As a leadership member of the statewide ‘Kids Can’t Wait’ coalition, dedicated to ensuring that young children with developmental delays and disabilities receive timely services, we thank Governor Hochul for the steps she took last week to address long-standing needs in the Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education programs.

For decades, NY has persistently disinvested in critical services and supports for young children with developmental delays and disabilities. Liftoff and members of the Kids Can’t Wait campaign recently sent a letter to NYS Governor Hochul asking for her support to strengthen New York State’s the Early Intervention system so that children receive the evaluations and services they need early in life.

Liftoff joined over 100 organizations across New York State urging greater support for preschool students with disabilities. The State has a legal obligation to ensure there is an appropriate school setting for every preschooler and school-age student with a disability. New York relies on preschool special education programs and state-approved non-public schools to meet the […]

Please find Liftoff’s Spring 2021 Network e-newsletter with searchable links and content for your review.

We are pleased to announce that Amy Miranti has joined Liftoff as our Communications and Administrative Associate! Amy is responsible for a combination of day-to-day operations, technology, and communication tasks for our initiative. We are thrilled to have Amy home in on our communications plans and strategies and serve as our administrative liaison to our […]

‘No Small Matter’ Screening & Discussion No Small Matter is grounded in the idea that early care and education is deeply personal — after all, we’ve all either had a child, known a child, or been a child! But on a broader scale, the return on investment for high quality early learning has ripple effects […]

Please find Liftoff’s Summer 2020 Network e-newsletter with searchable links and content for your review.

Please find Liftoff’s Spring 2020 Network e-newsletter with searchable links and content for your review!

Please find Liftoff’s Winter 2020 Network e-newsletter with searchable links and content for your review!

Liftoff, a strategic alliance of 29 funders supporting early childhood initiatives across Western New York and Monroe County has named Rachel Bonsignore as its first director. Liftoff, a collaborative effort launched in 2018, has a mission to promote and enhance high quality early childhood development for children up to age five by integrating practice, policy, research, and resources to ensure they reach their fullest potential.