our community
Early Education Initiative
The mission of the TFEC Early Education Initiative is to cultivate, convene, and strengthen community opportunities for growth, safety, and wellness for all children, now and for future generations.
Our Focus
The TFEC Early Education Initiatives believes
- Children are at the center of the communities we serve.
- Investing in resources that support children, strengthens our area communities for everyone.
- Working together to build empowered, resilient, and collaborative communities in which children can live, learn, and grow is essential to the success and health of our region.
Guided by the expertise of the TFEC Early Education Advisory Committee, consisting of early childhood stakeholders who jointly represent the assets and needs of children and early childhood professionals within our area communities, from 2018-2020, the TFEC Early Education Initiative will address school readiness, trauma informed community, and workforce development.
Learn more about the TFEC Early Education Initiative by downloading and sharing the following documents:
TFEC Early Education Initiative – A one page overview of the TFEC Early Education Initiative.
Area of Focus: School Readiness – A one page overview of the TFEC Early Education Initiative’s work focusing on School Readiness
Area of Focus: Trauma Informed Community – A one page overview of the TFEC Early Education Initiative’s work focusing on Trauma Informed Community
TFEC Early Education Initiative 2020 Report Card – Captures the work carried out by the TFEC Early Education Initiative in 2020.
School Readiness
Empower caregivers, connect educators, and deepen resources that help children enter school ready to learn.
Trauma Informed Community
Foster trauma informed education, practices, and resiliency resources that impact a child’s ability to grow up happy, healthy, and safe.
For more resources for a Trauma Informed Community, click here.
Workforce Development
Fuel cross-sector collaboratives that recognize access to early learning as crucial to the development of a future ready workforce.
Early Education Advisory Committee Members
Chair: Carolyn Dumaresq
| First Name | Last name | Organization |
| Kathleen | Bentley | Perry County Literacy Council |
| Judy | Blust | Community Volunteer |
| Eric | Bostick | Capital Area Intermediate Unit |
| Tia | Bruner | Early Education Center of Perry County |
| Carolyn | Dumaresq | Immaculata University |
| Karen | Grimm-Thomas | Office of Child Development and Early Learning |
| Brenda | Hanthorn | Adjunct Instructor, Penn State University |
| Shawnee | Hooper | Capital Area Head Start |
| Kimberly | Istvan | United Way of the Capital Region |
| Hannah | Killian | Dauphin County Library System |
| Nicole | Lehr | Hamilton Health Center |
| Andrea | Lown | Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 |
| Jesse | McCree | SCPa Works |
| Lynda | Morris | Partnership for Career Development |
| Erica | Nemzek | Waynesboro Area School District |
| Karen | Quinn | United Way of Carlisle & Cumberland County |
| Amy | Reed | Cumberland/Perry MH/IDD Program |
| Christy | Renjilian | Child Care Consultants, Inc. |
| Annette | Searfoss | First Start Partnerships for Children and Families |
| Brittney | Watson | Shippensburg Head Start |
| Tamara | Willis | Susquehanna Township School District |
