The BUILD Initiative’s Post

SAL Community Services' President & CEO, Marcy Mendenhall, shared about the Illinois Department of Early Childhood Act (IL HB5451) which would consolidate Illinois early childhood services into a single state agency as a means to enhance coordination, efficiency, and effectiveness. Learn more about the importance of this new state level alignment and the impact it will have on local families as we strive to create equitable access to child care in our region. https://lnkd.in/gjVjmHCv

Virginia Early Childhood Foundation released the 2024 Mixed Delivery Evaluation Report, examining the impact of the mixed delivery program, which provides high quality full-day, year-round early childhood care and education services for low-income families in the settings of their choice. Top line findings: the program increases access to services that meet the needs and preferences of families, and participation in the program supports the financial stability and quality improvements of service providers. Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/eFny_g8y

National Week of the Young Child is April 6-12! Join us to celebrate Arizona's children, child care providers, and the benefits of access to quality early learning. Dr. Annapurna Ganesh, chair of the Education Studies department at MCC, accepted the Week of the Young Child proclamation at the City of Mesa Council Meeting on April 1. https://ow.ly/MyO150ReCYA https://ow.ly/x2Cp50ReCYz #WOYC24 FIRST THINGS FIRST .

Early childhood programs designed by the families they serve and the educators who make them possible will be stronger as a result. In a new brief from New America's New Practice Lab, Emmy Liss, Josh Wallack, and Sarah Gilliland highlight the impact of participatory planning in early childhood education. 🎒 https://lnkd.in/eQe38UQV

Important information to inform policies and professional development around inclusion in California - focus on the how. Administrators want children in more inclusive settings, attitudes are not the key barrier. "Previous research identified attitude as a key barrier to including children with disabilities in classes with same-age peers. In this study, however, child care directors reported being open to placing more children with disabilities in their programs, and school district leaders were committed to providing more inclusive opportunities for preschoolers."

This resource sheds light on an important issue in early childhood policy: although research shows that including children with disabilities in classrooms with same-age peers benefits everyone, only 3% of preschoolers with disabilities in California are in subsidized child care. The study explores barriers to inclusion, drawing on interviews with child care and special education professionals, and offers solutions to improve access and integration for these children. Addressing this gap is crucial for creating more inclusive, supportive early learning environments.

The Urban Institute recently published a summary of findings from our study on inclusion in California child care, led by SRI Education researchers Margaret Gillis and Kathleen Hebbeler.     Despite the proven benefits of inclusion, preschoolers with disabilities remain underrepresented in subsidized child care settings. Our research examines the barriers families face, the challenges child care providers encounter, and the opportunities for collaboration between school districts and child care centers to expand access.     This work reflects a partnership with the California Department of Education and California Department of Social Services, and was supported by a 2019 Child Care Policy Research Partnership Grant from Administration for Children and Families (ACF).     Read the findings here: https://lnkd.in/exQhDu8M

October Update from LPI: Progressing towards universal prekindergarten in California, and new resources on instructionally relevant assessment systems, New Mexico community schools, and redesigning high school. https://lnkd.in/gW4ZTWTt

Every child needs positive childhood experiences (PCEs). Research shows that PCEs drive healthy child development and lessen the lifelong effects of adverse childhood experiences like child abuse. PCEs help children build resilience and grow into thriving, healthy adults. The HOPE National Resource Center created the HOPE framework centered around the Four Building Blocks of HOPE, which are key types of positive childhood experiences that all children need to thrive. In implementing HOPE, organizations, communities, and individuals can make changes to their practices, policies, and programming to ensure that all children have equitable access to PCEs. Learn more about HOPE: https://buff.ly/3C9VuuL

"Educated kids make educated decisions." That’s why we partner with schools and our community of caring neighbors like you to help kids to succeed in school and in life.    Watch as Rene Gellerman, our President & CEO, shares with Johnny Marx the thinking behind our United for Schools initiative – to unite community resources and volunteers to help kids early on, to help them unlock brighter futures for themselves.   And, the results speak for themselves. Dive deeper here: https://lnkd.in/gXpwEqV3