Winning Beginning New York

Its members include parents, employers, children’s advocates, service providers, labor unions, educators, pediatricians, law enforcement, research and community groups.

Winning Beginning NY began its work in the late 1990’s but was formally convened in 2005. The original convening organizations were the Center for Children’s Initiatives (formerly Child Care, Inc.), the Early Care and Learning Council (formerly the Child Care Coordinating Council), the NYS Association for the Education of Young Children, and the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy.

Activities of the coalition include:

• Advocating for investment in quality early care and learning;
• Promoting planning, coordination, and implementation strategies that strengthen early care and learning;
• Supporting implementation of Universal prekindergarten through public information, policy analysis, and technical assistance; and
• Working to build a statewide, birth-to-five, early care and learning system that links child care, Head Start, preschool special education, home visiting, afterschool programs and universal prekindergarten.

The Winning Beginning New York State Executive Agenda for 2018-2019 lays out a path towards a strategic, systems-building approach that will ensure New York’s families have access to effective, quality services they need and deserve. In FY 2018-2019, Winning Beginning NY is advocating for investments to:

• Support New York’s workforce
• Prepare children for success in school and life and improve educational outcomes
• Build the state economy and help working families enter and stay in the middle class
• Decrease child abuse and neglect
• Increase health outcomes

The coalition’s agenda for 2018-19 includes priorities related to high-quality child care, after school programs, early intervention, home visiting and pre-k. See details about specific budget asks and legislative recommendations here.