Inspiring Innovation:
Creative State Financing Structures for Infant-Toddler Services

State governments play an important role in ensuring that our infants and toddlers have access to high-quality and affordable early care and education, physical and mental health, and family support services. Programs and services that address these areas are essential, yet they are only as strong as the infrastructure that supports them. An effective system of care and services for infants and toddlers requires solid funding structures that combine federal and state dollars with private funding sources. Although the federal government invests in young children, it cannot do so alone. States can and should be investing in infants and toddlers as they work to build their birth-to-five systems.

Inspiring Innovation: Creative State Financing Structures for Infant-Toddler Services, a new joint paper by ZERO TO THREE and the Ounce of Prevention Fund, highlights the work of four states, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, that have developed innovative financing structures to support services for at-risk infants and toddlers. It reveals key policy elements that cut across all four states, as well as strategic decisions, lessons and recommendations critical to the establishment of particular financing structures that support high-quality programs for infants and toddlers.

So how can you help to inspire innovation in your state? Download November's Advocacy Developmental Milestone Calendar for suggestions on how to spur policymakers to think creatively about developing financing structures that support very young children!

ZERO TO THREE Launches New Discussion Series on Facebook

As part of our efforts to help you connect and share information with other ZERO TO THREE Policy Network members across the country, we are launching Baby Babble, a new monthly discussion series on Facebook. On the first Monday of every month, we will post a new discussion topic related to happenings in the infant-toddler policy world. We hope that you use these topics as springboards for discussion with other Big Voices for Little Kids!

This month, Baby Babble is all about professional development. More and more, federal and state policymakers are focusing direct attention on professional development for caregivers of young children. As infant-toddler professionals, these policy changes can impact your work in very significant ways. So what do YOU think? What should your state do to ensure that the early childhood workforce is adequately compensated and has the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the needs of infants and toddlers in their care? How can YOU help make it happen? Sign onto Facebook and let us know!

For more information on how to use Facebook's discussion feature, read our Frequently Asked Questions document.

Federal Policy Update

Health care reform took a step forward last week when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced a final Senate bill, merged together from versions passed by the Finance Committee and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. The Congressional Budget Office is in the process of determining the cost of the final Senate bill, but it is unclear whether there are enough votes to bring the bill to the floor and begin debate among the full Senate. The House recently unveiled a comprehensive health care bill that will be debated on the floor this week. Reform of the health care system may bring changes to services and health coverage for infants, toddlers, and their families. For example, both chambers’ bills include federal assistance for home visiting programs.

Meanwhile, the appropriations process for FY 2010 remains unfinished. A second Continuing Resolution (CR) passed last week, maintaining current federal funding levels for programs and services until December 18. The expectation is that Congress will consider a few more spending bills individually during that time, with any remaining unfinished spending bills passed in a year-end omnibus spending bill. To see the funding levels allocated to specific programs that impact infants, toddlers, and their families, click here.

State Policy Update
Minnesota Policymakers Gather Input from Professionals, Parents, and Advocates

To ensure that their efforts to create a high-quality early childhood system are based on best practice and knowledge, the Minnesota Early Childhood Advisory Council has launched an interactive web forum to gather input from the state's early childhood professionals, parents, and advocates. Specifically, they are looking for input on system building strategies that have worked in communities throughout the state. Charged with creating a strategic plan to improve the educational outcomes of the state's children, the Early Childhood Advisory Council will use the information gathered from the forum to inform their recommendations to Governor Pawlenty and the state legislature.

Click here to read the full state policy update and learn more about this innovative engagement strategy!

Publications & Resources

Health Coverage for All Children Campaign
Join the Children's Defense Fund and other advocates across the country on November 6-8th for the Champions for Children Health Stroller Brigade. Together, we can send a strong message to Congress and the President about the importance of ensuring accessible, affordable and comprehensive health coverage for all children as the debate on health care reform continues. Learn how you can join a Stroller Brigade and take action in your community.

National Children's Summit
The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices hosted a new national children's summit, "Building Brighter Futures for Our Children: A National Summit for State Policymakers" on September 16-18, 2009. The summit convened 39 multi-disciplinary state teams to develop a coordinated policy agenda between state health, early education, and human service systems to improve child outcomes. To view presentations and other materials from the conference, click here.

A Judge's Guide on the Health Needs of Young Children in Foster Care
ZERO TO THREE's Court Teams for Maltreated Infants and Toddlers initiative recently collaborated on Healthy Beginnings, Healthy Futures: A Judge's Guide, the third in a series of publications jointly published by the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and ZERO TO THREE. The guide is intended to be a one-stop resource for judges on the wide array of health needs of very young children in foster care. Tools and strategies in the guide help judges promote better outcomes for young children whose lives are being defined in their courtrooms.