Catalpa International’s Post

Wondering more about how to support infants and toddlers in state-level policies, as states continue to expand public pre-K? This brief by ZERO TO THREE emphasizes four major policy strategies, with state examples and expanded information on specific policy or model recommendations: o Mixed delivery approach to pre-K o Allocated portion of pre-K investments to infant-toddler programs o Expand investment in high-quality infant-toddler child care o Invest in FCC programs https://lnkd.in/gvYc4eQ7

“Nurturing the next generation is a societal good...involving a combination of parental care, care provided by family, friends and neighbors, and formal child care and education settings that range from in-home to center-based to faith-based care.” -  Blueprint for Action (a by-partisan plan calling for a new holistic care plan for young children). https://lnkd.in/eGZB_bbt

Vital for students with SEND to inform school strategy for high-quality provision that actually prepares them for adulthood, not just for next steps.

Our next series of thematic visits will look at how children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are being prepared for adulthood. Last week, we published guidance for the visits, which we will carry out with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). You can read it here: https://lnkd.in/d-sVbmDU The visits will consider all phases of a child with SEND’s transition to adulthood, from early years settings through to post-16 education. We want to get an in-depth picture of how preparation for adulthood (PFA) arrangements are working. We will: 🤝 explore how local area partners work together to make sure their decisions are focused on young people’s interests and aspirations 📂 gather evidence from key stakeholders, including children and young people with SEND and their families 🙌 consider how young people with SEND are being supported to achieve their full potential and empowered to make decisions for themselves.

Important for all to understand the scope, range and scale- what is included as a SEND category? What is the range(variety within the type) and scale(measure) used Which SEND categories are not permanent? How frequently should school SEND regisers be reviewed? When is an intervention considered successful?

Discover #earlychildhoodeducation policy and progress in our guest blog with the Education Commission of the States! Explore state policies for #earlychildhoodeducation, #childcaresubsidies, #earlyheadstart, and #earlyintervention! Take the plunge here: https://bit.ly/4aWzcJT

Ever notice how public funding for child care is only available during extreme circumstances and for certain families? It’s time to change that mindset. Our latest blog dives into that issue, highlighting the need for public funding for child care that supports all families, not just a select few. We need to let go of outdated mindsets that put conditions on who should be able to access what type of child care and under what circumstances. Instead we need to shift towards viewing child care as not just a reactive intervention, but a proactive investment in each child and community. Check out our blog to learn four ways to shift our advocacy messages to get closer to what families want in a reimagined child care system. https://lnkd.in/evgipnrQ

A new report from OPRE highlights that single parent households, those with lower levels of parental education, those who are Black, and those in families with lower incomes are most likely to need nontraditional-hour child care. Additionally, center-based programs are less likely to provide nontraditional-hour care than home-based providers and informal settings (e.g., family, friend, and neighbor care).

Excited to share this new report, in collaboration with GG Weisenfeld! In Including Family Child Care in State-funded Pre-K Systems: An Update, we outline how enrollment of children participating in state-funded pre-K in FCC settings has changed since our last report in 2021. Since then, most states reported increases in the number of children participating in FCC/pre-K, including New York (increase from 294 children to 4,090 children); Oregon (increase from 216 children to 970 children); and Washington (increase from 30 children to 263 children). However, the number of children served in FCC/pre-K homes is relatively low compared to center-based programs. More than half (8 out of 13) of those that could report it served less than 1% of preschool children in FCC homes. Exceptions to this small percentage were Oregon (18.2%), Arizona (3.7%), and New York (2.7%).  Thanks to Home Grown for the support of this work! Read more here:

Discover the vital role of early childhood in our Roadmap guest blog with @education_commission! Explore evidence-based state policies for #earlychildhoodeducation, focusing on #childcaresubsidies, #EarlyHeadStart, and #earlyintervention! Read more here: https://bit.ly/4aWzcJT