Start Early

There is still tine to register for sessions 2-6 of our ACSES Introductory Webinar Series. ACSES, a practical, action-oriented framework for creating more equitable early childhood classrooms. This series provides ongoing learning, flexibility, and continues education credits. Participants will learn how to build early childhood educators’ understanding of equitable classroom learning and offers practical strategies to support young Black and Brown learners. Register for the series today: https://lnkd.in/g7FQu9b6

The Child Tax Credit is top of mind for many voters tuning into tonight’s Vice Presidential Debate. Today, 1 in 6 children under age 5 live in poverty. If reinstated, the federal Child Tax Credit would alleviate some of the financial burdens parents experience and support health, wellness, and stability for families. Learn more about how the Child Tax Credit impacted families when temporarily approved during the COVID-19 pandemic: https://bit.ly/4eLgh5F

Over the past decade, numerous reports have indicated pervasively high rates of early childhood expulsion nationwide. In response, state and federal policymakers have enacted various measures to ban or reduce reliance on such exclusionary discipline, including groundbreaking legislation in Illinois. Start Early Policy Manager, Allison Lowe-Fotos, recently co-authored the peer-reviewed journal article “A qualitative comparison of parents’ experiences of early childhood expulsion following a legislative ban.” Additional authors include University of Illinois Chicago's Katherine M. Zissner and Sarai Cobra-Rodriguez. Few research studies have focused on the experiences of parents and families who have experienced an expulsion. This study goes directly to the intended beneficiaries of the law (i.e., the families being expelled), to understand how they experienced the stipulations in the legislation, namely the planned transitions and exhaustion of resources to support retention. The findings in this article hold implications for the implementation of similar policy efforts across the country. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gtUnazVe

The beginning years of a child’s life are critical for building the early foundation of healthy relationships, health and mental wellness, and learning needed for success later in life. Suspension and expulsion are stressful and negative experiences that can influence adverse outcomes across development, health, and education. Start Early Senior Policy Manager, Allison Lowe-Fotos, was a recent panelist in the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health webinar “Addressing Suspension and Expulsion in Early Education Settings: An IECMH-Informed Approach.” This webinar frames the issue from a strengths-based systems perspective, explores the importance of this issue for I/ECMH providers and organizations, and highlights the importance of a proactive stance. Watch the recording now: https://lnkd.in/gjPuk_NV

“It is beyond time for us to do something. I certainly hope in my lifetime we will once and for all comprehensively address and fix our Prenatal to Age 5 early care and education challenges.” In a new blog post Start Early Senior Vice President of Professional Learning, Barbara Cooper, Ph.D, discusses her recent experience as a Panelist at The Hunt Institute Summit and shares her reflections on challenges and opportunities to improve the current early childhood system in America. Dr. Cooper discusses the four key components that The Hunt Institute identified as being important to quality early childhood education (ECE) programs to improve and grow: access, affordability, funding, and quality. As a Head Start graduate, the connection to early education is personal for Dr. Cooper, having experienced the benefits of a high-quality early education firsthand. Read more: https://lnkd.in/grScxMpq

Join us for a Lunch and Learn hosted by Start Early Consulting on Wednesday, October 16th from 12 to 1 p.m. CT. The discussion will feature three of our consultants discussing their recent work supporting public sector leaders and advocates leading systems change in California, Colorado, and Rhode Island respectively. We’ll also explore how our consulting engagements are co-created with our partners and highlight lessons learned through those partnerships. Register today! https://lnkd.in/gHwSfWYG

Join us Feb. 12-14, 2025 for the National Home Visiting Summit in Washington D.C. Network and learn with our community of early childhood systems leaders, direct service providers, researchers and more. NEW in 2025: the Summit is now offering Continuing Education Units (CEUs) included with your registration fee! Visit our website to learn more about the registration packages, CEUs at the Summit and to take advantage of early bird pricing today: https://bit.ly/3VE3CcS

“Though bans on DEI initiatives are especially harmful for Black and Brown children, given the historical marginalization of Black and Brown communities in the U.S., they are truly dangerous for all young children.” In her new op-ed, “More Attacks on DEI, Just Mean More Harm for Young Children” Start Early Senior Research Scientist, Demi Siskind, PhD explores how despite rapid growth in cultural diversity of the nation’s children, 44 states have introduced or passed policies banning DEI initiatives, or its counterpart critical race theory, in preK-12 classrooms and higher education programs that prepare future teachers. Read more from Dr. Siskind on why these bans though especially harmful for Black and Brown children are harmful for all young children: https://lnkd.in/g3SBUTXp

At Start Early, we believe in the power of stories to inspire, connect and educate. This Hispanic Heritage Month, explore our list of books for young children, curated by Start Early’s very own Victoria Barajas, that celebrate the vibrant cultures, histories and voices of the Hispanic community. From stories of family traditions to the contributions of Hispanic trailblazers, these books offer wonderful opportunities for children and families to celebrate and learn together. Explore the full book list: https://lnkd.in/g-HArUb9

Start Early is at the Division for Early Childhood’s annual conference, #DEC2024 this week! Hear from our policy experts and explore sessions on promoting equitable early childhood systems at the state level, building sustainable solutions to early intervention workforce challenges, advocating for early intervention and MORE. Stay connected with us at the conference and beyond! Hear the latest updates on early childhood research, advocacy actions and opportunities to collaborate by signing up to receive noteworthy developments on state and federal early childhood policy news from Start Early. Join our email list today: https://lnkd.in/gu3zahji