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CBS News Chicago
By The Associated Press
February 15, 2023
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker called Wednesday for making preschool available to every 3- and 4-year-old in the state within four years, starting with a $440 million investment to bring 5,000 additional children into the program this fall. Details about the "Smart Start Illinois" program dominated the fifth annual State of the State and budget address by the Democratic governor, who easily won reelection in November and has hinted at an eventual...

16 February, 2023 /

Crain's Chicago Business
By Greg Hinz
February 15, 2023
Declaring that investing in the next generation is “the most important thing we can do,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker today will call for the state to spend another nearly half-billion dollars a year on much-expanded early childhood education, child care and related activities. The plan to do more will be the centerpiece of the proposed fiscal 2024 budget Pritzker is to introduce in a Springfield speech at noon today. It follows promises from the governor...

15 February, 2023 /

The Hill
By Lexi Lonas
February 7, 2023
President Biden in his State of the Union address on Tuesday made the case for universal preschool and teacher raises to help create the “best-educated workforce” in the world. During his speech before a joint session of Congress, Biden said universal K-12 education helped create “the best-educated, best-paid nation in the world” in the past century, “but the world has caught up.” Biden gave a node to his wife, Jill Biden, who teaches at a community college,...

09 February, 2023 /

We Are The Mighty
By Joel Searls
February 7, 2023
Saul Zaentz started out in the music industry post his service in the Army during World War II. He worked with the Jazz at the Philharmonic which included him managing tours for such musicians as Duke Ellington and Stan Getz. He joined Fantasy Records in the mid-1950s and stayed there through the 1960s having discovered Creedence Clearwater Revival. Although CCR and Zaentz didn’t end on the best terms they did find a lot...

09 February, 2023 /

CBS Colorado
By Karen Morfitt
February 7, 2023
When Colorado's Universal Preschool program starts in the fall, Monica Staffieri is hoping her son Miles will be among the first to take part.
"I would love for him to be in preschool. I know it's really important that they get that first taste, and that learning is really important especially pre-5, so I never understood why we didn't (always have it)," she said.
But until just a few days ago, she wasn't entirely sure her family...

08 February, 2023 /

NBC Connecticut
By Jane Caffrey
February 7, 2023
Advocates for early childhood education from Connecticut shared ideas on how to improve programs for young kids on the state and national level Tuesday.
A lack of affordable childcare is costing the country $122 billion a year, according to a new report from Readynation. The report indicates that figure has more than doubled since 2018. It states that policy inaction combined with the pandemic is costing businesses, parents and taxpayers billions of dollars in lost productivity,...

07 February, 2023 /

The Hechinger Report
By Jill Barshay
February 6, 2023
The research on early childhood education can seem as messy as a playground sandbox. Some studies show that preschool produces remarkable academic and social benefits for low-income children, and some don’t. One 2022 study found that children who went to preschool in Tennessee ended up worse off, on average, than those who stayed home. Even among success stories, the benefits of preschool can be fleeting. Children who didn’t go to preschool still learn their...

06 February, 2023 /

UMass Boston
Office of Communications
February 6, 2023
The Institute for Early Education Leadership and Innovation at UMass Boston is one of six core partners in a collaborative that was awarded $30 million over five years by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Administration for Children and Families. The collaborative will launch and implement a new National Early Care and Education (ECE) Workforce Center that will coordinate and provide technical assistance and rigorous research to advance the recruitment and...

06 February, 2023 /

Five Thirty Eight
By Monica Potts
February 3, 2023
California is in the middle of implementing a plan that will create a free, universal pre-K program (known as transitional kindergarten) for every 4-year-old in the state by the 2025-2026 school year. It sounds like a big, blue state priority, but it’s also a red state one. California will join states like West Virginia, Alabama and Oklahoma in aiming to provide universal preschool programs that serve all of their states’ 4-year-olds.
Welcome to the weird,...

03 February, 2023 /

The Hill
By Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech
February 2 , 2023
A new bill introduced to the Vermont state legislature would give parents the option to send their young children to free, public prekindergarten classes for the full school year. Under current Vermont law, children between the ages of three and five years old are entitled to 10 hours of prekindergarten education a week for up to 35 weeks a year. The new bill would amend that law to grant three-, four-,...

02 February, 2023 /

Detroit Free Press
By Jennifer Brookland
January 28, 2023
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s announcement during Wednesday’s State of the State address that she was proposing free preschool for all 4-year-olds was cause for celebration for many parents and early childhood advocates — but a source of worry for private child care providers.
“There is much evidence that connection to quality, evidence-based programs have the power to permanently improve kids' lives,” Cindy Eggleton, co-founder and CEO of Brilliant Detroit, said in an email. “Universal pre-K is...

28 January, 2023 /

Business Insider
By Jacob Zinkula
January 27, 2023
America has a childcare crisis. New Mexico is trying to show the rest of the country a better way forward.
The state's legislature is set to approve plans in the coming weeks to allocate childcare providers more money per child, make more families eligible for free childcare, give the industry's workers permanent raises, and establish a wage floor of $15 per hour.
It's happening because last November, over 70% of New Mexico voters supported a constitutional amendment...

27 January, 2023 /

K-12 Dive
By Kara Arundel
January 26, 2023
Hawaii, California, Michigan and New Mexico are among states dedicating money toward large-scale expansion of preschool programs.
“Children who have attended high-quality preschool or child care programs are much better prepared for success in Kindergarten, but not every family has access to early learning programs,” said Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke in a statement. Luke is leading Hawaii’s preschool expansion efforts. “If we can provide enough classrooms at an affordable price, we can make sure...

26 January, 2023 /

CBS Colorado
By Dillon Thomas
January 20, 2023
Free Universal Pre-K education is rolling out this year in Colorado and the time to apply for your child is already open. An estimated 30,000 Colorado children are expected to be seeking free Pre-K education. However, some rural districts say they are still working out logistics on how they can best meet the demand.   "It is a very exciting time," said Michelle Spencer, Early Childhood Coordinator for Weld RE-4 School District.   Weld RE-4 serves Windsor,...

26 January, 2023 /

CBS Colorado
By Dillon Thomas
January 20, 2023
Free Universal Pre-K education is rolling out this year in Colorado and the time to apply for your child is already open. An estimated 30,000 Colorado children are expected to be seeking free Pre-K education. However, some rural districts say they are still working out logistics on how they can best meet the demand.   "It is a very exciting time," said Michelle Spencer, Early Childhood Coordinator for Weld RE-4 School District.   Weld RE-4 serves Windsor,...

26 January, 2023 /

The New Yorker
By Jessica Winter
January 20, 2023
The Red Balloon is part of the university’s progressive history, but it may not have a future.
For a half century, the Red Balloon has operated out of a-thousand-plus square feet on the lower level of 560 Riverside Drive, a Columbia University-owned residential building near the northern tip of Riverside Park. Despite the subterranean location, the space feels bright and airy, primary-colorful, and includes an indoor playground and a small library lined with a grass-green...

26 January, 2023 /

By Libby Stanford
January 25, 2023
Universal pre-kindergarten has become a buzz term lately, capturing the attention of federal and state politicians as evidence shows that students do better when they start school earlier.
But determining whether a state-funded preschool program is truly universal isn’t as simple as it seems, and states that have universal pre-K laws or programs don’t always achieve high enrollment.
“What constitutes universal preschool is fuzzy because people use the term differently,” said Steven Barnett, the director of the National...

25 January, 2023 /

The Denver Gazette
By Nicole C. Brambila
January 9, 2023
The Polis Administration is reminding parents that enrollment for Universal Preschool starts next week.
Pre-K enrollment for the fall begins Jan. 17. Children will be matched with providers in mid-February.
More than 29,000 pre-K seats are available across the state from roughly 850 providers, according to the governor's office.
“We are bringing high-quality preschool to Colorado kids, saving families thousands of dollars, and making sure Colorado students get a strong start in school,” Polis said in...

09 January, 2023 /

Fortune
By Megan Leonhardt
January 3, 2023
Breanna Dietrich was on the wait list at a day care before her daughter was even born. Nearly two years later, a slot has yet to open up. Even if there was an opening at a childcare center in her hometown of Wheeling, W.Va., Dietrich isn’t sure she’d be able to afford it. “I have no idea what I can afford. The thought of that makes my chest hurt,” she tells Fortune. Dietrich, 36, is now...

04 January, 2023 /

The Center Square
By Steve Bittenbender January 2, 2023
The Beshear Administration announced Kentucky will receive nearly $12 million a year in federal funding over the next three years to help prepare more children for kindergarten. The money will come from a grant program administered by the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services. Its Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five initiative had $266 million available, which it said would fund initiatives in about 35 states. Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement Kentucky will...

02 January, 2023 /

The Hill
By Lisa Dodson and Amanda Freeman
December 23, 2022
Current spikes in RSV, flu and COVID are drawing attention to the shortcomings of the childcare system in America. With many parents being forced to take their sick children to work or risk being fired, the need for reliable child care has never been more evident. And this glaring need is serving as a catalyst for local action. In the midterm elections, for the first time in history, the residents of one...

23 December, 2022 /

Politico
By Madina Touré
December 23, 2022
NEW YORK — Six years ago, New York City hosted leaders from a dozen cities across the U.S. to share lessons learned from its free early childhood education program for over 70,000 4-year-olds. The immensely popular universal prekindergarten program was the brainchild of former Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2014. Three years later, he began expanding it to 3-year-olds. The pioneering education policy remains the single biggest achievement from de Blasio’s two terms in office. It was...

23 December, 2022 /

Early Learning Nation
By Mark Swartz
December 22, 2022
Last year at this time, early childhood advocates and experts were cautiously optimistic about massive federal relief in the form of the Build Back Better Act, and last year’s Big Wins for Little Kids webinar reflected those high hopes. Although the optimism gave way to disappointment soon thereafter, 2022 nevertheless produced an impressive number of big wins, which the Hunt Institute and Alliance for Early Success explored December 5 in this year’s edition. Hunt’s...

22 December, 2022 /

The Hill
By Javaid Siddiqi
December 2, 2022
In November, New Mexico voters approved a constitutional amendment that will create a dedicated funding stream for early childhood education. The measure, which will increase distributions from the state’s Land Grant Permanent Fund, is projected to infuse $150 million annually into programs for young children....

05 December, 2022 /

MSNBC
November 27, 2022
Childcare advocates are calling for investments in children and families to be a part of president Biden’s agenda in 2023. Reshma Saujani, CEO and founder of The Marshall Plan for Moms, joined Alicia Menendez on American Voices to discuss the importance of investing in children and families....

02 December, 2022 /

Early Learning Nation
By Mark Swartz
November 22, 2022
The new Stanford Center on Early Childhood (an initiative of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning) held a launch event November 3. Members of its interdisciplinary leadership council spoke, as did Linda Darling-Hammond—emeritus professor at Stanford, founding president of the Learning Policy Institute and president of the California State Board of Education. The event also featured local schools with Stanford connections, including the Primary School and Synapse School....

22 November, 2022 /

Forbes
By Alison Griffin
November 21, 2022
As a single, working mom, I know firsthand how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated instability across the childcare industry. I also know that the last two years have required families — particularly those who are resource constrained — to make unimaginable sacrifices. I experienced these challenges from a place of privilege and resource, and even I had days that felt insurmountable....

21 November, 2022 /

By Dana Suskind
November 18, 2022
Compared with other wealthy nations, the United States is a uniquely difficult place to raise children. One in four mothers returns to work within two weeks of giving birth, and we’re the only rich country that doesn’t have federally mandated paid leave for new parents. While other wealthy countries invest an average of $14,000 a year for every toddler’s care, America spends $500. The pandemic sharpened our awareness of these problems—parents left the workforce in droves, child-care...

18 November, 2022 /

K-12 Dive
By Kara Arundel
November 17, 2022
WASHINGTON – Being attentive to early childhood educators’ well-being is critical not only to retaining teachers but to helping them be better classroom leaders, said speakers at a Wednesday session at the annual conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.  During a two-month pilot program last summer with eight early childhood educators in the Washington, D.C. area, the speakers said they explored how wellness coaching could reduce teachers’ stress and increase their self-confidence and optimism. ...

17 November, 2022 /

November 10, 2022
Alliance for Early Success allies across the country are sharing election results that impact children and families. We’ve compiled their summaries in an initial overview of where the country stands two days after the election.
While we don’t yet know the extent of the changes we’ll see on the national level, there is lots to report on state political landscapes — where the bulk of early childhood policy rises and falls....

10 November, 2022 /

New America
By Lydia Mackie
Oct. 27, 2022
Tiny monarch caterpillars arrived at the school, not floating through the air, but with the thud of a package on concrete.
Our postal carrier had no idea how many lessons were going to emerge from that box for the prekindergartners at our public school in Washington, DC. First, we created a mesh net habitat and placed it in the tiny side yard of our concrete school building, which is just a few feet from a busy...

27 October, 2022 /

The Reform Alliance
Oct. 18, 2022
The Reform Alliance says Focusing on education dialogue with students and families, not buildings, is step in right direction.
Little Rock, AR – The Reform Alliance is encouraged to see the unveiling of Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ education agenda. Her plan, Arkansas LEARNS, is a step in the right direction – focusing the education dialogue on students and families, not buildings.
“With third-grade reading levels at an abysmal 35 percent statewide, it is comforting to know that if she is...

18 October, 2022 /

The Washington Post
By The Editorial Board
October 11, 2022
Many sectors are reeling from massive labor shortages — but few affect families more intimately than what is happening with child care. With lengthy waiting lists and soaring costs, the scale of the crisis is obvious. Less clear is how the country can quickly fix it. First, the problem: Like other caregiver industries, child care was hit hard by covid-19. There are nearly 90,000 fewer child-care workers today than in February 2020 — an...

11 October, 2022 /

K-12 Dive
By Naaz Modan
October 10, 2022
Almost half of early childhood educators are experiencing high levels of burnout and stress, according to a nationwide survey of 2,300 educators. The survey, published by early childhood education resource provider Teaching Strategies, shows 45% of early child educators are battling mental health challenges and burnout. Almost the same percentage, 43%, say staffing shortages are affecting their stress level. Mental health challenges are also partly why early childhood educators are considering a career change, according...

10 October, 2022 /

EdSource
By Karen D'Souza
September 30, 2022
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Friday that will streamline access to the state’s subsidized early childhood education system. Introduced by Sen. Monique Limón, D-Santa Barbara, Senate Bill 1047, formerly SB 50, makes it easier for low-income families to access the state-funded California State Preschool Program and subsidized child care system by automatically granting eligibility to families who are already enrolled in CalFresh, Medi-Cal, WIC or Head Start, cutting a layer of red tape....

30 September, 2022 /

The Hechinger Report
By Ariel Gilreath
September 29, 2022
Many people might think the main benefit of a high-quality preschool program is the academic boost it gives young children when they enter elementary school. But the strongest positive effects may show up years, and even decades, later and have little to do with test scores and grades. Researchers at Georgetown University have been studying the impact of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s program for two decades. In a new set of working papers, the researchers found long-term...

29 September, 2022 /

The Atlantic
By Stephanie H. Murray
September 28, 2022
A child’s ability to succeed in the classroom is powerfully influenced by their home environment. Giving parents the support they need could be key to fixing American education. Many American schools are failing to provide all students with a quality education, and policy makers don’t seem to know what to do about it. Even before schools closed during the pandemic, 30 percent of graduating seniors failed to reach a basic level of competency in reading,...

28 September, 2022 /

CNBC
By Dana Suskind
September 24, 2022
Resilience is the ability to face a challenge and come out the other side with some measure of growth and success, and there has never been a more important time for parents to help their kids build it. As a physician who studies early brain development, I’ve found one surprising factor that contributes to increased resilience at a young age: creating “nurturing routines.” Studies show that having structure and familiar rituals teaches kids how to constructively manage themselves...

24 September, 2022 /

Diply
By Ashley Hunte
September 12, 2022
Snoop Dogg's rap persona may be far from family friendly, but that doesn't mean he can't make time for the kids, apparently. The Grammy-nominated artist has decided to take on a new business venture. That's right, Snoop Dogg has co-founded and launched a YouTube channel. But you won't see any references to drugs or adult themes there. Instead, you'll see hip-hop-infused nursery rhymes....

12 September, 2022 /

SZCF's President Elliot Steinberg attended and spoke at The Hunt Institute's bipartisan Early Childhood Leadership Summit in Phoenix, AZ., along with Dr. Dana Suskind, author of Parent Nation, who was introduced by Steinberg as the event's keynote speaker. The event brought together 52 state teams, including Puerto Rico and Washington DC, comprised of senior elected officials, gubernatorial staff, and key early childhood system leaders....

07 September, 2022 /

By Alyssa Haywoode | Eye on Early Education
August 9, 2022
The Vital Role of Play in Early Childhood — and How to Explain this to More Adults
Play is important for children.
However, what’s missing from this important idea, a new report says, is a clear understanding of how play can be an effective learning strategy in early childhood settings – and how best to share this concept with the public.
The report – “The Role of Play in Designing Effective Early Learning Environments and...

22 August, 2022 /

By Catherine Lucey and Natalie Andrews
Aug. 17, 2022
WASHINGTON—Democrats made programs such as universal prekindergarten and paid family leave a central part of their agenda, and yet none of those policies were included in the legislative package signed into law Tuesday by President Biden.
The $700 billion bill, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, doesn’t include child-care subsidies, prekindergarten, paid leave or the child tax credit. All were part of the president’s early proposals and were included in the original $3.5 trillion...

22 August, 2022 /

Press Release | The Education Trust
August 17, 2022
A new report from The Education Trust and Generation Hope finds that there is no state in which a student parent can work 10 hours per week at the minimum wage and afford both tuition and child care at a public college or university
WASHINGTON – As student loan debt is now $1.7 trillion, cries to make college affordable are reaching a fever pitch. The Biden-Harris administration is currently deciding whether to cancel...

22 August, 2022 /

By Emily Tate Sullivan | Ed Surge
August 12, 2022
This week, the Aspen Institute announced its 2022 Ascend fellows, a cohort of 22 individuals hailing from a range of disciplines including medicine, research, entrepreneurship, government and policy, and nonprofit leadership and advocacy.
Their respective fields may vary widely, but what unites this particular group—on the 10-year anniversary since the fellowship was first launched—is their commitment to transforming early childhood education. The fellowship has always been about investing in leaders from various...

22 August, 2022 /

By Ann Schimke | Chalkbeat Colorado
August 12, 2022
Universal Preschool: Inside Colorado's Free Preschool Initiative
Child care providers, school district staff, and a pediatrician are among 15 people appointed to a new group that will advise Colorado’s early childhood chief on rules ranging from preschool funding rates to preschool teacher credentials.
Lisa Roy, executive director of the state’s new Department of Early Childhood, will have the final say over new rules, but state law requires her to consult with the newly formed Rules...

22 August, 2022 /

By Eden Stiffman | The Chronicle of Philanthropy
August 9, 2022
After spending her day in an Albuquerque classroom with 3-year-olds, teaching them how to hold a pencil and other skills to prepare them for kindergarten, Ivydel Natachu puts on her organizing hat. During the Covid-19 pandemic — as the lives of teachers and families changed exponentially — the 17-year veteran day care teacher got involved with Organizers in the Land of Enchantment, or OLÉ. The nonprofit advocacy group made up of working...

10 August, 2022 /
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