Meeting Street garners $200K donation for early-childhood development center

PROVIDENCE – Meeting Street has received a $200,000 donation from the James M. Cox Foundation that will go toward financing its new Center for Early Childhood Development that is in the planning stages in Providence.

“This generous donation will directly support the next phase of Meeting Street’s service to the local community,” said John M. Kelly, president of Meeting Street, a nonprofit focused on child development, education, research and training. “Early-childhood development is at the cornerstone of our mission. We provide therapeutic and educational services to children with all types of needs and backgrounds. These funds will go a long way in helping that mission.”

Meeting Street said the goals of the center will be to ensure all children, regardless of their abilities or socio-economic status, have access to high-quality, affordable early-childhood education; to create a local resource for parental learning, networking and family services; and to establish an institute for learning and research where students and educators from around the world can develop best practices in early-childhood development and education.

The James M. Cox Foundation provides philanthropic support for nonprofit organizations in communities where Cox Enterprises Inc. does business. Cox Enterprises is the parent company of Cox Communications. The foundation concentrates on areas including early-childhood education, empowering families and individuals for success, conservation and the environment, and health.

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“Throughout its impressive history, Meeting Street has empowered children and families to lead better lives by enriching their abilities at every level,” said Jay Allbaugh, Cox Communications senior vice president and Northeast region manager. “The James M. Cox Foundation is truly honored to support Meeting Street’s next chapter, which will realize the expansion of its nationally accredited Early Learning Center and ensure it reaches more Rhode Island families than ever before.”