Why We Invested
Home Grown is a national collaborative of ten philanthropic funders in the United States, including Imaginable Futures, committed to increase access to and the quality of home-based child care. Home Grown looks to strengthen home-based childcare practices and business models, remove policy barriers and support the growth and recognition of the sector so that all providers offer quality care and parents choose quality care. Home-based childcare is one of the largest child care settings in the United States. According to the National Survey of EarlyCare and Education, nearly 7 million children from birth to age 5 are cared in a home-based setting, far exceeding the number of children cared for in a center-based setting (3.8 million). High-quality home-based child care can substantially improve children’s cognitive, language, socio-emotional, and physical growth; offer economic opportunities for providers; and provide more flexible and convenient care for families.
Home-based child care is a critical piece of thriving communities: it supports the early education and development of 7 million young children, the full employment of their parents, and the livelihoods of educators and caregivers. Home Grown celebrates and supports these caregivers and providers and the important work they do.