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. Children, including very young children, can experience mental health problems, and addressing these issues early can improve outcomes and lessen
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. Even the presence of just one loving, responsive caregiver—whether it be a parent, grandparent,
Welcome to 2016. As we look ahead to the legislative session of 2016 it’s always nice to remember the past. The Early Care and Education project continually tracks introduced and enacted legislation related to a wide range of early care and education including parent engagement and support strategies, prekindergarten, home
Early education advocates’ responses to the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, or the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), have ranged from enthusiastic to ambivalent. Here, the Alliance for Early Success offers our perspective and reflects on implications for our work. From an early childhood perspective, there’s cause for celebration. More so than ever
Advocates, national experts, and philanthropists gathered to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Alliance for Early Success at our annual Partner Summit on November 9-10. Returning to Omaha, the birthplace of the Alliance, 200 participants reminisced about the early years, and reaffirmed their passion and dedication to network, learn, and
Families in 32 states were better off—having greater access to child care assistance to help pay for care and/or receiving greater benefits from assistance—in February 2015 than in February 2014 under one or more key child care assistance policies, according the National Women’s Law Center’s new report, Building Blocks: State Child
