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›- Eye on Early Education | Child Education Blog
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Eye on Early Education | Child Education Blog - Education & Personal Development
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A threat to pay equity in Washington, D.C.
https://twitter.com/postlocal/status/1777380956166406537 https://twitter.com/NickMinock/status/1776255179685261797 https://twitter.com/blueridgegurl/status/1781296429820002379 Two years ago, Washington, D.C., made welcome progress on early education by allocating $75 million to raise early educators’ salaries. Now, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s fiscal year ’25 budget fund would eliminate the Pay Equity Fund (PEF) that supports these raises. NBC4 Washington reports, “Bowser said part of the reason she was making…
In quotes: How the child care crisis affects Moms without college degrees
https://twitter.com/firstfiveyears/status/1783167534524461496 “After a series of lower-paying jobs, Nicole Slemp finally landed one she loved. She was a secretary for Washington’s child services department, a job that came with her own cubicle, and she had a knack for working with families in difficult situations. “Slemp expected to return to work after having her son in August.…
Our Advocacy Network in Action: Jade Oliver
Jade Oliver was living in Michigan trying to choose a career. She thought about being an architect and an engineer and a nurse. She worked in the burn unit. She did hospice work. “I didn’t like the sad parts of hospital work,” she says. “I knew I needed to work with children. That’s where my heart was.” One…
Helen Blank, a historic leader in childhood advocacy, shares her story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHwdVL7jcUI “A lot of what I did is serendipitous,” Helen Blank said last month on The 9:30 Call, telling the story of her career. A friend came to dinner and talked her into earning a master’s degree in urban planning. She spent time working for anti-hunger groups. Another friend pushed her to go back to…
Our Advocacy Network in Action: Cherish Casey
Cherish Casey’s life has been full of lessons that have led her to become a family engagement social worker at Ellis Early Learning and a member of Strategies for Children’s Advocacy Network. “A single mom raised me, but also women who were caretakers,” Casey says, recalling her early role models. “My mom always had someone's…
Eastern Bank’s 2024 Community Advocacy Awards celebrate action on early childhood
Community Advocacy Award winners We’re excited to announce that Amy O’Leary, Strategies for Children’s executive director, has won one of the Eastern Bank Foundation’s 2024 Community Advocacy Awards. “Each year our Community Advocacy Awards celebrate passionate nonprofit leaders and organizations focusing on the most critical needs in the communities Eastern serves,” Eastern Bank explains on…
‘You belong’, and other reflections on the 9:30 Call webinar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPK39N8YK4g Last week, Strategies for Children hosted a webinar to share our new case study, The 9:30 Call: From Crisis to Enduring Community and Action, which was written by Minna Jung, with support from the W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation. The 9:30 Call webinar was a chance to look back at the challenging, early…
The Massachusetts House releases its FY25 budget proposal
Photo: Alyssa Haywoode for Strategies for Children Yesterday, the House Committee on Ways and Means released its $58 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2025. The budget represents a 3.3% increase over the current fiscal year 2024 budget, but $150 million less than Governor Healey's proposal released in January. “House leaders said the budget is ‘competitive,’ despite the state…
Join us for Developmental Monitoring and Screening Week
Welcome to the 2nd Annual Developmental Monitoring and Screening Week in Massachusetts. It’s a week devoted to raising awareness about the importance of monitoring and screening young children’s emotional, physical, and cognitive development. “Awareness and action are crucial!” the United Way of Massachusetts Bay (UWMB) says in a new blog post. “Collectively, we are…
In quotes: “Great Starts” is Boston’s new resource for helping families find the right child care program
“Deciding which kind of child care is best can be stressful, and choosing the right program from a sea of options can be confusing and frustrating. Making that process faster and easier means you can get back to what’s important: spending time with your family. “Great Starts is designed to offer families a streamlined, simplified…
The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation highlights the value of C3 Grants
Photo: Huong Vu for Strategies for Children During the early part of the pandemic, the federal government supported child care providers by funding crucial stabilization grants, known, in Massachusetts, as the Commonwealth Cares for Children or C3 grants. Now the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation (MTF) has released a new chartbook that looks at the impact of…
New Case Study documents the impact of The 9:30 Call
We’re excited to announce the release of a new case study: The 9:30 Call: From Crisis to Enduring Community and Action. Join us for a special webinar conversation about the case study on April 4th, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Written by Minna Jung, with support from the W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone…
In quotes: child care, the employee benefit that pays for itself
Source: Moms First “In 2023 Moms First and Boston Consulting Group worked to document the return on investment when companies invest in child care benefits for their employees. This report underscores the undeniable correlation between robust child care benefits and a thriving workforce, highlighting how companies stand to gain immensely from investing in the well-being…
Estimating the “true cost” of child care
In a new report, Neighborhood Villages looks at how much high-quality care for children actually costs. The bad news? There’s a “true cost” gap. What Massachusetts pays for subsidized child care is thousands of dollars less than the costs of running high-quality programs, which means children can end up in programs that lack vital resources. Understanding…
In quotes: Governor Maura Healey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z18NfHLfRZc “Congratulations on the fourth anniversary of this call…. It really has made a difference including in how it informs policy. And you saw some of that this year in what we were able to do as an administration and what we look forward to now as we head into year two.” “I want to…
The Massachusetts Senate passes a groundbreaking early education bill
https://www.facebook.com/SenatorKarenSpilka/posts/pfbid02JLGzCmKwaw7gd4hJm5ZHdcqyoUSJsKetnUx9YrdUjxFuYAJYn8yYpLM3vxfCMACHl “This bill is another step in fulfilling the promise of the Senate’s Student Opportunity Plan to provide high-quality educational opportunities to our children from birth through adulthood, as well as our obligation to make Massachusetts affordable and equitable for our residents and competitive for employers.”— Senate President Karen E. Spilka Last week, the Massachusetts…
Governor Maura Healey joins the 9:30 Call
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z18NfHLfRZc Yesterday, to celebrate the fourth anniversary of Strategies for Children’s 9:30 Call, we were thrilled to welcome Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey to the call! The 9:30 Call began as a crisis response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the call has evolved into an incredible community of callers who have been with us…
In quotes: MassDevelopment invests in a new early education center in Lynn, Mass.
Project rendering. “MassDevelopment has issued a $6.9 million tax-exempt bond on behalf of LEO Inc., a nonprofit community action agency, which will use proceeds to renovate its existing headquarters at 156 Broad St. and 2-4 Farrar St. in Lynn to expand access to early education and care for low-income children in the Greater Lynn region.…
Fairer tax credits could help immigrant families
Tax credits are an effective way to help families achieve more economic stability. One example is the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a federal program — also offered by some states — that gives tax breaks to low- and moderate-income families and helps move children out of poverty. Unfortunately, not all families have access to…
Innovative Preschool Partnerships in Northampton
https://twitter.com/MassEarlyEdCare/status/1762201889188286877 Northampton, Mass., is in the news for its high-quality preschool model. The Western Massachusetts community is a state leader for its approach to preschool expansion, including its collaborative delivery of special education services to young children. One factor driving this success is support from the state’s Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI), a grant for…
A report on the early childhood workforce points to long-term challenges — and potential for growth
A new report from the Boston Opportunity Agenda (BOA) and the City of Boston’s Early Childhood Office points out what early educators already know: the early childhood workforce is in crisis. Salaries are low. Workdays are long. And turnover is high. Fortunately, there are also strategic ways to strengthen the workforce. The report — Strengthening…
In quotes: Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka
“Top Democrats in the Massachusetts Senate unveiled legislation Thursday they said would help make early education and child care more accessible and affordable at a time when the cost of care has posed a financial hurdle for families statewide. “The bill would make permanent grants that currently provide monthly payments directly to early education and…
Our Advocacy Network in Action: Melissa Tarjick
“My mother used to joke that when I was very young, I was reading her parenting magazines, and I was giving her parenting tips as a child,” Melissa “Missy” Tarjick recalls. Today, Tarjick is still sharing ideas with parents. She’s a priority populations case manager at the Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center in Pittsfield, Mass.,…
The Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative takes center stage at EEC’s Board meeting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NnIlyOu8mI Governor Maura Healey’s recent announcement about her Gateway to Pre-K agenda has many early education and care programs wondering, what does this mean for me? One part of the governor’s proposal is to expand funding for the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI), a state-funded program that helps communities expand access to high-quality preschool programs. Last…
A new report finds Massachusetts families need a system of early childhood support in their communities
Many new parents have a common complaint: babies do not come with instruction manuals. This is a problem that Massachusetts could solve by creating easy ways for families to access information about and connections to early childhood services. A new report from the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank, explains how. The report —…
Save the date — May 8th — for the spring convening of The Early Childhood Agenda
Save the date — Wednesday May 8, 2024, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. — for the in-person, spring convening of The Early Childhood Agenda at Polar Park in Worcester, Mass. This is a free event, however space is limited, so please register here. The Early Childhood Agenda — a historic, first-of-its-kind partnership hosted by Strategies…
In quotes: Oregon provides retirement benefits for child care providers
https://twitter.com/ORSaves/status/1757492683206005098 “Raquel Cinta holds back tears as she talks about her new retirement benefits. “Cinta runs Raquel’s Child Care in McMinnville, where she, an assistant and another teacher care for 16 children who range in age from 9 months to 12 years. She’s been a child care provider for more than 20 years and never…
In quotes: a Boston Foundation grant to make child care more accessible
Screenshot: Crispus Attucks Children's Center's website “Crispus Attucks Children’s Center announced today it has received a $50,000 grant from the Boston Foundation to provide life-changing early childhood education for children whose families are low-income but are not able to access a voucher or subsidy through the commonwealth or city, including children of recent immigrants. “…
Thank Governor Healey for her state budget proposal
Screenshot: Governor Healey's Instagram page Join us in thanking Governor Healey for prioritizing early education and care investments in her Fiscal Year 2025 state budget proposal! Add your name and/or organization to this sign-on letter. The deadline is 5 p.m. on Monday, February 19th. The letter says in part: “We are particularly grateful for the…
How a parent becomes an advocate for families
Laura McGowan was a floral designer. She grew up in the industry, watching her family do this work. And as part of a small family business, McGowan herself provided floral services for individual customers and corporate clients. She arranged flowers, and she promoted her floral work on social media. Then McGowan had a baby, and right…
In quotes: North Carolina advocates visit Massachusetts
https://twitter.com/EducationNC/status/1753877517218492905 “At the end of 2023, we visited Michigan, Massachusetts, Vermont, Oregon, and New Mexico, speaking with child care teachers, providers, advocates, organizers, business leaders, and other experts to learn how they got to where they are now.” “In Massachusetts, the state is replacing federal relief dollars to avoid the child care cliff, and localities…
Putting “Families First” and addressing community needs
Parents in the Ripple Program. Photo courtesy of Families First “Since the beginning, we have worked with parents. We believe that they have the power to change families and communities,” Magda Rodriguez says. “Parents play a critical role in improving children’s outcomes.” Rodriguez is the Senior Director of National Strategy at Families First, and she’s…
In quotes: Reshma Saujani talks about child care on a global stage
Reshma Saujani, a leading activist and the founder of Girls Who Code and founder and CEO of Moms First (formerly Marshall Plan for moms), shares straight talk on child care at the World Economic Forum. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2LJRiKJP60/?igsh=bmhvZnRkbTE0Mnlm https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2P_Gs6AGop/?igsh=MWprc3Q2dTkyaWN4bA%3D%3D
In quotes: how the child care crisis affects parents
Photo : Yan Krukau, Pexels “On a Saturday morning last May, Julia Sachdev, a mother of a 2-year-old and 4-year-old, woke up to an email from her children’s preschool. The school — which her children adored and had been in operation for over 50 years — announced that it would be closing in a month.…
Governor Maura Healey releases her FY ’25 budget proposal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlwPeGrr5t8 Yesterday, Governor Healey released her $56.1 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2025. This budget represents a 2.9% increase over the current fiscal year 2024 budget. Early education and care line items receive a combined $56 million, a (4%) increase, in the Governor's proposal. Highlights include: • $475 million for C3 Grants (line items 3000-1045 and 1596-2410)…
Investing in child care facilities
https://www.facebook.com/MassEEC/posts/pfbid0275B2kwpMux4pVkCrd3R7FsCwD1WPZGt7aq7uCfv8MkoixJKT83JiEQbd8jdd4tzl Massachusetts is investing an “unprecedented” $18 million in improving early childhood facilities, everything from enhancing electrical systems and updating HVAC systems to making over classrooms and renovating playgrounds. “The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced this bold investment in the Early Education and Out of School Time (EEOST) Capital Fund in its FY24 – FY28 Capital Plan,…
In quotes: Governor Maura Healey’s 2024 State of the Commonwealth Address
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utiXKNHWWSg “Now housing is the biggest item for any family's budget, unless of course, you have kids and child care. Costs have been too high for too long, while providers and care workers have been barely hanging on. It stresses families. It pushes women out of the workforce. It holds our economy back. We have…
Primer año de la Agenda de la Primera Infancia
La Agenda de la Primera Infancia, una iniciativa estatal para mejorar la vida de los niños pequeños, acaba de cumplir un año, y nos complace compartir su historia y destacar sus progresos. Lo que hace que la Agenda sea tan poderosa es que muestra cómo más de 500 socios pueden trabajar juntos en favor de…
Year One of the Early Childhood Agenda
The Early Childhood Agenda, a statewide initiative to improve the lives of young children, is a year old, and we’re excited to share its story and mark its progress. What makes the Agenda so powerful is that it shows how more than 500 partners can work together on behalf of children. The Early Days When…
“Gateway to Pre-K,” a bold plan to expand Massachusetts’ early childhood programs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6olxd3dfko Governor Maura Healey announced an exciting new agenda, “Gateway to Pre-K,” that will expand early education and care programs in Massachusetts’ 26 Gateway Cities and across the state. “Our ‘Gateway to Pre-K’ agenda will fundamentally transform the early education system in Massachusetts,” Governor Healey says in a press release. “We’re lowering costs for families to…