Special Edition on Building Early Childhood Systems

To ensure a good start in life, all children need access to high-quality and affordable early care and education, physical and mental health, and family support. Programs and services that address these areas are essential, yet they are only as strong as the infrastructure that supports them. To be effective, programs must be organized within cohesive systems that coordinate and align a broad array of services. Federal and state policymakers can help ensure the healthy development of all children within their states and communities by supporting comprehensive, coordinated, well-funded systems of high-quality, prenatal-to-5 services that foster success in school and life.

Below you will find a variety of tools and resources on building early childhood systems which you can utilize in your advocacy on behalf of infants and toddlers.

• ZERO TO THREE's Early Experiences Matter Policy Guide features an issue brief entitled Putting the Pieces Together for Infants and Toddlers: Comprehensive, Coordinated Systems, which outlines the need for an early childhood system, the elements of a system, and policy recommendations for those working at the federal, state, and local levels of government.

   

• What About the Babies? A Focus on Infants and Toddlers in State Advisory Councils by ZERO TO THREE, describes the new requirements for State Advisory Councils from the 2007 Head Start Reauthorization and offers guidance to states on including a focus on infants and toddlers as they make decisions about the formation of State Advisory Councils and the activities of those Councils.

   

• Download ZERO TO THREE's Infants and Toddlers in the Policy Picture: A Self-Assessment Checklist for States, which is based on research about effective policies and best practices in states. The checklist is intended to spark discussion about the needs of infants, toddlers, and their families and to lay the foundation for building an effective early childhood development system in your state.

   

• Search Baby Matters: A Gateway to State Policies and Initiatives for information on state policies and initiatives impacting infants, toddlers, and their families. You can search by category using the different elements of a system, search for your state, or search by keyword.

   

• Common Vision, Different Paths: Five States' Journeys toward Comprehensive Prenatal-to-Five Systems is joint report from ZERO TO THREE and Pre-K Now that articulates a common vision for early childhood systems in which programs work effectively with each other to provide high-quality early learning and comprehensive services.

Federal Policy Update

Tomorrow, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT), co-chairs of the Congressional Baby Caucus, will hold a briefing to salute military families and young children. This inaugural event of the Congressional Baby Caucus will address the unique challenges faced by military families with infants and toddlers and will highlight how research, practice, and the personal experiences of these families can inform public policy decisions. For more information on the Congressional Baby Caucus and to encourage your Representative to join, click here.

In other news, last week, the House of Representatives passed the FY10 appropriations bill funding the Department of Agriculture. The bill includes $7.5 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), a $681 million increase over the FY09 enacted level. It also sets FY10 funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly Food Stamps, at $61.4 billion, or $7 billion above the FY09 level. Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved its version of the Agriculture appropriations bill with the same funding levels for these programs and the bill now must be approved by the full Senate.

State Policy Update - Spotlight on Wisconsin

Wisconsin Increases Child Care Investment in Tough Economic Times
Despite facing the largest budget deficit in state history, the Wisconsin legislature recently crafted a state budget for 2009-2011 that makes wise investments in the state's young children. The final budget protects many programs that support infants, toddlers, and their families, such as BadgerCare Plus health insurance, early intervention services for infants and toddlers, and home visiting, as well as gives a $27 million boost to the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program. The biennial state budget was signed into law by Governor Jim Doyle on June 29, 2009. Click here to read more about Wisconsin's recent investment in child care.

Wisconsin Adopts Michigan Infant Mental Health Competencies and Endorsement
In June 2009, the Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health (WI-AIMH) took an important step in helping the state's early childhood workforce build core knowledge about the social-emotional health of infants and very young children. As part of their efforts to ensure that all professionals who work with infants and toddlers are knowledgeable and skilled in promoting infant mental health, WI-AIMH purchased a license to use the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Based Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health^®. In doing so, WI-AIMH joins 8 other states that have purchased a license to use the competency-based system of professional development. Click here to read more about Wisconsin's adoption of the Michigan infant mental health endorsement process.

Publications & Resources

New Policy Brief on WIC and CACFP
The reauthorizations this year of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) offer critical opportunities for policymakers to ensure a positive future for our children. ZERO TO THREE's new policy brief, Good Nutrition Feeds Healthy Development and a Healthy Future: Reauthorization of WIC and CACFP, reviews the research on the impact of child nutrition programs and provides recommendations for policymakers during reauthorization.

New Website from Professor James Heckman
James Heckman, a Professor of Economics at The University of Chicago, a Nobel Memorial Prize winner in Economics, and an expert in the economics of human development, has a new website, which utilizes videos and tools to further present his case for investing in early childhood. The website explains his theory, the Heckman Equation, and offers a formula for success for policymakers and advocates in the field of childhood development, education, workforce development, social equity and economics.

Announcing Early Care and Education Consortium Radio
The Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC) is partnering with BAM Radio Network to produce ECEC Radio. This new resource offers information to the early childhood community regarding current issues impacting quality child care and education. The first radio program addressed early childhood nutrition issues and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. All broadcasted programs are available 24 hours/7 days a week.

Congressional Briefing on the Impact of Early Childhood Interventions
The First Five Years Fund recently posted a webcast of presentations from a June 11th Congressional Hearing. During this hearing, a panel of experts discussed the impact of early childhood interventions, including a reduced need for special education services. Experts also touched on some successful state and local early childhood intervention initiatives.