A site visit to Abbott Preschool in New Jersey provided advocates from across country the opportunity to hear the inspiring story of how they have transformed their early learning programs – from birth through 3rd grade - over the past 20 years, following the implementation of a court order requiring expansion of high quality preschool programs to address inequities in their education system and how that first step led to the development of the state’s broader early learning system.
In a year of bipartisan rancor, early childhood emerged as a rare issue of consensus. Providing confirmation to a decade of polling finding broad support for early childhood, candidates of both parties eagerly embraced agendas focused on young children. According to an analysis conduct by the First Five Years Fund, over 75 percent of governors elected in 2018 are on the record supporting early childhood education.
In 2016 and 2017, more than 30 individuals from top-level research organizations, early learning programs, and advocacy organizations came together at New America to distill years of research on what it takes to provide a quality pre-K experience for 3- and 5-year-old children. The results are in.
With the New Jersey’s election of a new governor less than a year ago, Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) saw this leadership change as an opportunity to expand and improve programs for young children and their families.
In June 2018, the Council of the District of Columbia committed to helping DC’s youngest children thrive by unanimously passing the Birth-to-Three for All DC bill (B-3 DC).
Now that the 2018 regular session of the Colorado General Assembly is completed, we’re adding up all the big wins for Colorado’s young children and families.
