As one of the only national organizations dedicated exclusively to the success and well-being of Black children, the National Black Child Development Institute and the National Affiliate Network have been a powerful and effective voice on issues related to the education, care, and health of Black children and their families

With a specific and relentless focus on the strengths and needs of the communities, and a lens of cultural competence, they serve as a national resource agency providing programs, publications, advocacy and trainings related to early childhood care and education; health and wellness; literacy and family engagement.

NBCDI supports and works primarily with Black children birth through age eight and their families, through coalition building with community-based organizations, foundations, corporations, school systems, elected officials, government, child care, Head Start and many other public and private partnerships. 

The current programs and activities range from the exciting Annual Conference; to T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood DC©; to programs across the country focused on health and wellness, literacy, family engagement, and preparation for college.

NBCDI is also engaged in federal and state advocacy, with a wide range of partners and collaborations, to protect and promote investments and policies that support children’s access to quality care and education birth through age 8, empower parents and families, and ensure funding and resource equity

From its inception, NBCDI’s focus has been on achieving positive outcomes for vulnerable children who suffer from the dual legacies of poverty and racial discrimination.  The organization was launched by the Black Women’s Community Development Foundation, whose leadership, in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement, was deeply concerned about the unsatisfactory conditions faced by families determined to raise healthy Black children.  By organizing NBCDI as a national advocacy group, they created a unified movement to develop strategies to improve the life circumstances of the Black child through policy change.  

Four years after NBCDI’s incorporation, its leaders launched the National Affiliate Network to mobilize volunteers at the grassroots level.  Today, Affiliates operate in over 20 communities and are composed of dynamic and diverse individuals who implement nationally driven programs for children and families on the ground.  

For 38 years, NBCDI was led by Evelyn K. Moore, who got her start as a teacher in the ground-breaking Perry Pre-school/High Scope program, which became the model for Head Start.  She has dedicated her entire professional career to improving outcomes for the  society’s most vulnerable children. Her leadership was followed by that of renowned early childhood educator, writer and leader, Carol Brunson Day, who led NBCDI from 2007 to 2011.  Dr. Felicia DeHaney served as President and CEO from 2011 to 2014 when she joined the Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan, as Director of Education and Learning Programs. Cindra Taylor, President of BCDI-Atlanta and a member of the organization’s National Board of Directors, served as interim President before Tobeka G. Green, the organization's fourth President, took the helm in September 2014. 

Historically, NBCDI has built a strong reputation for its work in early care and education and child welfare.  Over the years, the mission has benefited millions of children and their families.  As a leading organization working on behalf of children of color, NBCDI’s future is about growth and sustainability, forging new boundaries and promoting strengths-based programs and policies that lift up the children in the context of their families, communities and cultures.

MISSION
For more than 40 years, the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) has been at the forefront of engaging leaders, policymakers, professionals, and parents around critical and timely issues that directly impact Black children and their families. They are a trusted partner in delivering culturally relevant resources that respond to the unique strengths and needs of Black children around issues including early childhood education, health, child welfare, literacy, and family engagement. With the support of the Affiliate network in communities across the country, they are committed to the mission “to improve and advance the quality of life for Black children and their families through education and advocacy.” 

VISION
NBCDI envisions a society that ensures a successful future for all children.