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| In
Brief: Linking Programs to Develop Comprehensive Early Education
Increasing
support for publicly funded child care is the result of two recent
influences: questions regarding children's readiness for school,
and the need to provide care for the children of working mothers.
A paper released by the Center for Law and Social Policy in April
2001 focuses on initiatives in three states (Georgia, Massachusetts,
and Ohio) to develop early care and education programs to address
these needs, the challenges of creating comprehensive early education
policies, the ways states have met these challenges, and recommendations
for the future.
In the past, preschool programs have usually been created to address either the needs of working parents or to promote the educational development of children. A key challenge identified in the study is the need for states to maintain a comprehensive system of early childhood care that does both. States also must find new ways to pay for improvements, contend with different regulations that apply to one type of program but not another, recognize the diverse populations that early education programs serve, and improve the systems in place to track children's progress and measure programs results, which is especially important in light of increasing demands for cost-benefit analyses of early childhood initiatives. In order to successfully coordinate subsidized child care, Head Start programs, and state-sponsored early childhood education, the study makes several recommendations. States should establish Early Care and Education Councils with representation from all parties involved (such as: the state child care agency, Department of Education, and resource and referral agency; the public school system; child care providers; Head Start; parents; employers; and community representatives). The councils should conduct reviews of early childhood care that assess all needs and resources. Out of this, each state should develop a multi-year State Strategic Plan that identifies goals for developing a system of universal early childhood care with specific action steps to realize these goals. In addition, the report recommends that the Federal government provide incentive funds to states to promote universal early childhood care. Head Start expansion should focus on full-day, full-year services and collaboration with other providers to meet the needs of parents who work full time. Finally, federal Departments of Health and Human Services and Education should establish an Early Childhood Coordinating Initiative to address the joint needs of early childhood programs and encourage coordination and collaboration. Source:
For
more information: Facts in Action, August 2001 |
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