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:
New Mexico Opens New Early Childhood Education and Care Department
With the inauguration of the state’s new Early Childhood Education and Care Department, New Mexico has become the fourth state in the nation to have a cabinet level department dedicated to early childhood. The creation of the department reflects the Governor’s focus on improving the lives of New Mexico’s youngest children.
Proposed Pre-K Budget Cuts in Georgia Defeated through Strategic Advocacy
Using strategic communication, research, and media outreach, our ally in Georgia helped overturn proposed budget cuts to the state’s pre-k program, secured funding for a new children’s mental health position at the state department, and extended postpartum Medicaid coverage. This victory is especially significant as states face drastically falling revenues.
Maryland Legislature Passes Early Care and Education Legislation Package
Amid the most trying circumstances many can remember, the Maryland session concluded with an extraordinary flurry of activity. The sprint to the finish included not only the passage of a challenging FY 2021 budget but also the landmark “Blueprint for Maryland’s Future,” which embodies the most dramatic strides in early childhood education in decades.
Nebraska Allies Help State Win Preschool Development Grant to Strengthen Early Childhood Services
Nebraska has been awarded a Preschool Development Birth through Five renewal grant from the federal Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, and Alliance ally First Five Nebraska played a big role in this crucial win for their state’s children.
Tennessee Pre-K Quality Improves Again — Thanks to Policy Changes
Tennessee now meets eight out of 10 quality standards benchmarks that evaluate the effectiveness of preschool education programs, according to The State of Preschool 2019 report issued by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). This ranking comes as a result of successful policy changes that enabled Tennessee to meet the Continuous Quality Improvement System (CQIS) benchmark for the first time.
Executive Order from Nebraska Governor Offers Financial Stability to State’s Subsidy Child Care Providers
Executive Order 20-18 addresses important financial supports for child care providers and working families throughout the state by temporarily adjusting how the state manages child care subsidy reimbursements. It temporarily changes reimbursement protocols by allowing child care providers to receive subsidy reimbursements based on the enrollment of subsidy-eligible children in their programs, rather than actual attendance while that program is open for business. It also ensures that child care slots allocated to subsidy-eligible parents will still be waiting for them when they return to work.
Hard Work in California Wins Continuing Expansions of Evidence-Based Home Visiting
Alliance for Early Success’ California ally, Children Now, continues to push for expansion of voluntary evidence-based home visiting in California. Read about the state’s significant progress that is projected to double evidence-based home visiting, and about the critical work still ahead that will reduce complexity across funding streams and set the foundation for further expansion over the long term.
Wyoming Coalition Comes Together to Offer New Support for Early Childhood Educators
The Wyoming Early Childhood Professional Learning Collaborative — initiated when the Wyoming Early Childhood Outreach Network (WYECON) and Wyoming Kids First started to explore opportunities to improve the quality of early childhood education in the state — is working full steam to improve the opportunities for Wyoming’s youngest learners by supporting the professional development of their early childhood educators.
Oregon Legislature Creates Early Childhood Task Force
The Joint Task Force on Access to Quality Affordable Child Care, formed following last year’s passage of HB 2346, includes state lawmakers, early care and education providers, business leaders, parents, and Alliance for Early Success ally Children’s Institute.
Ohio Expands Access to Early Childhood Mental Health Services
In an effort to further support the health and wellbeing of Ohio’s youngest children, Governor DeWine recently announced grant awards to expand early childhood mental health services across the state. Through the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities, and the Governor’s Office of Children’s Initiatives, nearly $1 million in grants were awarded to 12 Ohio mental health providers
Oregon Advocates Report on Alliance-Funded “Deep Listening” Work
Advocates from several states recently began a “beneficiary voices” project that focuses on incorporating deep listening as a crucial component of policy solution development. Dana Hepper, Policy Director at the Children’s Institute (Oregon), recounts the project kickoff — a site visit to the incredibly diverse town of Clarkston, GA.
Ohio Allies Win Big New Investments in Child Welfare and Early Education
On July 17, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed the state’s FY 20-21 operating budget. As a result of Groundwork’s Ohio’s advocacy and strong stakeholder engagement in the budget process, the budget includes a number of new investments to support quality early learning and healthy development young children.
