Stinson Liles, Author at Alliance for Early Success

Elevating Parent Leadership in Rhode Island: A Story of Deepened Partnership for Sustainable Advocacy

June 10, 2026

In Rhode Island, advancing equitable early childhood policy has always been about more than legislation—it’s about listening to families and building power together. The RIght from the Start Campaign, a legislative and budget campaign led by eight organizations and coordinated by Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, works to ensure that all babies and young children—regardless of zip code, race, ethnicity, or family income—get off to a strong start in life.

In Red States, Good Ideas Don’t Fail. They Never Had a Chance.

May 13, 2026

FIELD NOTES | By Shannon Jones | Former Ohio state legislator and advocacy leader (and current Alliance Board Member) Shannon Jones encourages advocates to step back and think about their solution’s design before moving to persuasion. In policy environments of conservative-led states, it could be the key to advancing their cause.

Beyond Tri-Share: What Child Care Cost-Sharing Can Look Like When Communities Lead

April 29, 2026

FIELD NOTES | By Brian Schmidt | With debate swirling about “tri-share” and other child care cost-sharing models, Kids Win Missouri’s Executive Director makes the case that states should focus less on debating models and more on designing to the state’s unique needs and landscape.

Alliance Webinar on the Deliberate Breakdown of Indigenous Families

February 25, 2026

The separation of Native children from their families was not accidental—it was policy. In this session, we examine specific policies designed to break apart Native families—and their direct connections to contemporary early childhood, child welfare, and family services advocacy.

Alliance for Early Success Annual 50-State Policy Report Shows Power Building and Progress—and Headwinds—in 2025

February 19, 2026

The Alliance for Early Success has released it’s annual report on state early childhood policy progress, and it shows—while headwinds are increasing—early childhood advocates are working together and adding capacity to get hard-fought wins for young children and their families.

Alliance Webinar on Native Early Childhood Frameworks

January 28, 2026

Learn more about how Native communities have always understood childhood—as inherently relational, community-centered, and rooted in place. We explore kinship systems where children are raised by many, the connection between land and early learning, and contemporary examples of cultural transmission and community-driven care models.

Alliance Webinar on New Mexico’s History-Making Universal Child Care Win

January 14, 2026

An audience of early childhood policy advocates learned about the solutions New Mexico policymakers chose to implement over more than a decade, and the advocacy strategies that influenced them. Guests included Elizabeth Groginsky, Secretary, New Mexico Department of Early Childhood Education and Care; Matthew Henderson, Executive Director, OLÉ Education Fund; and Jacob Vigil, Chief Legislative Officer, New Mexico Voices for Children.

In a Year of Economic Uncertainty, Differing State Approaches to Spending on Young Children

January 12, 2026

Several states including Maryland, Arkansas, and Indiana have opted to reduce funding for early learning programs, while others, such as New York, Texas, and Illinois, managed to strengthen their programs despite fiscal headwinds.