Home News ICS in New York for Building the Missing Market for Flourishing: A Cross-Sector Capital Strategy

ICS in New York for Building the Missing Market for Flourishing: A Cross-Sector Capital Strategy

Representing ICS at Building the Missing Market for Flourishing, left to right: ICS Senior Fellow Bryan Boroughs, Executive Director of The Riley Institute at Furman University; Mary C. Garvey, Chief of Equity and Innovative Financing; Kaitlin Watts, Director of Innovative Finance; and ICS CEO Jamie Moon, CEO. The delegation was joined by ICS Senior Fellow Bryan Boroughs, Executive Director of The Riley Institute at Furman University and a longtime member of the ICS leadership team.

On May 22, 2026, the Institute for Child Success (ICS) participated in Building the Missing Market for Flourishing: A Cross-Sector Capital Strategy, a national convening hosted at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York through the Investing in Flourishing initiative.

Key Question

What would it take to build a financial system that invests in children’s well-being before challenges become crises?

The Takeaways

  1. Investing early creates long-term impact. Upstream investments in children and families can lead to better outcomes. This is true across healthcare, education, housing, and workforce systems.
  2. Cross-sector collaboration is essential. Meaningful change requires partnerships among finance, healthcare, philanthropy, education, policy, and community development leaders.
  3. New financing models are gaining momentum. National leaders are exploring innovative ways to align capital with measurable social outcomes and community well-being.
  4. Flourishing is becoming a shared investment strategy. The Investing in Flourishing initiative is helping build the infrastructure needed to support thriving communities at scale.
  5. Partnerships drive lasting change. Collaboration among organizations and leaders, including longtime ICS partners like Bryan Boroughs, strengthens efforts to advance opportunities for children and families nationwide.

Watch: Making Missing Markets: Connecting Communities and Capital from The New York Fed Youtube

Innovative Funding for Long-Term Child, Family, & Community Well-Being 

ICS gathered in New York City last month with leaders from finance, healthcare, philanthropy, education, policy, and community development. Together, the group explored innovative approaches for investing in long-term child, family, and community well-being. 

Building the Missing Market for Flourishing centered on creating sustainable financing models that support upstream investments in children and families while generating measurable benefits across healthcare, housing, education, and workforce systems.

Representing ICS at the convening were Kaitlin Watts, Director of Innovative Finance; Mary Garvey, Chief of Equity and Innovative Financing; and Jamie Moon, CEO. The delegation was joined by ICS Senior Fellow Bryan Boroughs, Executive Director of The Riley Institute at Furman University and a longtime member of the ICS leadership team.

Paying for Flourishing: Investing in a Stronger Future

What if we invested in helping children and families thrive before challenges become crises? What would it take to build a functioning market for flourishing? Investing in Flourishing (IIF), a national initiative led by more than 200 leaders from finance, healthcare, philanthropy, policy, and community development, is working to create a new market that supports child and family well-being through coordinated investments from public, private, and philanthropic partners.

Currently partnering with communities in Ohio, Maryland, and Tennessee, IIF is building the infrastructure needed to improve well-being outcomes while generating long-term social and economic returns across sectors such as healthcare, education, social services, and workforce development. The goal is simple: shift from paying for problems to investing in flourishing—and create healthier communities for generations to come.

National Momentum for Building the Missing Market for Flourishing

The event highlighted the growing national momentum behind Investing in Flourishing. This initiative focuses on building the infrastructure needed to align capital, policy, and partners in support of thriving communities. 

The group explored how cross-sector collaboration can unlock new opportunities to improve outcomes for children and families, often pointing to Hello Family Spartanburg as an exemplar. These opportunities also create lasting value for communities nationwide.

Strengthening Partnerships for Long-Term Success

For ICS, the convening was an important chance to contribute to the plans and talks shaping the future. Innovative financing and systems change are at the heart of ICS’s work. 

It also underscored the power of enduring partnerships, including the continued collaboration with Bryan Boroughs, whose leadership and expertise continue to support ICS’s mission even as he serves in his role at The Riley Institute.

We are honored to be part of a growing network of leaders working to reimagine how investments are made in the conditions that allow children, families, and communities to flourish. As these conversations continue, ICS remains committed to advancing innovative strategies that create lasting impact and expand opportunities for all children to thrive.

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About Us

The Institute for Child Success advances human-focused and equity-centered policies, partners and practices to transform systems that impact young children and their families. Learn more about our offerings, including policy research and advocacy support, innovative financing for communities, and measurement and evaluation support.

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