MA Department of Early Education and Care’s Post

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:

Child care is infrastructure and Democratic Whip Katherine Clark has a legislative package to make essential investments in facilities and workforce. Here are the first 5 things you need to know about her child care package: https://lnkd.in/eywndMQG

We are joining with the Early Childhood Investment Corporation and other partners to oppose state legislation that would exclude community-based organizations and providers from the PreK for All model. Children, parents and employers statewide count on mixed-delivery of the Great Start Readiness Program. The budget currently proposed by the state House Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid and Education would exacerbate our child care crisis. It would harm working families, employers and our economy. Read our joint statement on the legislation here: https://lnkd.in/eNrBtVsk And consider signing on and adding your voice to encourage lawmakers to protect the requirement to allocate GSRP slots to community-based organizations. The deadline is May 15: https://lnkd.in/edj-tVZ7

Anchorage Daily News reports: Anchorage School District aims to test a program that would provide affordable child care 📣 The Anchorage School District may pilot a program next fall that would house care programs in existing elementary schools and offer reduced-cost child care to district employees, according to the district’s chief operating officer, Jim Anderson. The idea is to help solve two of the district’s crises at once — a teacher shortage, and a lack of affordable child care options for families — by contracting with providers to offer discounted child care to school staff, provider staff and possibly others, Anderson said in an interview... Continue reading the article here: https://bit.ly/3DjMiV1

Every child, regardless of background, deserves access to affordable, high-quality early childhood education. This means taking action to improve the existing child care system by advocating for new state and federal legislation. We must transform our ideal policies into real, sustainable change that is tangible and universal.   Where do we start? WeVision EarlyEd, an initiative of our sister organization, the Bainum Family Foundation, highlights four ways we can shift our messaging to align our advocacy with what families want in a reimagined child care system. Find it here: https://lnkd.in/evgipnrQ

A new Child Trends factsheet highlights the ways in which policy changes to Maryland’s Child Care Scholarship Program changed how families receiving child care subsidies accessed early care and education programs (ECE). Findings suggest that these policy changes enabled families to access higher quality ECE and increased the number of child care providers with a higher quality rating. https://buff.ly/4aHY4UL

Business Oregon and other partners have collaborated on a program to help Oregon child care centers expand and increase affordability. The Child Care Infrastructure program has already assisted many child care operators in Oregon and is still ongoing, with another $25 million becoming available for applications this spring. Read a personal story from child care operator, Anna Pickel, through the link below. More: https://lnkd.in/g2jWU7wB

How do we ensure families have access to child care that is accessible and meets their needs? First, consider where there is misalignment between families' child care priorities and preferences and their child care experiences. New research from my brilliant colleagues, including lead author Ashley Hirilall, share a new method for exploring this misalignment. For example, findings from their research highlight that many families receiving subsidized child care in Minnesota, do not have access to care that aligns with their needs and preferences. From the report: "...nearly half of families who receive financial assistance experienced misalignment between their preferences for inclusive child care practices that support their child’s development and the child care they actually received." (authors: Ashley Hirilall, Holly Keaton, Kathryn Tout, Jennifer Cleveland, Mallory Warner, and Elizabeth Villegas, Ph.D.)

It’s no secret that how you raise children affects the adults they become. The early years are critical for shaping a child’s future.   Craft3 invests in early care and education (ECE) and works with partners, including and through BuildUp Oregon to preserve, improve, and expand ECE facilities across Oregon. Learn how Craft3 is bridging the gap in child care and read more from BuildUp Oregon about ECE obstacles and opportunities.   Policy Opportunities in Early Care and Education (builduporegon.org)

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