Recent State Policy Advances
Expanded investment. Restructured agencies. New caucuses, committees, and coalitions. Read about all the ways our allies on the front lines are making their state a better place for each and every child to reach their full potential.
State By State:
North Dakota Advocates Are Logging Wins for Families by Connecting On Shared Values
Foundation for a Healthy North Dakota travels the state to meet people where they are, listen, share information, answer questions, and then helps them advocate for what they want for their communities. And the hard work is paying off.
Numerous States Are Pursuing Strategies for Creating Streamlined, Cohesive ECE Systems
In recent years, a growing number of states have moved towards unified ECE governance to help administer the variety of programs states are responsible for, including child care subsidies, child care licensing, state-funded pre-K, IDEA Part B and Part C, child care quality improvement systems, and Head Start state collaboration offices. While these states pursue consolidation to add efficiency, others pursue are trying alternate strategies to reach the same goals.
Montana Early Childhood Advocates Are Building Partnerships with Indigenous Communities Based on Connections, Trust, and Healing
In partnership with Salish Kootenai College, other tribal colleges, and the National American Indian/ Alaska Native Head Start Collaboration Office, Zero to Five Montana helped to launch an Early Childhood Tribal Language Summit in 2019 and recently formed a statewide Early Childhood Tribal Coalition.
In Michigan, Early Childhood Champions Across the Aisle Are Advancing Cash Assistance for Families
Rx Kids, the nation’s first citywide cash assistance program for families, started in Flint and is spreading across Michigan. Proponents across the political spectrum agree the program gives parents choices, builds trust, reduces stigma, and eliminates administrative barriers.
Broad Coalition in Maine Puts Early Care and Education on the Agenda—and in the Budget
Maine’s Right from the Start Coalition—a diverse, bipartisan group of organizations working for high-quality and accessible early care and education—helped pass a multi-faceted child care bill and helped defeat proposed budget cuts.
Alliance West Virginia Grantee Providing Stipends to Community Organizations
TEAM for West Virginia Children is offering the community advocacy stipends to help partner organizations keep up the pressure and urge legislators to support funding for child care and other early childhood policies. Hundreds of community members and more than 50 policymakers have already participated in local events supported by the community stipends.
Four States Showcase the Power and Impact of Engaging Families and Valuing Their Stories
Statewide engagement is vital to building a strong early childhood infrastructure that is responsive to families’ diverse needs and where educators are recognized and supported. Advocates who want to see what this looks like in practice need look no further than North Carolina, Florida, Missouri, and Louisiana—where coalitions and organizations are transforming new statewide learning and relationships into tangible plans.
Tennessee Advocates Leverage Alliance Network to Launch Powerful New Dashboard
Alliance for Early Success convenings, connections, and community fueled the Bright Start Tennessee Dashboard–Tennessee advocates’ new, highly tailored early childhood data portal. Now that each of the Bright Start regions has access to the regularly updated dashboard, they’re better equipped to measure progress and champion state policies with regional and local data.
Work Continues to Include Family Child Care Providers in Public Pre-K Systems
In an effort to extend the reach of publicly funded pre-k programs, policymakers and advocates are turning toward a strategy of increasing pre-K enrollment spots beyond school and center-based classrooms, such as in family child care homes. A new national initiative aims to help family child care providers in Alabama, Michigan, Nevada, and North Carolina integrate into publicly funded pre-k programs.
Nebraska Advocates Use Innovative Financing and Engagement to Expand Home Visiting
After working with Alliance Responsive Support providers at the Georgetown Center for Children and Families, advocates uncovered a new funding stream for home visiting, which ultimately nearly doubled the state’s available home visiting funds.
Years of Advocacy and Coalition Building Are Fueling a Bold Child Poverty Approach in New York
New York is one of the wealthiest states in the nation, yet nearly one in five children lives in poverty. But recent legislative wins have brought New York closer than ever to solving it. The landmark Child Poverty Reduction Act established the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council (CPRAC), whose recommendations are coming to life and bringing the state closer to its goal of cutting child poverty in half in ten years.
Oregon Coalition Successfully Pressures Legislature to Reverse Position
Advocates are celebrating the state legislature’s reinvestment in Oregon’s Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) subsidy program, a successful program that has been a difference-maker for Oregon families for years.
