Young children thrive in nurturing families and supportive communities.
Early Opportunities LLC was founded by Joan Lombardi, PhD. in 2011, as an advisory service to philanthropy both internationally and in the United States. Its focus is on young children, families, and the communities that support them. Over the years Joan has provided advisement to a number of foundations and international organizations. Currently she serves as the advisor to the Buffett Early Childhood Fund and the Global Education Fund of the Bainum Family Foundation, among others.
In 2022, Joan launched the Early Opportunities Initiative aimed at raising awareness about the importance of nurturing care and on highlighting the impact of emergencies on young children and families—from conflict to climate change— along with the community solutions to prevent and address them. The Initiative includes blogs, microgreen grants, and mentoring and support for leaders in the field, along with resource-sharing. It is built on the strong belief that every person can make a difference and that hope springs from action.
In addition, Joan is a cofounder and Senior Fellow at the Georgetown Collaborative on Global Children’s Issues; a Senior Scholar and Adjunct Professor at Georgetown Center on Child and Human Development and a Senior Advisor and Adjunct Professor at the Stanford Center on Early Childhood, Graduate School of Education, Stanford University. She also serves on the governing board of the National Black Child Development Institute, the governing board of the Global Fund for Children, the Executive Leadership Council of the global Early Childhood Development Action Network, and is the Co-Chair of the Research Forum on Young Children in Emergencies, in collaboration with the Moving Minds Alliance.
Over the past 50 years Joan has made significant contributions in the areas of child and family policy as an innovative leader. She’s served as a policy advisor to national and international organizations, as well as making contributions as a public servant. She was the founding Chair of the Birth to Five Policy Alliance, now the Alliance for Early Success. In 2004, Joan founded Global Leaders for Young Children with the World Forum Foundation. Since that time the program has supported leadership development and mentoring to hundreds of people around the world dedicated to improving the lives of young children and families. She is the author of Time to Care: Redesigning Child Care to Promote Education, Support Families and Build Communities and co-editor of Beacon of Hope: The Promise of Early Head Start for America’s Youngest Children. Joan served as the first Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood during the Obama Administration and the first Director of the Child Care Bureau during the Clinton Administration.
Pictured above is Joan meeting the Warrior Moms at the 2024 Investing in ECD conference in Penang.
Pictured above is Joan speaking at the Act for Early Years Symposium in New York City on September 25, 2024.