ECEC 2014 Federal Policy Advocacy … The Voice of Providers
DATE / ECEC ADVOCACY ACTIONSCongress
2/28/14 / Submitted letter in support of CCDBG Reauthorization (S.1086) to Senate HELP Committee
4/9/14 / Submitted comments on ECEC early childhood policy priorities to Senate Democratic Caucus
4/14/14 / Submitted letters in support of investments in CCDBG to Senate and House Appropriations Committees
Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families
2/21/14 / Submitted recommendations for Child Care-Early Head Start Partnership Grants
Department of Education, Office of Early Learning
3/1/14 / Submitted recommendations for Race to the Top Preschool Building, Development and Expansion Grants
3/20/14 / Delivered oral comments to Dept of ED and Dept of HHS Under Secretaries at ED-hosted webinar
5/16/14 / Submitted comments on draft Preschool Development and Expansion Grants guidelines
ECEC 2014 Federal Policy Coalition Support:
· 3/12/14, Signed on to the Child Care and Early Learning Coalition support letter for
Children First Act 2014, drafted by Representative Crowley (D-NY)
· 3/18/14, Signed on to the Grow America Stronger Coalition’s recommendations for
Child Care-Early Head Start Partnerships Grants
· 5/12/14, Signed on to the Grow America Stronger Coalition support letter for HR
4680, Infant and Toddler Care Improvement Act
ECEC 2014 Presentations:
· 3/12/14: National Head Start Association Webinar, “Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships:
New Opportunities and Lessons from Experience”
· 4/2/14: Child Care Aware 2014 Symposium, “A Strategic Pathway to Child Care Excellence”
· 4/9/14: Senate Democratic Caucus, “ECEC Priorities“
· 4/30/14: National Head Start Association National Conference, “Community Child Care and Early
Head Start Partnerships: Making a Match that Works”
· 5/7/14: Center for American Progress, “Child Care Reform Initiative”
· 5/29/14: Military Compensation & Retirement Modernization Commission, “Expansion of Military
Child Care in Community Settings”
· 6/10/14: National Association for the Education of Young Children Professional Development
Institute, “A Strategic Pathway to Child Care Excellence”
· 6/12/14: Ohio Governor’s Roundtable on Child Care Finance, “Overview of State Finance Models”
ECEC 2014 State Legislative Updates:
Arizona: Efforts to appropriate $80.5 million for FY 2014-15 from the general fund to eliminate the current waiting list for child care subsidy were not successful.
California: SB 837 was introduced as a proposal to expand Transitional Kindergarten. The bill has met with significant friction based on its emphasis on Local Education Agency contracting and inability to foster a diverse mixed delivery system. SB 1123 was introduced as a companion bill focused on services to infants and toddlers. Both houses have introduced early education budget proposals that are currently under consideration. The Assembly proposed budget totals $439.5 million and calls for increasing access through a mix of Prop 98 and general state funds. The Senate budget proposes increased investment in pre-K and totals over $10 million.
Colorado: Colorado passed significant child care reform legislation in 2014, increasing state-level coordination and investments in quality. HB 1317 implements tiered child care provider reimbursements and a voucher contract system for relative or unlicensed child care. It also Implements presumptive eligibility for at least 30 days and sets the child care exit income eligibility threshold at a higher level than the entry eligibility level and increases the number of days that families can remain eligible for child care assistance (during job searches or training) to 60. The bill retains the state’s attendance based reimbursement policy, but now requires the approved hours for child care not to be linked to parents' employment, education, or training schedules and allows counties to contract with providers to meet increased child care demand.
Minnesota: Early Learning Scholarships received $4.65 million and nearly $11 million to be applied in the next biennium. Additional legislation was enacted to expand the state child care criminal background check process and licensure investigations.
New Mexico: Overall early childhood investment of in the 2014 state budget totals $27 million for early childhood funding, including a $1.3 million increase for child care subsidy rates for infants and toddlers and $300,000 to support early childhood teacher retention and compensation. ECEC partnered with New Mexico Child Care and Education Association to shape an advocacy strategy and legislative agenda and host a 2-day advocacy training for 50+ key stakeholders and partners. ECEC developed policy briefs on key issues facing NM lawmakers, including blending and braiding funding, the gross receipts tax, and the brain science of early childhood, and coordinated over 600 emails sent via ECEC Action Alerts to state legislators.
Ohio: The legislature appropriated $16 million to implement an eligibility extension of 13 weeks if a family’s status causes ineligibility, as well as service eligibility during application determination.
Pennsylvania: The Governor’s budget proposes increases in early intervention by
more than $9 million to serve 1,500 more children, Pre-K Counts by $10 million, serving an additional 1,670 children, and use of $15 million in expanded federal support to remove 2,895 children from the child care subsidy waiting list.
ECEC 2014 Member Highlights:
· Knowledge Universe provided testimony to the House Education and Workforce Committee on
the effectiveness of mixed delivery models during CCBDG hearing
· Knowledge Universe conducted Gallup poll re: employee and family engagement
· Learning Care Group conducted Harris poll re: parent viewpoints on early care and learning
· New Horizon Academy and Brightside Academy are participating in the Center for American
Progress Child Care Reform Initiative
· Knowledge Universe and ECEC participated in the Bi-Partisan Policy Center’s initial “thought
partner group” Early Care and Education Policy Reform
ECEC 2014 Support for Early Head Start - Child Care Partnerships:
· Participating in EHS-CC Partnership Working Group convened by the National Head Start Association (NHSA)
· Published Toolkit, ‘COMMUNITY CHILD CARE AND EARLY HEAD START COLLABORATION … MAKING A MATCH THAT WORKS’ in partnership with Parents as Teachers
· Collaborating with key stakeholders, including the NHSA to regularly conduct outreach to potential partners and inform grant guidelines
· Connecting ECEC Provider Members with potential EHS Grantees across the country. Sent over 300 emails of introduction; received responses from providers in Massachusetts, Missouri, Texas, Georgia, New York, Michigan, Minnesota, California, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Alabama, New Jersey
ECEC 2014 Publications:
· 2013 ECEC Provider Survey
· 2014 ECEC/Child Care Exchange Child Care Poll Analysis
· 2013 ECEC Advocacy in Action
· 2014 ECEC Advocacy in Action Update
ECEC 2014 Media Features:
Ø ECEC Members interviewed for Center for American Progress article, “Cuts to the Child Care Subsidy System Force Parents and Providers to Make Difficult Choices”, February 2014
Ø ECEC highlighted in feature article “Voices from the Field, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Early Learning Newsletter, April 2014
ECEC Assessment Working Group:
The ECEC Assessment Working Group is developing an action plan that addresses ECEC’s organizational commitment to demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of Members’ programs through consistent, valid and reliable assessment of child outcomes. Intent is to improve the overall marketability of programs to parents and enhance ECEC Members’ ability to participate as high-quality community partners in federal and state mixed delivery initiatives.
Way Ahead:
· ECEC Summer Intern: University of New Hampshire
· ECEC 2014 CEO Advocacy and Policy Forum
· ECEC Assessment Survey Refresh
· 2014 ECEC Provider Survey
· ECEC Issue Briefs Series
2014 ECEC News Clips: ECEC Member Recognition “Shout-outs”
01-14-14- New Horizon Academy recognized in a Pioneer Press article about Minnesota legislation dealing with early education scholarships and the need for increased funding
02-26-14- Learning Care Group cited in the Washington Post for adopting First Lady Michelle Obama’s healthy eating and activity guidelines in LCG Centers
03-18-14- The Childcare Business Coalition of Hawaii recognized by KCAA Preschools for their successful Early Learning Rally
03-20-14- YMCA of the USA acknowledged by the Alabama House of Representatives for their commitment to strengthening communities and helping individuals grow and learn
04-2-14- Jo Kirchner of Primrose Schools featured in Connecticut Kids and Family emphasizing the importance of high-quality early care and learning experiences
04-5-14- Sunrise Preschools praised by KTAR News for their policy of offering four hours of free child care for parents going to job interviews
04-8-14- Sunrise Preschools and their president Dana Vela noted in a Parenting.com article about prepping children for kindergarten
04-15-14- Learning Care Group Chief Academic Officer Dr. Susan Canizares quoted in Education Week about the long term effects of quality early learning
04-23-14- Knowledge Universe recognized in the Rock Hill Herald for their goal of 100% of KU centers receiving/seeking NAEYC accreditation
04-23-14- Primrose School CEO Jo Kirchner highlighted in the Digital Journal for their business expansion and new California location.
05-28-14- Primrose School VP of Education and Professional Development, Dr. Gloria Julius, quoted in an NECN.com article about efforts for universal pre-K in Massachusetts
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