THE KATHY RETICKER FORUM
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About the Forum

Kathy Reticker, former Executive Director of Acre Family Child Care, was a beloved leader in the field of early childhood care and education and the non-profit community, as well as an inspiration to generations of champions for children and families. Kathy died in September 2016 from pancreatic cancer. 
 
Inspired by Kathy’s extraordinary contributions, a partnership of non-profits and individuals established The Kathy Reticker Forum for Children and Families to increase awareness of and advocacy for affordable, high quality child care and education for all children and families. The Forum brings together advocates and decision makers in the non-profit, government, and private sectors annually to share resources and learn from renowned experts. The Forum also awards scholarships to students in Lowell pursuing a career in early childhood education. 
 

 
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Donate to the Kathy Reticker Forum
Important note about donations: Clicking on the button above will take you to the Network for Good page for Acre Family Child Care, the Forum's fiscal sponsor.  In the designation field, please indicate whether your gift is to support The Kathy Reticker Forum or The Kathy Reticker Scholarships.
"At Acre Family Child Care we have helped over 300 women start small businesses in the City of Lowell. Those women have made it possible for other women to work and for thousands of children to get an early childhood education." 
Acre Family Child Care—The Power of Change

“Our mission is to provide a wonderful place to spend one’s childhood. We strive to listen to children, to meet them where they are and help them take the next step.”
The Concord Children’s Center Newsletter
About Kathy Reticker 
Kathy Reticker was a lifelong advocate for children and their families, starting with supporting runaway children at Project Place in Boston, serving families at the Department of Children and Families, and inspiring a sense of creativity and wonder as the Executive Director of Concord Children's Center. Most recently, she was the Executive Director of Acre Family Child Care, an organization that supports women running home-based child care businesses. 

Kathy fostered a sense of community in everything she did. She built bridges between the Lowell and Concord communities through her role as a board member of the Greely Foundation. She inspired the next generation of non profit leaders through teaching courses at the BU Institute for Non Profit Leadership and Management. She promoted the arts through her board membership at Emerson Umbrella. For all of this work, Kathy was selected as 2016 Woman of the Year by the Merrimack Valley Rotary Club.  She was a tireless agent for social justice and teacher of the next generation of non-profit leaders. ​Her vision for what is possible, her belief in what is right, and her compassion for others shaped how she approached her work and her life. 

Forum Partners 
Acre Family Child Care 
Concord Children's Center 
​The Discovery Museum
The Umbrella Community Arts Center
Forum Planning Committee
​Mary Beth Barker
Jack Flynn
Pat Goldstein
Zelma Khadar
Pat Nelson
Bob Reticker
Julia Reticker-Flynn
Nathan Reticker-Flynn
Carolyn Stafford Stein
Jerry Wedge
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