Please join us in person at the Maryland Philanthropy Network's office for a luncheon session with Dr. Shayna Cook from the Maryland State Department of Education. We will learn about the State's plans and Dr. Cook's vision for early learning in Maryland. There will be an opportunity to be in dialogue with her to learn how funders can be involved and to share the work of the PN5 Affinity Group. Participants will have time for informal networking over lunch.

We are delighted to host Special Secretary Carmel Martin, head of The Governor's Office for Children, for a conversation that focuses on young children and their families. We will discuss the opportunities and challenges facing families and the systems that are intended to support their health, development and well-being. Using the framework for a comprehensive early childhood development system that the Prenatal to Five Funders Group has adopted, the conversation will cover family economics, child care, infant and early childhood mental health, equity and inclusion, early relational health, housing, and the importance of engaging with families and caregivers in the design of system responses. We will explore the implementation of the ENOUGH Act and the Blueprint for Maryland's Future and the ways that both initiatives can work in support of young children and their families reaching their full potential. This is a virtual meeting.

The Prenatal-to-Five (PN-5) Affinity Group was created to help funders who are interested in supporting expectant parents, and children from birth through age five and their families improve their grantmaking by learning more about initiatives, educational research, and best practices.

Concerns about adolescent mental health and substance use have increased recently, particularly in light of gun violence and the COVID-19 pandemic.