Primrose Schools® Welcomes Kristin Bernhard as Executive Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Public Advocacy

Accomplished early childhood advocate to drive philanthropy, research and advocacy for premier early education and care franchise

ATLANTA, July 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Primrose Schools, the premier early education and care leader, has appointed Kristin Bernhard as executive director of corporate social responsibility and public advocacy. In this new role, Bernhard is responsible for the Primrose Corporate Social Responsibility program, Primrose Promise?, and leading the Primrose Schools Children's Foundation^®, the charitable arm of Primrose Schools that exists to provide a brighter future for children who are underserved or in crisis. With more than a decade of experience in early childhood policy, Bernhard will also direct advocacy efforts to advance quality early education at the state level in coordination with the Early Care and Education Consortium.

"With a steadfast focus on advancing the quality and accessibility of early learning at the national, state and community levels, Bernhard is a seasoned early childhood advocate who brings a wealth of expertise in driving public policy to help children thrive in their critical first five years of life," said Jo Kirchner, CEO, Primrose Schools. "Bernhard's strategic guidance will further our commitment to ensure all children have access to high-quality early education and care, including those who are underserved, and enhance the state-legislative advocacy support we provide to franchise owners."

Prior to joining Primrose, Bernhard led the advocacy, policy and research strategy as the chief policy and research officer at Start Early, a national nonprofit advancing quality early learning and care for families with children, where she drove the organization's efforts to strengthen prenatal-to-age 5 systems at the federal, state and community levels.

"My passion is to ensure every child can achieve their dreams through high-quality early childhood education," said Bernhard. "I have built my career on advancing quality early learning for children to help close the opportunity gap in the first five years, and I am honored to leverage my experience for a premier early education and care brand that is committed to making a difference in the lives of children in their first five years of learning and development."

A seasoned leader in legislative advocacy, Bernhard spent a decade in state government in Georgia, most recently as the deputy commissioner for system reform at the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, where she led the implementation of initiatives to strengthen the quality and accessibility of the state's early learning system. Bernhard holds bachelor's degrees from the University of Georgia and a juris doctorate from Georgia State University's College of Law.

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About Primrose Schools^®

Primrose Schools is the leader in providing premier early education and care to children and families in the United States. Founded in 1982, there are more than 500 Primrose schools in 34 states and Washington, D.C. Each school is independently owned and operated by Franchise Owners who partner with parents to help children build the right foundation for future learning and life. Primrose believes who children become is as important as what they know. The exclusive Primrose Balanced Learning^® approach is created from the best early education wisdom and balances purposeful play with nurturing guidance from teachers to encourage curiosity, creativity, confidence and compassion. For more information, visit www.PrimroseSchools.com, connect with us on Facebook and X, explore our stories and resources, sign up for our emails and find a Primrose school near you.

SOURCE Primrose Schools(R)