Archive for the ‘National’ Category

In quotes: early math in children’s books

Posted in National, Pre-kindergarten, Quotes, Science & math, tagged on August 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »

“One sure fire way to warm up children’s attitude towards mathematics is to build math activities and lessons out of the books they all love to listen to and read.”

“When reading and listening to books, mathematical situations come to life in new and fanciful ways. And, we’re not just talking about books that are explicitly mathematical, since math is often central to the problem and resolution of our favorite stories.”

— “The Best Children’s Books for Early Math Learning,” Erickson Institute Early Math Collaborative 

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In quotes: bonus checks for early educators

Posted in Child care, COVID-19, Early educators, Funding, National, Quotes, tagged , , on July 22, 2022| Leave a Comment »

“Child care provider Damaris Mejia is about to get the biggest pay raise of her life, starting this summer: the District of Columbia will send her and her co-teachers each a big check, between $10,000 and $14,000.

“At last, ‘I will have happy teachers!’ she says, laughing.

“It’s part of a broader push — made more urgent by the pandemic — as D.C. and dozens of states try different ways to fix a child care system that is badly broken. Some are using temporary pandemic aid, while others seek longer term funding. Last year, Louisiana passed a sports betting bill that designates 25 percent of revenue for early learning programs. Wherever the money comes from, advocates across the country say something must be done to ease the fundamental challenge of providing care families can afford, while allowing providers to earn a living.”

“Mejia pays her teachers $17 an hour. Now, that’s well above the national median of $13 an hour that makes child care one of the country’s lowest paid occupations. But in pricey D.C., it’s barely above minimum wage, which became $16.10 as of July 1. Mejia earns about $30,000 a year. Her profit margin is so thin, she’ll sometimes forgo her own pay to meet bills, and she’s behind on taxes.

“She says her pay bump will go first toward helping pay those back taxes. One of her teachers, Ana Gonzalez, says it will help her finally achieve a goal of having her own house; she and her 24-year-old daughter plan to split the cost and buy something together.”

— “Bonus checks! One year free! How states are trying to fix a broken child care system,” by Jennifer Ludden, NPR, July 13, 2022

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In quotes: Connecticut’s disappearing child care spots

Posted in Child care, Early educators, National, tagged on July 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »

“A new report from the Connecticut Association for Human Services estimates that public and private child care centers in Connecticut are serving 24,000 fewer children than they were before the pandemic. Across the wider group of home-based and center-based programs CAHS surveyed for the report, which serve a range of children from infant to school-aged, enrollment was at about 75% of capacity as of April of this year.

“Liz Fraser, policy director for CAHS and author of the report, attributed the decline to staffing shortages.

“ ‘We’re serving fewer kids, and it’s not because fewer families need care — it’s that they can’t find the staff to fill the positions,’ she said. 

“Earnings for child care teachers are low, and as wages rise in other sectors, many are choosing to leave the profession.”

— “Report: Thousands fewer CT children in child care since COVID,” by Erica E. Phillips, The CT Mirror, July 13, 2022

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In quotes: NYC Mayor Eric Adams shares $2 billion plan for child care

Posted in Business and economy, Child care, COVID-19, Funding, National, Pre-kindergarten, tagged , on July 1, 2022| Leave a Comment »

“It takes a village to raise a child — or as Mayor Eric Adams puts it, these days it takes a city.”

“There’s currently only one available child-care slot for every five infants in New York City, the city said. However, the mayor said he hopes that the Blueprint for Child Care & Early Childhood Education in New York City will change that number.”

“Adams on Tuesday released a blueprint outlining a multi-agency $2 billion investment over the next four years that he said will increase the quality of child care and early childhood education — make them more accessible and equitable.

“More than 500,000 children under the age of 5 will benefit from the plan, including undocumented children and their families, the mayor said.”

“ ‘As a child, my mother had to work three jobs and still find a way to take care of me and my siblings. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, almost 375,000 parents were forced to quit or downshift their jobs because they had no other way to take care of their children. Now, my administration is working to make sure no parent has to make that hard choice between childcare and putting food on their table again,’ said Adams.”

— “ ‘It takes a city:’ Mayor creates $2B plan to improve child care, early childhood education in NYC,” by Kristin F. Dalton, silive.com,

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In quotes: Kansas gives $53 million to early educators

Posted in Child care, Early educators, Federal, Funding, National, tagged , on June 24, 2022| Leave a Comment »

“Gov. Laura Kelly on Tuesday announced a $53 million program to deliver bonuses to 22,000 child care workers at licensed facilities in Kansas.

“Child care workers will receive a one-time payment between $750 and $2,500, depending on the hours they work, in late July. The governor said the appreciation bonuses are ‘a reward for their incredibly hard work.’

“ ‘Child care providers have faced unbelievable challenges during the last two-and-a-half years,’ Kelly said. ‘Yet they’ve continued to fulfill their critical role in caring for kids. Their work is essential to the social and economic well-being of our state.’

“The $53 million program is paid for with federal funds, the governor said. The bonuses will be administered by Child Care Aware of Kansas.”

— “Kansas to give child care workers $53M in appreciation pay,” by Sherman Smith, Kansas Reflector, June 21, 2022 

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In quotes: asking for a federal investment

Posted in Cost and affordability, COVID-19, Federal, Funding, National, Pre-kindergarten, Strategies for Children, tagged , on June 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »

”We write today to share the challenges the ECE sector continues to face and to request that Congress rally behind the new Murray-Kaine ECE proposal and invest a minimum of $200 billion in the reconciliation bill to ensure that high-quality early education and care delivered by well-compensated educators is available and affordable for all Massachusetts families.

“The system for providing care and education for our youngest learners was broken even before the pandemic. In order to provide high-quality programming in enriching learning environments, providers need to make costly investments in building infrastructure, classroom materials, and the workforce. Yet, programs cannot squeeze more out of families who are already struggling to afford care and the voucher system does not compensate programs for the true cost of that care.”

“Since March 2020, 1,359 programs in the Commonwealth have closed, representing 17% of all programs in the state and 23,395 slots for children. Data from January of this year reveals that 60% of programs reported reduced enrollment driven primarily through staff shortages, and 69% of programs reported educator openings.”

“At this crucial moment where transformative investment is within reach but uncertain, we request that you ensure that ECE is included in the reconciliation package and that it includes a minimum investment of $200 billion into the early education and care system.”

— A letter to the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation signed by 182 advocacy organizations, business associations, foundations, higher education institutions, school districts, and child care providers from 94 communities across the state, including Strategies for Children, June 10, 2022

To learn more, check out CLASP’s “Impact of Murray-Kaine Child Care & Early Education Proposal” 

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“Starting at Zero,” an important new film about early education

Posted in Massachusetts Cities and Towns, National, Pre-kindergarten, Strategies for Children, tagged , on June 8, 2022| Leave a Comment »

In case you missed it, here’s a recap of yesterday’s virtual screening of “Starting from Zero: Reimagining Education in America.”

As we’ve blogged, the film is “an exciting exploration of the value and potential of early education and care programs.”

The film looks at “Key features of high-quality early childhood learning environments and experiences are outlined and then brought to life as the film delves into the evolution of Alabama’s #1 nationally ranked state Pre-K program,” its website explains.

“The film brings together the voices of policymakers, educators, academics, business leaders, pediatricians, parents, and children. It features five current and past governors who are champions of early childhood education: Governors Steve Bullock of Montana, Kay Ivey of Alabama, and Ralph Northam of Virginia, as well as former Governors Jim Hunt of North Carolina, and Phil Bryant of Mississippi.”

(more…)

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A new Illinois law creates off-hours child care

Posted in Child care, COVID-19, Funding, National, tagged , on June 1, 2022| Leave a Comment »

On Friday, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a new law into effect that helps parents who work nights.

 The First Responders Child Care Act calls for Illinois’ Department of Human Services to award grants to licensed child care facilities so they can create “off hours, night, or sleep time child care for first responders and third shift workers.”

“By creating the Off-hours Child Care Program Fund, Illinois is working to increase accessibility for parents in public service who work non-traditional hours,” State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton, who filed the bill, says.

(more…)

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Join us for a virtual screening of “Starting at Zero”

Posted in Child care, Developmentally appropriate practice, Massachusetts Cities and Towns, Multimedia, National, Pre-kindergarten, Strategies for Children, tagged , , , on May 24, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Next month, please join us for a movie night. 

On Tuesday, June 7, 2022, Strategies for Children is co-hosting the virtual screening of “Starting at Zero: Reimagining Education in America,” an exciting exploration of the value and potential of early education and care programs.

After the screening, there will be a panel discussion featuring Massachusetts community members who are actively involved in early childhood – and viewers will get to see the premiere of a Massachusetts companion video.

Register here to see the event live at noon.

Or register here to see a recording of the event – with Spanish translation — that will be streamed at 6 p.m.

As its website explains, “Starting at Zero” explores “the power of investing in high-quality early childhood education so that all children and families have the opportunity to attain the American Dream.”

(more…)

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Michigan invests $100 million in child care

Posted in Business and economy, Child care, National, Quotes, tagged on May 20, 2022| Leave a Comment »

“Michigan is investing $100 million to help open 1,000 new child care facilities over the next two years in an effort to expand access to quality, affordable child care across the state.

“Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the state’s new Caring for MI Future plan, a $100 million investment to expand the number of affordable child care facilities and recruit more child care staff in Michigan, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

“ ‘Nearly half of Michigan families live in a community without enough child care options to meet their needs,’ Whitmer said in a prepared statement. ‘Lack of child care options means families are forced to leave the workforce, work fewer hours, or piece together child care options that don’t work very well for their family. That doesn’t work for kids, families, or employers.’ ”

— “Michigan spending $100M to open 1,000 new child care facilities by 2024,” by Melissa Frick, MLive, May 16, 2022

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