What Happens Before Kindergarten Shapes the Future

What happens before a child starts kindergarten shapes far more than their first day of school. It influences their confidence, mobility, relationships, and readiness to learn—and, ultimately, their trajectory through life.

Hosted in Natalie Marchesan and Ron Klopfer’s beautiful home, with stunning views and warm hospitality, our most recent Social Dialogue Series event brought SVP Partners together to learn, connect, and engage in thoughtful dialogue about the critical role the early years play in shaping lifelong outcomes for children and families.

The conversation was grounded in insights from Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP), whose Early Development Instrument shows that 1 in 3 children in British Columbia are vulnerable across key areas of development, from emotional maturity to language and cognitive skills. These vulnerabilities carry significant social and economic costs, not only at school entry, but across a lifetime.

For SVP, the conversation reinforced why continued investment in the early years matters. Despite decades of research showing that early childhood investments can generate a 10:1 social return, innovative programs in this space often struggle to secure the funding needed to launch, grow, and expand their reach.

Inspired by our Early Years Innovation Fund trial, in addition to our commitment to continue supporting organizations working in the early years space, SVP has launched our Series B grant, designed to invest in nonprofits ready to deepen services, test new models, and grow high-potential solutions for children and families.

One example is Blind Beginnings, a new Series B Investee co-funded with The Raven Foundation. Their early intervention program, STEP (Safe Travel Education for Preschoolers), focuses on young children who are blind or have low vision and their families—addressing a critical gap in early support systems. As their team shared, “Our Early Intervention services provide specialized support to families during the most formative years of a child’s development.”

Programs like STEP reflect what’s possible when organizations have the support to test and deliver targeted solutions at the right time. While still early, this work points to a broader opportunity: when we invest in innovation upstream, we can change trajectories before challenges compound.

As SVP marks its 25th anniversary, conversations like this highlight how our approach continues to evolve—grounded in partnership, driven by impact, and focused on where we can create the greatest long-term value for children, youth, and families.

Curious how Series B investments take shape? Connect with Janelle to learn more or reach out if you’re interested in hosting a future SVP Vancouver event.