Early Years Climate Action Task Force

Early Years Climate Action Task Force: Ankita Chachra & Claudia Benitez-Nelson

The Early Years Climate Action Task Force [https://www.capita.org/early-years-climate-action-task-force] is exploring the impact of climate change on our youngest children and their families. Ankita Chachra and Dr. Claudia Benitez-Nelson, a member of the Early Years Climate Action Task Force, delved into the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients and carbon influenced by climate change, their shared passion for creating a sustainable future, and how the Task Force has led Dr. Benitez-Nelson to reconsider how she communicates her work to a broader audience. www.capita.org [https://www.capita.org/] | www.thisisplaneted.org [https://www.thisisplaneted.org/] Ankita Chachra is a Senior Fellow at Capita committed to creating sustainable, just, and vibrant cities for young children and families. She has over ten years of global experience working on her mission through partnerships with city agencies, and the private, non-profit, and philanthropic sectors.  Dr. Claudia Benitez-Nelson is the Senior Associate Dean for College Initiatives and Interdisciplinary Programs and a Carolina Distinguished Professor & Endowed Chair in Marine Studies in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of South Carolina. As a Senior Associate Dean, Dr. Benitez-Nelson has direct oversight of a number of interdisciplinary units and institutes as well as college initiatives that encompass faculty scholarship grants, fellowships, and mentorship programs. Her research focuses on the biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus and carbon and how these elements are influenced by both natural and anthropogenic processes.

Early Years Climate Action Task Force: Joe Waters & Lynette M. Fraga

The Early Years Climate Action Task Force [https://www.capita.org/early-years-climate-action-task-force] is exploring the impact of climate change on our youngest children and their families. In June 2023, Joe Waters and Task Force member Barry Ford discussed the importance of considering the impacts of climate change on young children and their families. They emphasized the need for local leaders to take practical actions such as creating safe environments, improving transportation systems, and leveraging policies to address climate change and protect the well-being of their communities.  www.capita.org [https://www.capita.org/] | www.thisisplaneted.org [https://www.thisisplaneted.org/] Joe Waters is the co-founder and CEO of Capita. An independent, nonpartisan think tank with a global focus, Capita works to build a future in which children and families can realize their full potential in a just, peaceful, prosperous society on a healthier, cleaner, and safer planet. Dr. Lynette M. Fraga is the former CEO for Child Care Aware of America and is a passionate practitioner, advocate and leader in the field of child care and early learning, working to advance the accessibility of quality child care experiences for all children. Dr. Fraga has over 25 years of experience as an educator, program director and executive leader working on behalf of children and families.

Early Years Climate Action Task Force: Joe Waters & Barry Ford

The Early Years Climate Action Task Force [https://www.capita.org/early-years-climate-action-task-force] is exploring the impact of climate change on our youngest children and their families. In June 2023, Joe Waters and Task Force member Barry Ford discussed the importance of considering the impacts of climate change on young children and their families. They emphasized the need for local leaders to take practical actions such as creating safe environments, improving transportation systems, and leveraging policies to address climate change and protect the well-being of their communities.  www.capita.org [https://www.capita.org/] | www.thisisplaneted.org [https://www.thisisplaneted.org/] Joe Waters is the co-founder and CEO of Capita. An independent, nonpartisan think tank with a global focus, Capita works to build a future in which children and families can realize their full potential in a just, peaceful, prosperous society on a healthier, cleaner, and safer planet. Barry Ford is the President and CEO of Council for a Strong America. He is chair of The National Collaborative for Infants and Toddlers Steering Committee and a board member of the Afterschool Alliance. Barry is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

Early Years Climate Action Task Force: Elliot Haspel & Angie Garling

The Early Years Climate Action Task Force [https://www.capita.org/early-years-climate-action-task-force] is exploring the impact of climate change on our youngest children and their families. In June 2023, Elliot Haspel and task force member Angie Garling discussed the need to incorporate climate resilience and sustainability in early care and education settings, the potential for co-locating housing and child care facilities, and how the task force can potentially influence community development policies and raise awareness among climate activists about the specific vulnerabilities of young children.  www.capita.org [https://www.capita.org/] | www.thisisplaneted.org [https://www.thisisplaneted.org/] Elliot Haspel, a child & family policy expert and commentator, is the Director, Climate and Young Children for Capita. He specializes in early childhood & education issues and the intersection between early childhood development and climate change. He most recently served as the Senior Program Officer for Early Childhood Education at the Robins Foundation. Angie Garling is the Vice President, Early Care & Education, for the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF). Angie joined the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) in 2019. At LIIF, she oversees the organization’s national ECE footprint, which currently includes robust programs in California, New York City, Washington, DC and most recently Atlanta. Through national and state policy advocacy and forging public-private partnerships, she has continued to grow this sector at LIIF, which to date has invested more than $251 million to create and preserve 308,000 ECE slots nationwide. With her team she spearheaded a COVID response effort for the ECE sector that marshalled over $40 million for ECE women of color-owned small businesses. She also serves as the Co-Chair of the National Children’s Facilities Network.   https://www.liifund.org/justgoodcapital/2023/04/05/flood-risks-in-new-york-citys-child-care-system-using-spatial-analysis-to-identify-water-vulnerabilities-in-family-child-care-homes/ [https://www.liifund.org/justgoodcapital/2023/04/05/flood-risks-in-new-york-citys-child-care-system-using-spatial-analysis-to-identify-water-vulnerabilities-in-family-child-care-homes/]

Early Years Climate Action Task Force: Joe Waters & Leah Austin

The Early Years Climate Action Task Force [https://www.capita.org/early-years-climate-action-task-force] is exploring the impact of climate change on our youngest children and their families. In April 2023, Joe Waters and Leah Austin met in Atlanta to talk about lessons from the Task Force's listening sessions, the multiplied impact of climate change on Black children, and how we can think about partnering with local government to improve outcomes for kids and their communities. www.capita.org [https://www.capita.org/] | www.thisisplaneted.org [https://www.thisisplaneted.org/] Joe Waters is the co-founder and CEO of Capita. An independent, nonpartisan think tank with a global focus, Capita works to build a future in which children and families can realize their full potential in a just, peaceful, prosperous society on a healthier, cleaner, and safer planet. Dr. Leah Austin is an accomplished, multi-faceted and visionary leader who has been working on behalf of Black children and their families for over two decades. Leah began her career as a public school teacher in southeast DC teaching kindergarten and first grade. More than “just” a teacher, she found herself working with parents to ensure their children received the resources they were due while butting up against a system that wanted to prematurely label them. Forever the educator and advocate she went on to work for several nonprofit and philanthropic organizations over her career.