Ounce of Prevention has developed a braided funding stream toolkit, to “provide state advocates and policymakers with strategies, tools, resources and options to make policy choices that facilitate the blending and braiding of funding streams to improve access to and length of children’s participation in full-workday, full-year, high-quality early learning programs that benefit vulnerable young children and working families: available here. #AfAmEdChat recaps some critical elements from the discussion, which was live Tweeted.īlending and Braiding Early Childhood Programs Funding Streams Toolkit Panelist Dorothy Strickland, Professor Emeritus and Distinguished Research Fellow at NIEER, represented NIEER, in considering the paper Equity and Excellence: African-American Children’s Access to Quality Preschool, and a report by the National Black Child Development Institute, Being Black Is Not A Risk Factor. The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans hosted a panel discussion this month, highlighting a paper coauthored by NIEER and CEELO staff Megan Carolan and Steve Barnett and White House staffer David Johns. Take time this holiday to thank the people you know who are involved in promoting quality early childhood education, and discuss this important policy issue with anyone who can make a difference (everyone).Įducational Equity and Excellence for African American Children Political campaigns across the country highlighted the importance of investing in quality early childhood education. George Miller (D-CA), the ranking member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and Richard Hanna (R-NY), co-chair of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education Caucus, and others. Most recently, the Strong Start for America’s Children Act was introduced by U.S. President Obama called for Preschool for All in his high-profile State of the Union address, Hillary Clinton is promoting early childhood development work. It hasn’t been easy to be optimistic about early childhood education in 2013, but increased national attention to the importance of early education gives us something to be thankful for as the year draws to an end.

A “state of emergency” in state-funded pre-K as enrollment stagnated and funding fell.

A prolonged federal government shutdown closing Head Start center doors and hurting families. Sequestration cutting early education slots.

Kindergarten jump start ri