Preschool and Pre-K Archives - Alliance for Early Success

Idaho Advocates Use Innovative Early Learning Collaboratives to Move the Needle on Early Care and Education

February 5, 2024

In Idaho, where there is no state funding for pre-k, advocates are working at the community level to demonstrate families’ interest in — and the impact of — early care and education. Community-led collaboratives are uniting various stakeholders, including educators, parents, community leaders, and business owners, to create a holistic approach to early learning, tailored to local needs.

Marijuana Tax Is Now a $5 Million Win for Alaska Child Care and Early Education

November 9, 2023

Anchorage, Alaska will soon benefit from an additional five to six million dollars per year in funds for child care and early education thanks to voter approval of Proposition 14 in April, also known as the “Care for Kids” measure. The five percent sales tax on marijuana purchases has existed for years, but the funds will now be used for the benefit of young children and their families rather than going into the city’s general fund.

Minnesota Early Childhood Policy Advocacy

Minnesota “Coalition of Coalitions” Turns Years of Work into a String of Big Wins for Children and Families

October 31, 2023

From a new nation-leading child tax credit that will cut child poverty by a third, to $1.3 billion for expansion of mixed-delivery child care, to continuous medicaid coverage for children to age 6, to a long list of other wins for young children and their families, there were almost too many advancements to count in the 2023 legislative session. The secret to all these wins? A long-standing “of coalition of coalitions” in the state the centers communication, equity, cooperation, and authentic power sharing.

Montana’s Push to Improve Early Education Includes a Partnership to Protect Tribal Languages

October 9, 2023

Zero to Five Montana is improving early education by helping to protect the languages of the state’s 12 Native American tribes. It’s an effort to enrich children, support early educators, and draw on the experience and expertise of the larger community. Young children experience a better understanding of their own cultural identity when they can learn their tribal language, and this cultural knowledge helps heal some aspects of generational trauma that many indigenous families live with.

Alliance for Early Success Early Childhood State Policy Advocacy

Alliance for Early Success Receives $10-Million Investment from MacKenzie Scott and Launches Innovative New Early Childhood Power Equity Fund

June 28, 2023

The Alliance for Early Success, a 50-state early childhood policy nonprofit, announced today a $10-million grant from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. The unrestricted investment will fund the launch of the Power Equity Initiative, a bold strategy to grow an influential voice for young children at the state level by catalyzing equitable coalitions in which parents, advocates, practitioners, and other diverse voices work collaboratively to improve policies and increase funding.

What State Early Childhood Advocates Are Prioritizing in the 2023 Legislative Sessions

March 9, 2023

As 2023 legislative sessions are underway, advocates have been preparing to ensure that legislators understand the strong opportunity to equitably support young children, their families, and communities through policy and budgetary investments. Take a look at some of the leading 2023 state policy priorities in early childhood.

Mississippi Continues to Build Support for Pre-K—and Doubles Its Number of Early Learning Collaboratives

March 8, 2023

Mississippi just celebrated the ten-year anniversary of its launch of a collaborative pre-k program, a mixed-delivery model that allows families in communities to choose the setting and style that works for them. The 2013 debut allocated $3 million for 11 early learning collaboratives. By 2023, $24 million is enabling Mississippi to support 35.

State Advocates Advance Policies to Advance the Early Care and Education Workforce

February 23, 2023

Advocates in several states fought for and won policy changes that demonstrate the bold and inspirational thinking that can advance a state more toward a more diverse, effective, prepared, and well-compensated early childhood workforce.

New Hampshire Develops a Field Grant Program to Benefit Community Partners and Support Advocacy Efforts

February 20, 2023

New Futures learned that many coalition partners did not engage in advocacy because many of their funding sources prohibited advocacy or gave unclear guidance on allowed activities. To overcome this barrier, New Futures developed their Advocacy Field Grant program with support from their Alliance for Early Success grant.

Alaska Launches Competitive Grant Program to Expand and Improve Existing Pre-K Programs

January 9, 2023

Alaska leaned in to state-funded preschool this year, with Governor Mike Dunleavy signing into law the Alaska Reads Act in June. The new law includes a small competitive grant program to develop pre-K programs in districts where none exist, or to expand and improve existing pre-K programs.

Tag: Preschool and Pre-K