Beacon Development Group’s Post

Promising ECE approach being implemented in Louisville, Kentucky. Quote from article below: Thrive by 5, separate from the Louisville government, will work in these phases, Greenberg announced: Phase 1: During the first one to two years, which will “begin immediately,” Thrive by 5 will be staffed. It will then establish “pilot participation” with preschools, child care centers and family child care homes. During this phase, the nonprofit will also create an online resource hub for parents, which they can use to learn about eligibility. It will focus, Greenberg said, on getting “early learning professionals hired, trained, supported and compensated at a level that allows them to do the incredibly important work that we know we need them to do.”  Phase 2: During the third and fourth years, which should begin in about a year, Thrive by 5 will launch financial assistance for families who earn less than 300% of the federal poverty lLevel (FPL) so their 4-year-olds can attend preschool. This eligibility marker comes out to $93,600 for a family of four. “Using that threshold, there will be thousands of hard working families across our city in every metro council district who will have a much easier time accessing high quality preschool for their children,” Greenberg said. Phase 3: During the fifth years and beyond, Thrive by 5 will expand financial assistance eligibility “to more Louisville children.” 

Today's Book Spotlight is Elevating Equity: Advice for Navigating Challenging Conversations in Early Childhood Programs by Angela Searcy EdD. Elevating equity requires educators to be mindful of how to include children, families, and colleagues in all parts of early childhood programming. Elevating equity is all about creating systems that celebrate everyone! Sounds great-but how do you do it? Elevating Equity: Advice for Navigating Challenging Conversations in Early Childhood Programs takes a positive approach by embracing differences and meeting readers where they are. Get nonjudgmental, practical advice from an experienced trainer and educator. Find out how to have healthy, respectful, and productive conversations about what equity means and how it looks in practice. Discover strength-based, evidence grounded techniques that lead to professional growth and learning in your early childhood program. With practical examples, research, tips, advice, self-reflections, and real stories—shared with Angela Searcy’s warm humor—you’ll discover how to find common ground and truly elevate educational access for the children and families you serve. For more info: https://bit.ly/3LFe7rF #equity #earlychildhood

High-quality pre-K programs make a difference in children's lives. 🌟 Explore how we can diversify where pre-K is offered while maintaining quality: https://lnkd.in/diyZi5dY Erin Harmeyer GG Weisenfeld Ellen Frede 

🌟 Empowering Futures with The Entrust Foundation & MiniChess! 🌟 On June 11, 2024, we celebrate the first-ever International Day of Play, a day dedicated to the transformative power of play in the lives of children everywhere. At The Entrust Foundation, we believe that every child deserves the chance to thrive, and through our partnership with MiniChess, we're making that belief a reality. Thanks to our incredible roll-out partners and sponsors, the MiniChess programme is reaching less privileged areas and schools, providing children with the tools they need to build a brighter future. But our mission doesn't stop there. We're also empowering local youth to become MiniChess teachers, offering them a pathway to a rewarding career and the potential to build a future for themselves and their families! 🔸 Why Play Matters: Boosts Development: Play fosters cognitive, physical, social, and emotional growth, helping children navigate an ever-changing world. Builds Relationships: Through play, children form bonds, learn to overcome challenges, and develop essential social skills. Enhances Learning: Play-based learning makes education engaging and effective, fostering motivation and a love for learning. Restricting play limits a child’s growth and well-being. That’s why integrating play into education is vital. It not only makes learning enjoyable but also promotes tolerance, resilience, and social inclusion. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes play as a fundamental right (Article 31), underscoring its importance in every child's life. This International Day of Play calls for global action to ensure that every child has the opportunity to play and thrive. Join The Entrust Foundation and MiniChess in celebrating this special day! Let's advocate for play in our communities and schools, ensuring every child can unlock their full potential and build a brighter future. #InternationalDayOfPlay #TheEntrustFoundation #MiniChess #EarlyChildhoodEducation #STEMSkills #PlayToLearn #EmpoweringFutures 🌍♟️

So excited!! My designated PINS schools bookings are starting to come in! Exciting times! If you're wondering what PINS is, here you go... 👉 Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) Meeting the needs of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in mainstream schools is essential to improving outcomes (across attainment, attendance and wellbeing), parental confidence and delivering the financially sustainable SEND system, as envisaged in the SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan. Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) will bring health and education specialists and expert parent carers into mainstream primary settings to: 👉Help shape whole school SEND provision. 👉Provide early interventions at a whole school level. 👉Upskill school staff. 👉Support strengthening of partnerships between schools and parent carers.

It all began with a few determined moms, driven by a simple yet powerful desire: wanting more for our children than what we had. This wasn’t just about dissatisfaction with the status quo; it was about envisioning a brighter, more adaptable educational landscape for every child in New Jersey. Our journey as New Jersey Parents for Virtual Choice started small, but our dreams were anything but. As parents, we know that the fiercest advocates for children are often those who nurture them. We understand our children’s needs intimately and are uniquely positioned to fight for their educational rights. Our small group of moms quickly realized that our individual concerns were shared by many. You are not alone in your hopes, your fears, and your relentless pursuit of a better educational future for your kids. This journey has taught us that even when things seem hopeless, especially when it feels like you’re fighting a lone battle, there’s immense power in unity. Our collective voices, starting from just a handful of us, have now become a chorus calling for change. We advocate not just for our own children, but for every child who deserves an education that fits their unique learning style. Our children are diverse, vibrant, and full of potential. They deserve an educational system that understands and caters to this diversity. By empowering them to use their voices, and by using ours to advocate for virtual learning options in New Jersey’s public schools, we are paving the way for a more inclusive, accessible, and adaptable educational system. We stand together as NJ Parents for Virtual Choice, a testament to what a few determined voices can achieve when united for a common cause. We are here to say that the traditional, one-size-fits-all model of education needs to evolve. Our mission is to ensure that every learner has access to the educational tools and environments that best suit their needs. Your voice matters. Never stop speaking up for what matters to you and your children. Join us in this movement. Together, we will transform the educational landscape of New Jersey, ensuring that our children have the opportunities and resources they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Let’s continue this journey, TOGETHER. #newjersey #njchoice #anyreasonistherightreason #njpfvc #virtualeducation

In what ways are your own schools engaging parents, families, and caregivers as allies to the teachers and staff in the buildings to support great learning for young people? #education #learning #schools #teachers #parents #families

Many parents with children of different ages often find themselves going around to multiple services from pre-K to kindergarten in order for their children to access early education. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham listened to the stories of parents and their needs at the inaugural early childhood summit on Wednesday, bringing together over 100 lawmakers, officials and stakeholders across the state to answer the following question: How can we ensure quality and accessible early childhood programs for families in the state? Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gTBgihg3

UMass Boston's Early Education Cost and Usage Simulator (CUSP) Project, led by Early Education Leaders and Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy, has released a groundbreaking report on the potential impacts of expanding affordable, quality child care in Massachusetts by race and ethnicity.   Key findings: • Proposed legislation could provide financial assistance to 20.6% of all MA families with children • Licensed care use could increase to 80% for Black children and 77% for Latino children • Parental employment rates would rise for all families, with the largest increases in hours worked among Black and Latina mothers   This research demonstrates the power of policy to address racial inequities in early childhood education and beyond. Read the full report to learn how increased financial assistance for child care could help level the playing field. Learn more:  https://bit.ly/3xNvfbr

We have a collective responsibility to our children, to our communities , and to future generations. Using a Community Systems Approach offers holistic, collaborative support tailored to local contexts, leading to sustainable solutions and positive long-term impacts. We need to emphasize stakeholder collaboration, address systemic issues, and ensure better outcomes for children and families. We can do It! #equitableinvolvement #communityinvestment #enduringinvestment