1 a call to advocacy: pennsylvania’s early childhood initiatives office of child development and...
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A Call to Advocacy:Pennsylvania’s Early Childhood Initiatives
Office of Child Development and Early Learning 2008
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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Why advocate? Advance the field Federal and state funding plays a major role
in early childhood education in PA Federal: Head Start, Child Care Development
Block Grant State: Head Start Supplemental, Full Day
Kindergarten Accountability Block Grant, STARS, PA Pre-K Counts
Better serve children and families Support a quality early education continuum You have a unique perspective
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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Your voice matters because
You have expertise in ECE You have experiences that matter to
legislators You are the future of ECE You vote!!
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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What are you advocating for?
Increased public recognition that quality early learning matters
Increased public investment in quality early learning
Increased support for building a quality early education continuum
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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ECE in Pennsylvania: OCDEL
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) promotes opportunities for all Pennsylvania children and families by building systems and providing supports that help ensure access to high quality child and family services. The office is a joint initiative between the Departments of Education and Public Welfare.
OCDEL’s focus in the upcoming year will be to build and strengthen a quality early education continuum for children and families.
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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Our Programs Child Care Certification Child Care Works Early Intervention – Birth to Five Family Support Programs: Children’s Trust Fund,
Nurse Family Partnership and Parent-Child Home Program
Full-Day Kindergarten Head Start Supplemental
Assistance Program Keystone STARS/ PA Early Learning Keys to Quality Pre-Kindergarten Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Public-Private Partnership
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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Pennsylvania is making progress Pennsylvania has made great progress in
serving young children through early education initiatives such as Accountability Block Grants, Keystone STARS, Early Intervention and the Head Start Supplemental Assistance program, PA Pre-K Counts but it’s just the start.
Our enrollment in quality programs for preschoolers has increased from 18% in 2002-03 to 35% in 2006-07.
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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But …we still face challenges Children in 70 percent of PA’s counties are
at moderate to high risk of school failure More than one-third of Pennsylvania’s children under the age of five live in low-income families
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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Building a quality early education continuum OCDEL’s goal: a seamless system of quality
early education from birth – age 5 What it takes:
1. Quality program design
2. Quality implementation & coordination
3. Meeting the diverse needs of families
4. Maximizing resources
5. Documenting positive impact and building accountability into the program
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
OCDEL Moving Ahead in 2008-09
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In order for Pennsylvania to have a quality early education
continuum, we need to address:
In FY 08-09, Pennsylvania will focus on:
Quality program design Ensuring alignment of Pennsylvania’s early childhood standards from infant through 3rd grade
Quality implementation & coordination
Monitoring of and technical assistance to early education programs for continuous quality improvement
Building early childhood staff capacity
Meeting the diverse needs of families
Deepening reach and risk study to include all OCDEL programs
Promoting racial & cultural equity among OCDEL programs Providing parents with online searches for OCDEL
programs
Maximizing resources
Convening a task force to assure programs can most effectively access and coordinate multiple ECE funding streams
Increasing funding for OCDEL Programs (PA Pre-K Counts, Keystone STARS, Child Care Works, Early Intervention, Nurse Family Partnership)
Documenting positive impact and building accountability into the program
Data collection that provides the big picture of how we are serving Pennsylvania’s children and families and what we are missing
Working to develop a standard system of assessing child outcomes
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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Key programs to address
Keystone STARS Child Care Works Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Early Intervention Nurse Family Partnership
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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Highlight: Keystone STARS
A reliable indicator of quality child care and demonstrates support for children’s early learning and development. Over 170,000 children will be served in 2008 Funding to help participating programs move
up through the STARS Ladder
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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Highlight: Child Care Works
Supports parents who are working hard to provide for their families and gives children the opportunity to participate in an early childhood program.
Serve an additional 2600 children and their families for a total of over 235,000 per year
Provide families with young children with the ability to search for child care information on the web
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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Highlight: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts A pre-kindergarten program currently serving over
11,000 3- and 4-year olds. The program supports quality half- (2.5 hours) and full-day (five hours) pre-kindergarten in schools, Head Start, child care centers, group child care homes and licensed nursery schools during the school year.
All children in participating communities age three until they enter kindergarten are eligible.
Focus on children at risk of academic failure due to income, special needs, language, or other issue.
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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Highlight: Early Intervention
Enhances family/caregiver relationships with children building on their strengths, and strives to maximize all the experiences, opportunities, and resources within the activities of daily living unique to each family.
Assures that all eligible children from birth to five with developmental delays receive services and supports that maximize their development so they achieve success in early education settings
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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Highlight: Pennsylvania Nurse Family Partnership - NFP Registered nurses work with the expectant
mothers to ensure a healthy pregnancy, to engage in activities with the baby that will promote healthy development, and to make plans for the future.
Prepares parents to provide a stable and nurturing home environment for their child where they are the child’s first teacher
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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What you can do
Meet your legislators Write your legislators Start a buzz on campus Hold a “Be a Kid Again” event
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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How to meet your legislators Letters are good, but meeting is better! Meet in their district office Go with a classmate or advocate Prepare ahead of time – script out Be pleasant Get their position on ECE
If they support the Governor’s budget, ask them to write their leadership
If they don’t, ask why? Follow up
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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Be a Kid Again
Host an event on campus Plan a fun “kid activity” that students can do
to relieve stress, have fun Educate through play! Get signatures Invite campus or local media
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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You’ve got help
Student advocacy toolkit Contact your Early Childhood Community
Engagement Group – www.pakeys.org/CommunityEngagement Groups.aspx
Local AEYCs - www.pennaeyc.org/
Because every child is Pennsylvania’s futurewww.papromiseforchildren.com
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Questions for discussion What types of activities would you plan for Week of
the Young Child – April 13-19, 2008? How do you measure quality in early childhood
education? As students of child development and early childhood
education, what unique perspective do you have that you can share with legislators?
If you had 3 minutes to explain to a legislator or a decision maker why building a quality early learning continuum is important, what would you say?
What other groups or individuals might assist you in building support and/or awareness of early childhood education?