The Foundation for Child Development (FCD) is the oldest private, independent, grantmaking foundation in the nation with a sustained focus on improving the life prospects of children. Over the course of its 100-year-plus history, FCD has contributed to the field of child development with by supporting research, policy, programs, and advocacy.

Compared with the nation's largest philanthropic institutions, FCD's endowment is modest. Yet FCD has had an impact that exceeds its assets. It has nurtured groundbreaking work in diverse areas of child development - physical, cognitive, social, and emotional. It has been a leader in prevention, in two-generational strategies, and in advocacy for low-income children and their families.

FCD was incorporated as a voluntary agency in New York in 1899, and established as the Association for the Aid of Crippled Children (AACC) in 1908. Voluntary contributions from the public supported AACC until 1944, when substantial funds were received from the estate of Milo M. Belding to honor his wife, Annie K. Belding.

In recognition of its evolving program and of its status as a grantmaking organization, the Association changed its name in 1972 to the Foundation for Child Development. In 1999, FCD celebrated its centennial. Read more about our story in 100 Years of Commitment to Children: Change and Continuity and in Our Basic Dream.  

Today, the Foundation for Child Development promotes the well-being of, and opportunities for, all American children, with a core initiative to contribute to creating a new first level of American education that begins at age three and extends to at least age eight. This initiative requires the integration of early education with early elementary education, hence PreK-3^rd. Visit Our Issues, Our Initiatives, and Our Grantmaking to learn more.