Why I Started This Initiative

My name is Donald Byrd Sr., and I run a nonprofit childcare center that is struggling to survive. I know firsthand how close so many centers are to closing their doors forever.

I also know the pain of slipping through the cracks. As a boy, I silently battled a learning disability no one caught. I remember sitting in class as my teacher explained a math problem five times — and I still couldn’t understand. I struggled with self-esteem, and even in basketball, I was yelled at for forgetting plays. My coaches didn’t know I had learning and memory challenges.

I hid my struggles, but the pain was real. I still live with those challenges today, but I refuse to let them define me. Instead, I’ve learned — as Steve Harvey says — to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

That’s why I founded the Childcare Rescue Initiative, with Start Bright Inc. as the official recipient. Funds raised will support Start Bright Academy here in Georgia, as well as other nonprofit childcare centers across the country. Together, we can keep doors open and futures alive.

Prevention + Intervention

We cannot just wait until children are in K–12 to intervene. That’s too late. Intervention is necessary, but prevention is powerful.

Through this initiative, we are doing both:

Prevention — Supporting centers so they can catch learning challenges early, starting in infancy.

Intervention — Providing emergency relief so struggling centers can keep their doors open.

Our Goal – $1 Million

With your help, we hope to raise $1,000,000. These funds will allow us to:

Provide emergency grants to nonprofit childcare centers.

Hire professionals to build and run this initiative effectively.

Save jobs for teachers and caregivers.

Restore facilities so children learn in safe, inspiring environments.

Prevent tragedies by catching learning issues early.

A Call to the GoFundMe Family

GoFundMe has always been about helping people through tragedy. Today, I’m asking you to recognize and respond to this different kind of tragedy:

A tragedy where a parent has to choose between work and childcare.

A tragedy where a child loses the chance to learn and grow.

A tragedy where a community loses one of its most vital foundations.

But together, we can turn tragedy into hope.

How You Can Help

Please donate today. Every gift makes an impact:

$25 – Supplies for a classroom for one week.

$100 – Helps keep a teacher employed for a day.

$500 – Covers utilities for a struggling center.

$1,000+ – Sponsors a center’s operations for a week.

⚠️ This is urgent. Every week, more centers close. Every closure is another quiet tragedy. With your help, we can stop it.