In Massachusetts, local communities are increasingly demanding state investment in high-quality early education. Between January and June, 13 communities developed strategic plans for preschool expansion, thanks to state-funded planning grants.
Advocates in Idaho continue working to encourage greater investments in young children, and are pleased to report several policy wins for young children and their families, both in this year’s legislative session and a special session in the spring of 2015.
Following a challenging budget process and politically charged impasse, Pennsylvania finally brought its fiscal 2015-16 budget to closure in March of this year, making it nine months overdue. This put state advocates, including Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (PPC), in the unique position of having to simultaneously conduct advocacy work on the incomplete 2015-16 budget and ramp up efforts leading up to the June 30 deadline for the 2016-17 budget.
Thanks to lots of hard work by many advocates, legislators, and state administrators, Rhode Island is making progress in expanding and adopting policies to promote the success of young children and their families.
Building on several years of growing momentum in support of early childhood policies, Colorado state legislators and advocates continued the forward progress to build a high quality, early childhood system in the state.
Nearly one in five Americans has some type of diagnosable mental health disorder. With these disorders costing $201 billion in 2013, behavioral health is a critical issue for state health policymakers.
One of the most powerful ways to improve the lives of children facing adversity is to focus on the adults who care for them. We know from previous research how important caring, responsive relationships and stable environments are for children.
Each New Year brings with it new beginnings, new opportunities, and for all of us in the early childhood community, renewed optimism for achieving something meaningful for young children. And, in Louisiana, there’s already cause for celebration.
