Today is Winning Beginning Wednesday!

Today is Winning Beginning Wednesday in Albany! Advocates from around the Capital Region are coming to the capital to meet with legislators about the Governor's budget proposals. Double the impact by making phone calls to your legislators' offices TODAY. 

Call these numbers:

Senate Operator  518-455-2800

Assembly Operator  518-455-4100 

Give your zip code to the operator and you will be directed to your state legislator. 

Use these talking points to let him/her know what needs to be done to provide New York State's children with high-quality early care and learning programs:

1. Invest $20 million in QUALITYstarsNY (QSNY) and incorporate CCR&R's into QSNY.

2. Maintain funding for child care subsidies & seek child care subsidy reform. Support working families and ensure young children have access to quality early care and education programs.

3. Support the Executive Budget's proposal of $93 million in child care subsidies and advance funds for 2013-14 to help close the gap.

Our youngest learners are counting on your voice to carry the message that high quality early care and learning programs should be a priority for New York State. For more in-depth information on our priorities, see Winning Beginning NY's 2012 Legislative Agenda.

Please call to support early education!  

Message to Lawmakers: Stick with What Works for Youngest New Yorkers

Story via Public News Service, video added by the Early Care & Learning Council

www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/25074-2

February 28, 2012

ALBANY, N.Y. - Governor Andrew Cuomo has been using competitive grants to spur competition among school districts, but today lawmakers are being urged to not rely on that approach for early education funding. The jury is out on competitive grants, according to Danielle Asher, early childhood education campaign coordinator with the Long Island Progressive Coalition; she says maybe they'll work, maybe not.

That's why Asher says it's dangerous to use that system to fund early education programs, which she says have been proved to save the state money and provide a quality education.

"It is proven to reduce grade repetition and disciplinary referrals, special education costs; it will save the state $22 million to $32 million, so we need to invest in Pre-K programs."

Asher is one of the more than 100 parents, teachers and advocates traveling to Albany to urge lawmakers to restore $53 million in early education funding to the general fund. The Board of Regents also backs that approach, while Governor Cuomo lumped funding for early education into $250 million in competitive grants in his executive budget.

Currently, many of New York's youngest children are on waiting lists to get into early-learning programs, according to Marsha Basloe, executive director of the Early Care and Learning Council. She says that's a shame, because decades worth of studies show these programs work.

"Students that participate in quality early-care and learning programs are far more likely to attend college and get higher-paying jobs; avoid teen pregnancy; avoid welfare dependency; avoid delinquency and/or crime."

Basloe plans to meet with lawmakers to talk about the need to find $20 million to fund a Quality Stars program to rate local early education programs.

A news briefing is planned for 11 a.m. at the Legislative Office Building.

A report is at bit.ly/yqELjA. More on the QUALITYstarsNY program is atqualitystarsny.org

Mike Clifford, Public News Service - NY

Today is Advocacy Day

A message from WinningBeginningNY

Today is Early Care and Education Advocacy Day 2012 in Albany.  Supporters from around the State are coming to the capital to meet with legislators about the Governor’s budget proposals.  Double the impact by making phone calls to your legislators’ offices TODAY. 


Call these numbers:  Senate  Operator  518-455-2800  /  Assembly Operator  518-455-4100
Give your zip code to the operator and you will be directed to your state legislator.


Use these talking points to let him/her know what needs to be done to provide New York State’s children with high-quality early care and learning programs: 


1. Redirect competitive grant funds to increase Universal Prekindergarten funding by $53 million as proposed by the New York State Board of Regents.


2. Support the Executive Budget’s proposal of $93 million in child care subsidies and advance funds for 2013-14 to help close the gap. 


3. Invest $20 million in QUALITYstarsNY (QSNY)


Our youngest learners are counting on your voice to carry the message that high quality early care and learning programs should be a priority for New York State. For more in-depth information on our priorities, see Winning Beginning NY’s 2012 Legislative Agenda and Talking Points for today’s Early Care and Education Advocacy Day.


Please join today’s call-in for early education!


Sincerely,

Jenn O'Connor, Winning Beginning NY


http://www.winningbeginningny.org/

SCARED SICK: The Role of Childhood Trauma in Adult Disease

The School of Social Welfare at SUNY and Prevent Child Abuse New York, in cooperation with ACE Tjink Tank and HEARTS Initiative present:

SCARED SICK:

The Role of Childhood Trauma in Adult Disease

Monday, April 2, 2012, 2:00-4:30 pm Page Hall Auditorium

University at Albany Downtown Campus, 135 Western Ave, Albany, NY

Agenda

Welcome: Heather Larkin, Assistant Professor, UAlbany School of Social Welfare

Setting the Stage: Robin Karr Morse, Family Therapist, Writer

Meredith Wiley, State Director, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids

4:00PM Meet the Authors, Book Signing

Pre-registration is encouraged, to ensure your space at the event.

Contact Brittani Hanson at bhanson@preventchildabuseny.org, or 518-445-1273

Excellence in Leadership Award Nomination Deadline This Week

The Early Care & Learning Council will present  the 2012 Excellence in Leadership Awards at the June 6th, Annual Meeting & Luncheon.  The awards will be presented in three categories; business, media and government.  These prestigious awards will recognize those who have embodied the highest level of professional excellence, devoted time and energy to improving the quality of life for children in their community and recognized that investments in early care and learning have short and long-term economic benefits for our state, its families, and the future workforce.     

The nomination deadline is February 29th!

Nominate a business in your community that recognizes investments in early care and learning have short and long-term economic benefits for our state, its families, and future workforce.

Nominate a media source in your community that is leading the way when it comes to coverage on child & family issues.

Nominate a legislator who is assisting his/her constituency to best meet the needs of young families.

If you would like to submit a nomination please contact Donna Hercules at dhercules@earlycareandlearning.org to request a nomination form. 

The Recipients chosen and the individuals who nominated them will be invited as guests to the Early Care & Learning Council’s Annual Meeting & Luncheon, Wednesday, June 6, 2012. 

Early Childhood News

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JOBS

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Full-time lab manager

Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, University of Maryland

http://www.dscn.umd.edu/DSCN/DSCNRAad_4website.pdf

Limited Term Researcher/Project Coordinator

The Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood, University of Delaware

https://wahrprd.nss.udel.edu:4450/psp/RESUME/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL?Page=HRS_CE_JOB_DTL&Action=A&JobOpeningId=100529&SiteId=888&PostingSeq=1

Job Openings in Administration, Fertility & Family Structure, and Youth Development

Child Trends

http://www.childtrends.org/_catdisp_page.cfm?LID=9842F4C6-F2A6-4C33-A5A883616EDEB544

2012 Johns Hopkins University Laboratory for Child Development

Annual Summer Internship Program

http://www.psy.jhu.edu/~labforchilddevelopment/pages/join.html

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CONFERENCES

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Child Care Aware Parent Network Webinar: Speak Up to Protect Kids

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST

Dr. Maria McColgan, board certified Child Abuse Pediatrician and the Director of the Child Protection Program at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, PA

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/295989490

National Child Care Policy Symposium

Child Care and Education: Unequal Opportunities

March 6-10, 2012

Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill

http://www.naccrra.org/conferences/2012-national-child-care-policy-symposium/

Women and Work: Taking the Lead Conference

Friday, March 9, 2012 from 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 10, 2012 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Albany, NY 12211

http://voicecsea.org/pdf/Women_And_Work_Taking_The_Lead.pdf

International Family Violence and Child Victimization Research Conference

July 8th - 10th, 2012

Sheraton Harborside Hotel, Portsmouth NH

Abstract Submission Deadline March 2, 2012

http://www.unh.edu/frl/conferences

Fragile Families Summer Data Workshop

July 11-13, 2012

Columbia University in New York City

Application deadline is March 18, 2012

http://conferences.cdrs.columbia.edu/cprc

The Children’s Defense Fund National Conference

July 22-25, 2012

Cincinnati, Ohio

http://www.childrensdefense.org/

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RESOURCES

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When the Bough Breaks: The Effects of Homelessness on Young Children

CHILD TRENDS: EARLY CHILDHOOD HIGHLIGHTS

http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_02_16_ECH_Homelessness.pdf?utm_source=Homelessness+among+Young+Children

California Association for the Education of Young Children

NAEYC National Dialogue

http://youtu.be/74ICpHHJRyk

Five Numbers to Remember About Early Child Development

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/multimedia/interactive_features/five-numbers/

Healthy Solutions for Picky Eaters: Tips for your toddler

What to Expect

http://www.whattoexpect.com/toddler/photo-gallery/healthy-solutions-for-picky-eaters.aspx

New Research Highlights

Research Connections

http://www.researchconnections.org/childcare/new-research#anchor22570?

Child Trends’ The Child Indicator Newsletter

Winter 2012 issue

http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Chrends-2012_02_21_CI_Winter2012.pdf

A Count for Quality: Child Care Center Directors on Rating and Improvement Systems

CLASP and the National Women’s Law Center

http://www.clasp.org/admin/site/publications/files/ACountforQualityQRISReport.pdf

Free Journal Articles

Applied Psychological Measurement, Volumes 1-20

http://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/93227

Children Living in America's High-Poverty Communities: A KIDS COUNT Data Snapshot

The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2012

http://www.aecf.org/KnowledgeCenter/Publications.aspx?pubguid=%7bDF6A3A0E-9AA3-405E-9FB9-E1D9C80C5E5C%7d

A Look at Child Poverty in New York State

NYS Council on Children and Families

http://www.ccf.state.ny.us/Init/KidsCount/kcResources/ChildPoverty.pdf

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GRANTS

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Health Resources & Services Administration

Coordinating Grant for Children’s Vision Screening

http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=143693

TEACH GRANT FUNDING, Grand Canyon University

Bachelors/Masters in Education Degree Programs

http://www.gcu.edu/COFAP-Tuition-and-Financing/TEACH-Grant.php

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NEWS

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Preschools add tech to the curriculum

By Michael B. Farrell, Boston Globe, 2/21/12

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2012/02/21/looking-for-budding-engineers-preschool/1uDwK2F0zR6YELyQkIxDzO/story.html

Child-care gains in Westchester being reversed

By Kathleen Halas, Lohud, 2/21/12

http://www.lohud.com/article/20120222/OPINION/302220020/Child-care-gains-Westchester-being-reversed

Study: Puzzle Play May Help Develop Some Math Skills

By Julie Rasicot, Education Week, 2/20/12

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/early_years/2012/02/study_puzzle_play_may_help_develop_some_math_skills.html

Child Care as a Weapon

Exchange Press, 2/17/12

http://www.childcareexchange.com/eed/issue/3012/

Westchester DSS confronts day-care issue head-on

Kevin McGuire, Lohud.com, 2/16/12 http://www.lohud.com/article/20120217/OPINION/302170012/Westchester-DSS-confronts-day-care-issue-head-on

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OUTREACH

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American Birthright Project

Help Us Name Our Documentary!

http://americanbirthrightmedia.org/help-us-name-our-documentary

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Asil Ali Özdoğru

Evaluation Specialist

Early Care & Learning Council

230 Washington Ave Ext

Albany, New York 12203

Tel: (518) 690-4217 x 34

Fax: (518) 690-2887

aozdogru@earlycareandlearning.org

Early Childhood News

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JOBS

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Several Positions Available

The Watson Institute

http://www.thewatsoninstitute.org/careerListing.jsp

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CONFERENCES

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Post-Budget Conference Call Update: What to Expect for Early Childhood in 2012

Wednesday, February 22, 3:00 p.m. Eastern 

National Women's Law Center

http://action.nwlc.org/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=13460

2012 SAEYC Early Childhood Educators' Spring Conference 

SUPPORTING YOUNG CHILDREN WITH CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Drivers Village in Cicero, NY

http://www.saeyc.org/Calendar%20Events/March.html

10th Annual New York State School Age Care Training Institute

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Rochester Airport Holiday Inn

http://www.afterschoolworksny.org/media/Rochester_Registration12.pdf

National Head Start Association 39th Annual Conference

Research-to-Practice Symposium

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

http://www.nhsa.org/39th_annual_conference__special_events_descriptions

Nutrition Outreach and Education Program's 4th Annual Outreach Convention

Wednesday, April 25, 2012, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

The Holiday Inn Albany, NY

http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102343548407-100/Guest+RSVP+form+2012+PDF.pdf

International Network on Early Childhood Health Development

MODELS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES: AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

June 5-6, 2012

Hotel Omni Mont-Royal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Early Bird Fee until April 1, 2012

http://www.ecservicesconf2012.ca/

42nd Annual National Black Child Development Institute Conference

October 6-9, 2012

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Deadline for all submissions is Friday, February 17, 2012

http://nbcdi.org/conferences/2012-2/

ZERO TO THREE’s 27th National Training Institute (NTI)

Thursday, November 29 – Saturday, December 1, 2012

Pre-Institute Wednesday, November 28

Los Angeles Marriott LA Live, Los Angeles, CA

http://www.zttnticonference.org

ELA 2012: Colloque International Early Language Acquisition

December 5-7, 2012

Lyon, France

http://www.ddl.ish-lyon.cnrs.fr/colloques/ELA2012/

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RESOURCES

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Want to Improve Child Well-being? Play Time's a Good Start

By Stephanie Schmit, Center for Law and Social Policy

http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=child_care_and_early_education&id=0355

Journal of Early Childhood Research

A new issue: 1 February 2012; Vol. 10, No. 1

http://ecr.sagepub.com/content/vol10/issue1/?etoc

States Can Look to Child Care Policies to Improve Screening Rates

By Christine Johnsohn-Staub, Feb 15, 2012

http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=child_care_and_early_education&id=0358

Frequent Residential Mobility and Young Children’s Well-Being

Child Trends, Research Brief

http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_02_14_RB_Mobility.pdf

Powerful Interactions

By Judy Jablon and Amy Laura Dombro, February 13, 2012

http://bankstreetcollege.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/powerful-interactions/

ZERO TO THREE

Free Journal Article: Maximizing Partnerships With Parents and Pediatricians: The Role of Early Childhood Specialists

http://main.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/MaximizingPartnershipsParentsPediatricians.pdf?docID=13061

Little Kids, Big Questions: A series of 12 free on-line podcasts

http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/funded-projects/parenting-resources/podcast/

National Association for the Education of Young Children

New Book: Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 (3d ed.)

http://www.naeyc.org/store/node/162

Free Article: The Digital Camera: A Tool for Creative Teaching by Bonnie Blagojevic and Anne Sprague

http://www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/digital.pdf

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GRANTS

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ED - Department of Education

Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project (DRRP): Center on Knowledge Translation for Disability and Rehabilitation Research   (KTDRR Center) CFDA Number 84.133A-13 Grant

http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=143853

Health Resources & Services Administration

Child and Adolescent Injury and Violence Prevention Resource Centers (CAIVP) Cooperative Agreement Program

http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=143734

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NEWS

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How Much Sleep Do Kids Need? New Study Suggests We Need More Research

by Paul Nyhan, Birth to Thrive, 2/14/12

http://birthtothrive.thrivebyfivewa.org/post/2012/02/14/How-Much-Sleep-Do-Kids-Need-New-Study-Suggests-We-Need-More-Research.aspx

Erie County to Expand Subsidized Day Care Program

By Ed Reilly, WKBW-DT/TV, 2/13/12

http://www.wkbw.com/news/local/Erie-County-to-Expand-Subsidized-Day-Care-Program-139258298.html

Counting Fathers as Babysitters: Why It Matters

Kristin Maschka, The Huffington Post, 2/13/12

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristin-maschka/childcare-census_b_1272219.html

Education Gap Grows Between Rich and Poor, Studies Say

By SABRINA TAVERNISE, NY Times, 2/9/12

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/education/education-gap-grows-between-rich-and-poor-studies-show.html

Helping Preschoolers Develop Healthy Eating Habits

By Julie Rasicot, Education Week, 2/9/12

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/early_years/2012/02/helping_preschoolers_develop_healthy_eating_habits.html

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ADVOCACY

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Winning Beginning NY

Legislative Agenda 2012

http://www.winningbeginningny.org/documents/wbny_legask_feb2012.pdf

NYS Early Childhood Advisory Council

QUALITYstarsNY brochure

http://www.ccf.state.ny.us/Initiatives/ECACRelate/WG/Quality/Resources/ECAC_BrochureLowRes.pdf

National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies

FY 2013 Federal Budget and Appropriations

http://www.naccrra.org/public-policy/policy-issues/budget-and-funding

Petition to Ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Campaign for U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

http://www.childrightscampaign.org/take-action/ask-the-president/petition?view=form

National Association for the Education of Young Children

Children's Champions Policy Update, February 9, 2012

http://www.naeyc.org/policy_federal_2_9_12

“Brain Builders” video

From the Invest in US

http://www.investinus.org/brain-builders

Strong Foundations #B25 Social Media Campaign

Birth to Five Policy Alliance

http://www.birthtofivepolicy.org/Advocacy/SocialMedia/tabid/115/Default.aspx

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Asil Ali Özdoğru

Evaluation Specialist

Early Care & Learning Council

230 Washington Ave Ext

Albany, New York 12203

Tel: (518) 690-4217 x 34

Fax: (518) 690-2887

aozdogru@earlycareandlearning.org

Frozen Funding Leads to Cracks in the Foundation

Last week, Winning Beginning NY, the Alliance for Quality Education, and Citizen Action of New York released Frozen Funding Leads to Cracks in the Foundation.  The report recommends that the State invest more in high-quality early learning and development programs such as Pre-K, Kindergarten, and child care.

The full report can be found here. A summary of the press coverage received surrounding the report’s release can be found here. 

Additional Highlights

The report, Early Childhood Education: Frozen Funding Leads to Cracks in the Foundation, calls on the legislature to reprogram $53 million from the competitive grants proposed in the Executive Budget to Universal Pre-Kindergarten, allowing for up to 14,000 more children to have access to the program. The report also calls on the Legislature to adopt the $93 million included in the Executive Budget for child care funding, to ensure that children of low-income working parents are able to receive subsidies.

Please feel free to share the report and use it in your advocacy efforts. 

Sincerely,

Jessica

Jessica Klos Shapiro

Policy Associate

(518) 690-4217 ex. 32