Early learning advocates stress the importance of reading to your children every day.
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Other Early Learning Resources and Organizations
Business Partnership for Early Learning: This coalition of King County business leaders invests in innovative, research-based early learning strategies to close the school-preparedness gap, including home-based, parent-child programs and informal play-and-learn groups for low-income families. 206-622-2294. www.seattlefoundation.org/page10004387.cfm.
Center on Infant Mental Health and Development: This center promotes interdisciplinary research, education and practice, and advances policy related to the social and emotional development of children during their first five years of life. 206-543-9200. www.cimhd.org.
Child Care Resources: This group hosts an online database of child care providers in King County (a six-month subscription is $40) and offers specialized assistance for families in challenging situations as well as customized training, technical help, supplies and mentorship for child care providers. 206-329-1011. www.childcare.org.
CHILD Profile, Washington State Department of Health: Children's Health Immunizations Linkages and Development (CHILD) Profile mails materials to all Washington families with children under the age of 6. The materials include age-specific information about growth, development, safety and nutrition, along with reminders for checkups and immunizations. 360-236-3595. www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/childprofile.
Children's Home Society of Washington: A leader in child welfare for more than a century, this nonprofit provides services at a variety of sites that support children in need and strengthen families. One of its core services is early learning, including Head Start and child care programs, bilingual playgroups and the "Parents as Teachers" home-visit program. 206-695-3200. www.chs-wa.org/Our_Services/Early_Learning.html.
Children's Trust Foundation: Based on the core belief that we can break the cycle of child abuse by giving families the opportunity to learn parenting skills in a safe and supportive environment, Children's Trust for the past 25 years has provided grants and other resources to Family Support Centers across Washington, advocated for improved laws and supported public awareness programs for families. Family Support Centers connect parents and teach parenting, communication and life management skills. See the Children's Trust Web site for the location of the Family Support Center in your community. 206-343-5911. www.childrenstrust.org
Council for Children and Families: This council was the first state agency of its kind in the country dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect. Led by a 15-member group of state legislators, government agency representatives and community leaders, it is a leader in promoting child and family development and raising awareness about abuse. 206-464-6151. www.ccf.wa.gov.
Docs for Tots: A nationwide program with a growing network of doctors in Washington who advocate for young children, Docs for Tots works in collaboration with public and private partners to increase doctors' awareness of and involvement in efforts to enhance early learning opportunities for children and families. 202-589-0103. www.docsfortots.org/DFTWA.asp.
Early Learning Community (Foundation for Early Learning): This is a free online social network focused on sharing news, information and helpful tips to support the learning of children birth through age 5. www.earlylearningcommunity.org.
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids: With anti-crime efforts led by Washington's law enforcement agencies and other community leaders, the members of this nonprofit advocate for access to quality early learning programs and in-home parent coaching to get kids off to a good start and, consequently, reduce crime. 206-664-7110. www.fightcrime.org/wa/index.php.
Head Start and Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program Site Locator: This Web page on the Department of Early Learning's site offers a locator for Washington's free preschool programs. 866-763-6481. www.del.wa.gov/care/find-hs-eceap.
Healthy Start: This free parenting education program supports young moms and dads through the challenges before and after a newborn arrives, continuing until the child reaches the age of 3. Healthy Start services include home visits, group activities, developmental and health screenings and resource referrals. 425-869-6490. www.healthystartfamily.org/abouthealthystart.php.
Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences (University of Washington): This renowned interdisciplinary research center is dedicated to the scientific study of the developing mind and brain. I-LABS is in the midst of creating a first-in-the-nation Child Brain Imaging Center, with special technology that will allow researchers to study the brains of babies noninvasively. 206-543-6000. http://ilabs.washington.edu/about/index.html.
KCTS 9, Ready, Set, Grow: This program, which aired on Seattle's PBS station in May, features field reports, in-depth interviews and panel discussions about early learning. Topics include the cutting-edge science taking place in Seattle regarding brain development and language acquisition; the societal impact of early learning; and what policy makers are doing in the region. 800-443-9991. www.kcts9.org/programs/productions/readysetgrow. KING 5 TV, Learning for Life: Monthly segments on early learning topics, in partnership with Thrive by Five Washington, air weekdays from 7 to 8 a.m. during the third week of every month on KING 5 and can be found on the station's Web site, along with links to the prime-time special Ready for School, Ready for Life, which aired in August. 206-448-5555. www.king5.com/learning-for-life. Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction: The state's top public schools chief works closely with schools, districts and public and private partners to align educational opportunities for young children from birth through third grade throughout the public school system. 360-725-4463. www.k12.wa.us/EarlyLearning/default.aspx.
Reach Out and Read: A number of medical centers and clinics throughout Washington participate in this national program, in which doctors and nurses promote early literacy by advising parents about the importance of reading aloud and giving books to young children at pediatric checkups. 617-455-0600. www.reachoutandread.org.
Talaris Institute: Talaris works to improve the social, emotional and cognitive development of children from the prenatal period through age 5 by providing parents with research-based educational materials and engaging in media campaigns and outreach. 206-859-5600. www.talaris.org.
United Way: United Way supports early learning through advocacy, financial investment, volunteer programs, collaborations and education campaigns. The United Way of Snohomish County's "Success By 6" program (www.uwsc.org/4_2.php) provides tools and training for parents, teachers and child care providers at 54 sites to improve school readiness. 206-461-3700. www.uwkc.org/ourcommunity/earlylearning.asp.
Washington Association for the Education of Young Children: This professional association for those working with young people has almost 2,000 members throughout the state. It is dedicated to advocacy efforts and providing high-quality and affordable professional development opportunities for early learning professionals. 253-854-2565. www.waeyc.org.
Washington Learns: This steering committee is co-chaired by Gov. Chris Gregoire and advisory committees in early learning, K-12 and higher education. It conducted an 18-month top-to-bottom review of the state's education system. Some of the recommendations in the committee's final report in 2006 have already come to be, including expansion of all-day kindergarten, programs to improve math and science teaching and learning, and scholarships to give more people access to higher education. Read the full report at www.washingtonlearns.wa.gov.
Washington State Association of Head Start and ECEAP: With a focus on training, collaboration and advocacy, this membership association includes representatives from the various federally funded Head Start programs and state-funded Early Childhood Education and Assistance Programs. 253-373-9100. www.wsaheadstarteceap.com.
Washington State Child Care Resource & Referral Network: This nonprofit agency supports families and caregivers, shapes policy and builds communities that promote the learning and development of children throughout Washington through a strong statewide network of child care resource and referral programs. 253-383-1735. www.child carenet.org.
Early Learning: A Top Priority for Washington Despite Economic Woes
By Taryn Zier
Over the last decade, advocates for early learning in Washington have worked hard to create a more unified front in their push to renew the state's commitment to programs that will help our youngest children succeed in school and life.
Back in the late 1990s, then-Gov. Gary Locke created the Commission for Early Learning, headed up by his wife, Mona, and Melinda Gates, whose deep-pocketed foundation has invested tens of millions in programs aimed at helping kids start kindergarten ready to learn.
In 2005, shortly after taking office, Gov. Chris Gregoire declared early learning a top priority for the state and created Washington Learns, a diverse mix of community leaders who conducted a comprehensive 18-month study of the state's education system. That study led her to create the nation's only cabinet-level Department of Early Learning. It also spurred the creation of Thrive by Five Washington, a public-private partnership led by education, government and business leaders. With significant funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, these groups began streamlining the positive efforts already under way.
Despite some serious state budget woes, Thrive by Five President and CEO Nina Auerbach maintains there is a groundswell of support for early learning in Washington. "The interest in this issue is not stagnant, it's growing," Auerbach says.
Federal stimulus funds, including more than $33 million that recently went to the Department of Early Learning, have kept important projects moving forward. Advocates also are pinning high hopes that more federal money will be available next year, since President Obama has made it clear that he wants to help states improve their early learning programs.
With a growing number of scientific studies showing that the first five years of a child's life lay the foundation for school readiness and life success, early learning leaders insist their work is a smart investment – one that benefits not only children, but also parents, schools and communities.
Here's a look at some of the organizations that are the state's biggest movers and shakers when it comes to early learning and how they're making a difference.
WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF EARLY LEARNING
The Department of Early Learning's responsibility is to make sure that there are high-quality early care and education opportunities for young children in Washington and to help working families cover the costs. The agency oversees child care licensing and subsidy programs, the state-funded Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, or ECEAP, preschool program, and other initiatives such as early reading projects that support parents and help children flourish. The department sets the rules for the more than 7,500 licensed child care settings in Washington, making sure they are safe and healthy, and offers free services and support to more than 8,000 low-income ECEAP (pronounced EE'-kap) families.
The department is also in the midst of a major collaborative effort with Thrive by Five and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to create a statewide early learning plan, which Gov. Gregoire ordered up earlier this year. The plan will define the path for school readiness for children by addressing five key areas: access to health; social and emotional development; early care and education; parent and community partnerships; and meaningful engagement and diversity. "Beyond just letters and numbers, school readiness also includes helping a child be physically and mentally healthy and ready to learn," department spokeswoman Amy Blondin says. A draft report is due to the governor, and also to the public, on Dec. 1.
There are several other Department of Early Learning projects in the works. With Thrive by Five, the agency is developing a Quality Rating and Improvement System to help improve the standard of child care facilities, and eventually provide consumer report-type information for families. (That effort suffered a setback last year when state funding for a pilot field-testing program fell victim to budget cuts, but private dollars that Thrive by Five Washington had secured kept a scaled-back version of the field tests on track.) They are also working to build a more comprehensive professional development system for child care providers.
Washington State Department of Early Learning 866-482-4325; www.del.wa.gov
THRIVE BY FIVE WASHINGTON
Thrive by Five works closely with the Department of Early Learning to bring together what the public and private sectors have to offer so that kids and families are getting the support they need, explains spokeswoman Molly O'Connor. The nonprofit helps drum up public and private support for early learning, works to come up with new practices and programs that can be shared on a national level and spreads the word about the importance of the learning kids do between birth and age 5.
In addition to the statewide early learning plan, Thrive by Five is working on a number of advocacy and public awareness initiatives. It coordinates 10 early learning coalitions from around the state, and assembles a communications round table to help those groups streamline their campaigns and educational materials. It also collaborates with KING 5 television to offer monthly Learning for Life segments, which tackle a variety of early learning topics and air the third week of each month.
Two demonstration communities that Thrive by Five oversees are another of its major endeavors. Located in White Center and East Yakima, the early learning and outreach programs in these communities are in their second year and are showing progress. White Center will open the nation's 20th Educare center this winter, which will be devoted to family support and the professional development of child care professionals. White Center is also experiencing high demand for its doula program for minority families, which offers birth support and home visits for the first two years of a child's life. Teachers are praising Yakima's pilot kindergarten transition program, where children visit their school two weeks before it starts to get comfortable. The demonstration communities, funded by Thrive by Five and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will ultimately serve as a model for how a community-wide approach to early learning can make a positive difference.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been a champion of early learning from the start. To date, it's invested about $75 million in early education support for Washington. The foundation played a key role in establishing Thrive by Five and continues to work with the nonprofit to fund efforts in various communities and help raise early learning standards statewide. It's also investing in school districts and communities to better align early learning programs, such as pre-kindergarten, Head Start and child care, with elementary schools.
"Our great hope is to bring to scale promising early learning models so that all of Washington's youngest learners will have access to high-quality, affordable early learning opportunities that prepare them for success in school and for the rest of their lives," said Valisa Smith, the foundation's senior program officer for early learning.
The Foundation for Early Learning, which grew from former Gov. Locke's Commission on Early Learning and a $10 million start-up gift from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has helped pave the way for the industry over the last decade. As the other organizations have entered the scene, the foundation has strategically changed its scope; instead of deep and narrow funding into a few communities, it focuses on coalition-building grants and helping groups with infrastructure, especially in rural communities.
The Foundation for Early Learning funded its 26th coalition in June and now serves every county in the state. With support from corporate and individual donors, the foundation has funneled more than $6.5 million to early learning efforts in the last 10 years. Some of its latest projects include distributing the Getting School Ready booklets and a free online job board and social networking site for discussing early learning.
The Children's Alliance is an advocacy group whose mission is to give a voice to children and families by ensuring that the laws, policies and programs in Washington really work for them. In the last 26 years, the alliance has been involved in such issues as corporal punishment in schools, food stamps and health care, and helped create the state's Ombudsman for Children and Families.
The Children's Alliance regularly convenes the Early Learning Action Alliance (ELAA), a coalition of 44 organizations representing a diverse group of nonprofits, professional associations and businesses that are united in the belief that young children deserve early learning opportunities and support. The action alliance's goals are to develop a unified annual policy agenda (the 2010 agenda is being developed now), create legislative strategies and mobilize grassroots advocacy that will keep early learning a statewide priority.
