Early Care & Education

Voices Vision for School Readiness

It is the vision of Voices for America’s Children that public policies at all levels of government—local, state and federal—ensure that children and their parents receive the services and supports to enable children to start school prepared for success. Voices supports:

• Parent education and family support programs designed to improve the confidence and competency of all parents and support them in their role as their children’s first and most important teachers.
• Dedicated supports for programs serving infants and toddlers designed to best meet their developmental needs.
• Access to high quality, affordable child care for all children.
• High quality pre-kindergarten for all three and four-year olds.
• A highly qualified and appropriately compensated early childhood workforce.
• Family and medical leave.
• Early intervention (Part C) services that identify and address developmental delays that allow for continued educational development.
• Programs, services and aligned standards to ensure smooth transitions into kindergarten.

Key School Readiness Proposals

Early Learning Challenge Fund

• The Early Learning Challenge Fund is Pres. Obama’s initiative for results-oriented, standards reform of state early learning programs. The initiative would be authorized under pending legislation, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (H.R. 3221).
• Voice expressed its support for the legislation in a letter to the members of the House Education and Labor Committee.

School Readiness Research and Publications

Center for Law & Social Policy

• Child Care Development Block Grant: State-by-State analysis of CCDBG increases
• Resources for Economic Recovery: Regarding childcare, early education and other recovery information, analyses, audio conference recordings, and guidance

Child Trends June/July 2009 Research Review

• In the August 3rd issue of the Legislative E-Brief Speaking Out!, Voices reported on Child Trends’ newest publications concerning school readiness.

Council for Exceptional Children

• How the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Impacts Special Education and Early Intervention

National Association for the Education of Young Children

• The recovery package’s early childhood education provisions, resources and state allocations, and related links
• Using the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act to Advance High Quality Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators

National Council of La Raza

• New Leaders, New Directions: Tools for Advancing an Early Childhood Agenda for the Latino Community

Voices for America’s Children

• Increasing State Investments in Early Care and Education: Lessons Learned from Advocates and Best Practices

ZERO TO THREE

• Navigating the Opportunities for Families with Young Children in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
• Infants and Toddlers in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Planning Tools for States