Quality Improvement
It is critical that states create and support strategies that drive continuous improvement in quality of early childhood services and their delivery.
States are doing this through the creation of Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) for early care and education settings and engagement in continuous quality improvement (CQI) processes. When engaging it quality improvement efforts, it is critical that attention is paid to the unique needs of infants, toddlers, and their families.
Featured Resources
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Supporting Babies Through QRIS Webinar
This webinar presented ZERO TO THREE’s newly created Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) self-assessment tool and discussed ways to help states and jurisdictions identify QRIS components th…
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Supporting Babies Through Quality Rating Improvement Systems (QRIS)
Supporting Babies Through QRIS is a series of documents developed by ZERO TO THREE’s Policy Center to help ensure that Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) are supporting the unique developm…
Explore All Resources
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Delaware Provides Financial Incentives to Child Care Providers Serving Infants
Read this brief summary of the full report, "Modeling Quality Costs for Delaware Stars: Report on the Program Cost of Quality."
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Minnesota Takes Steps to Align the Child Care Assistance Program and Head Start/Early Head Start
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Florida Undertakes Multiple Strategies to Retain Home Visiting Staff
Learn how Florida is using a grant to began providing mindfulness-based stress reduction training to front-line staff in 2016.
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Kansas Initiative for Developmental Screening Aims to Build Community Capacity and Solutions
In July 2015, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment released a website and online toolkit aimed at strengthening systems and coordination of early childhood developmental screening and refe…
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Minnesota Builds an Early Childhood Mental Health System of Care
State leaders in Minnesota are building an early childhood mental health system that connects evidence to practice, training, and policy.
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Mississippi Building Blocks Program
As of 2016, Mississippi Building Blocks worked with 29 centers across the state, and over 500 early childhood programs in 31 counties have benefitted from free equipment, a research-based curriculum,…
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Hawaii Is at the Forefront of Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Child Welfare
Learn how the state is focusing on training of staff and foster parents demonstrates a commitment to the very youngest vulnerable children.
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North Carolina Pregnancy Medical Homes
North Carolina is working to reduce infant mortality rates and improve birth outcomes through its innovative Pregnancy Medical Home program.
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Arizona's Enhanced Rate for Accredited Programs
Enhanced rates for accredited programs assist with the costs associated in meeting higher standards such as implementing developmentally appropriate practices, providing lower staff/child ratios, and…
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Quality Rated, Georgia's Quality Rating and Improvement System
Learn how Georgia's Quality Rated child care learning centers, family day care homes and group day care homes are eligible to receive higher reimbursements.
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In California, the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program has been a catalyst for collaborative planning and systems building across programs serving young children and t…
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California Statewide Screening Collaborative
Learn about California's collaborative effort to increase the use of standardized developmental screening tools and referral into early intervention services for all young children.
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Indiana's Paths to Quality Recognizes the Unique Developmental Needs of Infants and Toddlers
Learn more about Indianas QRIS, Paths to QUALITY, a voluntary statewide rating system for early care and education programs.
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Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA)
Tennessee knows one of the best ways to improve early learning and care for children is to support early childhood professionals.
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Tennessee's Gold Sneaker Initiative
Tennessee is enlisting child care providers in the fight against obesity with the Gold Sneaker initiative.
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Better Baby Care Indiana Training Programs
Learn how the Better Baby Care initiative, Infant/Toddler Specialists in regional CCR&R agencies offer many specialized trainings for infant/toddler caregivers.
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Massachusetts Review of Child Care System Leads to Recommendations for Improvement
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Louisiana Aims to Support Home Visiting Professionals
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Maryland's Extended IFSP Option
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Parent Aware, Minnesota's Quality Rating and Improvement System
Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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New Jersey Implements Central Intake System to Coordinate Home Visiting Services
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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California Approves $190 Million to Support Early Childhood System-Building Initiative
Here's how California is strengthening family engagement, investing in the early childhood workforce, and supporting local Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS).
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Montana Field Testing Best Beginnings STARS to Quality Program
Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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California's Locally Driven QRIS
Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Nebraska Creates New Tax Credits to Support High Quality Early Care and Education
Last week Nebraska passed the School Readiness Tax Credit Act, creating two new tax credits designed to increase access to high quality early care and education (ECE) programs.
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Colorado's 2014 Legislative Session Ends with Wins for Young Children and Families
Learn about the bills the Colorado legislature passed to reform the states child care subsidy program in May 2014.
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Connecticut Links Services through Early Childhood Consultation Partnership
Learn how the Early Childhood Consultation Partnership (ECCP®) program is one of the first statewide, comprehensive, data-driven Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation programs in the nation.
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Connecticut Is First State to Mandate Paid Sick Leave
Learn how Connecticut became the first state to pass paid sick leave legislation.
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Connecticut Uses Accountability Framework to Improve Child and Family Outcomes
Learn how the Early Childhood Cabinet is using the Results Based Accountability framework to determine how well the states early childhood system is meeting its goal of all children ready by five and…
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Guam's MIECHV Program: Project Bisita I Familia
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Iowa's Quality Rating System (QRS), is a voluntary child care rating system for child development homes, licensed child care centers and preschools, and Child care programs that are operated by schoo…
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Illinois MIECHV Team Prioritizes Continuous Quality Improvement
Learn how Illinois is universalizing access to both data and reports for the purpose of tracking change and identifying problem areas.
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Illinois Targets Developmental Screening as a Model for Coordinating Services
Quality Improvement, Financing resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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STARS for KIDS NOW- The Childcare Quality Rating System
Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Louisiana's Bridge to Quality Initiative
Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Maryland Libraries Promote Early Literacy
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Michigan Infant Mortality Reduction Plan
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Minnesota Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Professional Devleopment and Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Missouri's MIECHV Team Implements Plan To Address Domestic Violence
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Missouri
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Growing Futures Early Childhood Rating and Improvement System Pilot
Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Look for the STARS Quality Rating System
Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Nebraska Incorporates iPad Technology in MIECHV Home Visits
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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New Mexico Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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New York City Council Passes Paid Sick Leave Legislation
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Quality Improvement, Regulations & Standards resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Ohio Created an Early Education and Development Officer Position in 2011
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Ohio Develops Early Childhood Mental Health Competencies
Professional Devleopment resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (Ohio)
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Oklahoma MIECHV Centralizes Intake
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Oklahoma Reaching for the Stars Program
Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Rhode Island Paid Family Leave
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Rhode Island Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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South Carolina MIECHV Aligns Sustainability and Systems Integration with One Another
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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South Carolina MIECHV Program Aims to Alleviate Maternal Depression
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Virginia Deepens Work on Maternal Depression Through Home Visiting
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Virginia Supports Centralized Intake
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Washington Budget Includes Big Wins for Infants and Toddlers
Quality Improvement, Financing resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Washington Home Visiting Stakeholders Focus on Sustainability
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Washington's Birth-to-3 Plan Forms the Foundation for Future Decision-Making
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Wisconsin Home Visiting Programs Address Adverse Early Childhood Experiences
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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West Virginia Early Childhood Training Connections and Resources
Professional Development resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
Taking on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Explore how each state is using the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge as an opportunity to create new and effective early childhood systems.
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Illinois Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Professional Devleopment and Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Delaware Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Learn how Delaware is using the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge grant to improve its early learning and development systems.
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Georgia Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Explore how Georgia will create four Early Education Empowerment Zones (E3Z) in areas serving large percentages of students with high needs.
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California Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Learn how California is using Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge funds to strengthen their early childhood systems.
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Massachusetts Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Family Engagement and Professional Devleopment resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Maryland Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Family Engagement and Professional Devleopment resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Michigan Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Professional Devleopment resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Colorado Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Learn how Colorado is implementing the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grant.
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North Carolina Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
North Carolina has a one-year extension to its 2012 Race To The Top Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grant.
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Kentucky Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Family Engagement and Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Minnesota Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Professional Devleopment and Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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New Jersey Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Family Engagement and Professional Devleopment resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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New Mexico Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Ohio Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers, and their families
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Oregon Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Professional Devleopment, Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Pennsylvania Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Family Engagement, Professional Devleopment, Regulations & Standards resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Rhode Island Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Vermont Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Regulations & Standards resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Washington Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Professional Devleopment resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Wisconsin Takes on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Family Engagement, Professional Devleopment, Quality Improvement resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
Expanding Access to Head Start
Learn how each state is taking action to expand access to head start for more infants, toddlers and their families.
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Expanding Quality (EQ) in Infant/Toddler Care
Learn how the EQ initiative provides training, technical assistance, and support for three primary components.
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (Idaho)
Since 1999, Idaho has expanded the capacity of Early Head Start (EHS) programs by allowing state supplemental funds to be used for EHS.
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (Illinois)
Learn how since 1998, Illinois has extended the day/year of existing Early Head Start Services through policies to ease blending funds.
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Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (D.C.)
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (Georgia)
This report describes the diverse strategies states are using to build upon Early Head Start and offers recommendations for states interested in expanding this proven program.
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (Iowa)
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (Kansas)
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (Maryland )
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (Maine)
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (Michigan)
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (Minnesota)
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (Missouri)
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (Montana)
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (Nebraska)
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (Nevada)
Since 2002, Nevada has extended the day/year of existing Early Head Start services.
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (Oklahoma)
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (Oregon)
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (Wisconsin)
Resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families
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State Initiatives to Expand Early Head Start
This webinar featured the findings from a joint report entitled Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk and highlighted two states’ efforts to expand …
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Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants & Toddlers at Risk
ZERO TO THREE and CLASP draw on newly conducted research on state efforts to expand and enhance access to Early Head Start (EHS) services for infants, toddlers, and their families.