance of our local childcare and education providers as vital pillars in our human infrastructure is readily apparent. As schools and childcare providers closed due to the pandemic, the significance of ECE has become much more apparent. With children stuck at home, parents appreciated early educators even more than ever before. To bring together parents, educators, advocates and everyone supporting our youngest through this difficult time, the film's producers began offering virtual screening events.

Beth Am is partnering with Community Equity Collaborative and Good2Know Network in sponsoring a screening event to take advantage of this opportunity to stream the film No Small Matter at no cost to viewers. In addition, Beth Am will host a discussion led by Rachel Giannini, the teacher featured in the film, with local leaders and childcare advocates.

This program is free of charge, sponsored by Beth Am’s Equal Start initiative. Please register for free access to watch the film on Vimeo, Friday, December 4, through Tuesday, December 8, and to receive details on how to join the live Zoom discussion on Monday, December 7 at 7:30 PM.

Register today!

Our future depends on our youngest citizens. Please watch the film, join the discussion and take action to help make a difference!