 | Roger Neugebauer, Director
2/16/2010 12:34 PM | | Roger Neugebauer |
Roger and Bonnie Neugebauer have published Exchange – The Early Childhood Leaders Magazine, since 1978. Neugebauer has presented keynote addresses at more than 200 conferences in 48 states and six nations. In 1997 he was honored by Working Mother magazine as one of "25 Champions of Working Parents." Bonnie and Roger Neugebauer are also the founders of the World Forum on Early Care and Education, a bi-annual gathering of early childhood practitioners from 80 nations to address issues in delivering quality services in diverse settings. Neugebauer serves on the advisory board of Bright Horizons Family Solutions and has been on the governing boards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, the Alliance of Work/Life Professionals, the National Association for Family Child Care and the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, as well as on the national advisory boards of the National Early Childhood Policy Study and the landmark Cost, Quality and Child Outcomes in Child Care study. He has a master’s degree in day care administration from Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has four children.
How did you get involved with First Children’s Finance?
I was in Telluride at an advocacy conference, and I heard this guy talking about the loan and grant program. I introduced myself, and it was Jerry Cutts. That was two years ago. It took Jerry a New York minute to ask me to be on the board.
Why is First Children’s important? Why do you spend precious time working with First Children’s?
I found out they were able to combine public and private dollars to support child care centers at a time when our field had been struggling for decades to get sufficient funding. First Children’s was just going out and doing it and getting it done. In a difficult time for social services, they were making headway.
What difference does the Growth Fund make for providers? Why does First Children’s have a Growth Fund?
Through the Growth Fund, First Children’s has figured out how to make improvements in child care. Requiring the centers to have business plans and to move on quality issues makes the Growth Fund even more precious. Child care programs are run on a shoe string. They struggle forward from day to day, year to year. The Growth fund gives them the ability to go forward strategically.
What’s your vision for First Children’s?
I would like to see FCF working nationwide. That has to happen step-by-step, so they do it well – so programs across the country have access to loans and technical assistance. I’d like to see FCF more closely involved with states, fine tuning their quality rating scales to add a business component. I’d like to see FCF work more closely with policy makers.
What do you like to do when you aren’t working on behalf of First Children’s?
For the five hours a week I’m not working on FCF, I like to keep my own business going. I also work on my music – Lovin’ Spoonful.
What else would you like our readers to know about you and First Children’s?
I just really enjoy the time I devote to FCF. The board is an exciting group to work with; it’s not just a “yes” group. For every minute I invest, there is output. Jerry is a creative and imaginative person. It’s fun to be around him and the staff. They really push the envelope.
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