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Election Day is HereStart Early’s National Policy Team deeply appreciates the hard work of our colleagues and supporters leading up to Election Day. Thank you for making your voices heard by voting and continuing to tirelessly advocate for children and families!


Still looking for resources that will help you cast your vote on Election Day? Check out
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BallotReady.org .



Valuable Resources Made Available for Family Child Care EHS-CCP Applicants Start Early and its partners recently supported Home Grown – a national collaborative of funders committed to improving the quality of and access to home-based child care – in providing technical assistance to potential Round 4 Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships (EHS-CCP) applicants.
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Learn more about this effort to increase the number of high-quality EHS-CCP applications that support home-based, family child care (FCC) providers.








Start Early's National Policy Team at Work
Updates From the FieldStart Early’s National Policy Team has been hard at work, supporting our state partners as they navigate the early care and learning landscape in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.
- Michigan: At the Oct. 13
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Hope Starts Here Policy Summit , Mina Hong moderated a breakout session focused on developing a cross-sector early childhood workforce strategy to attract, retain and support qualified professionals to meet the growing demand for child care, early intervention and home visiting.
- Colorado: Judy Reidt-Parker, Rio Romero-Jurado and Caroline Kohler recently presented to the Colorado Preschool Policy Leadership committee on participation and eligibility policies that influence equitable access.
- Arkansas: Judy Reidt-Parker recently participated in a panel discussion, sharing varying stakeholder perspectives on the role of quality child care to the Arkansas Early Education Task Force, which includes business leaders, philanthropists and legislators from across the state.
- Multiple States: Through the
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Build It Back Better initiative, Start Early continues to place parent, caregiver, practitioner and systems leader perspectives at the center of rebuilding the early childhood system post-COVID-19 to be stronger, more comprehensive and more sustainable. Learn how to host a Build It Back Better conversation in your community –
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explore our resources.

Policy Implications of a New Study of Chicago’s School-Based Pre-K System Researchers Dr. Maia Connors (Start Early), Dr. Amanda Stein (Start Early), Dr. Stacy Ehrlich (NORC) and Dr. John Easton (UChicago Consortium) are excited to share the new study
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Closer to Home: More Equitable Pre-K Access and Enrollment in Chicago. Findings from this study show that improving access to full-day pre-K programs may be an effective policy strategy for increasing enrollment among high-priority student groups and making educational opportunities more equitable. The study also explores the role of neighborhoods in understanding how pre-K access and enrollment varied. Examining neighborhood characteristics is important for informing policy decisions about how to most equitably and efficiently allocate services, supports and resources.


The findings from this study of Chicago’s efforts offer key insights for other school districts implementing similar policies nationwide.
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Learn more.








You're Invited: Start Early's Series on the Importance of Early LearningJoin Start Early for a three-part discussion series with experts who will offer critical solutions to make equal opportunity to early learning and care a reality. Our first webinar is coming up on Wednesday, November 11 at 12 p.m. / Noon CST. This discussion between early childhood experts will cover the importance of advocacy and its power to promote and inspire community change in the fight against generational poverty and inequity. Register for one of or all discussions by clicking the button below!

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The Power of Advocacy: Fight Against Poverty and Inequity

Wednesday, November 11 from 12 – 1 p.m. CST
Featuring:
- Jessie Rasmussen, President, Buffet Early Childhood Fund
- Sarah Rittling, Executive Director, First Five Years Fund
- Blythe Keeler Robinson, CEO, Sheltering Arms
- Christina Walker, Director Policy & Advocacy, Clayton Early LearningHuman Rights and Better Health Outcomes:
A Discussion With Dr. Joia Adele-Crear-Perry and Diana Rauner

Thursday, December 10 from 12 – 1 p.m. CST

Reopening the Economy: the Impact on Early Learning Providers and the Workforce

Thursday, January 12 from 12 – 1 p.m. CST or 7 – 8 p.m. CST

COMING SOON:
Launch Webinar for Start Early's 2019-2020 State Policy Update

December 2020 (date coming soon!)










New Poll Shows Voters Now View Child Care as an Essential Service On September 24, First Five Years Fund, publicly released the results of a new national poll – with oversample data from key battleground states – showing the clear impact the COVID-19 crisis has had on voters’ views of America’s child care system, and the need for a significant federal investment in meaningful child care policy solutions for working families and providers.

Key Findings Include:
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84% of voters agree that high-quality, affordable child care for families with young children is an essential service – just like health care and education.
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79% of voterssay the COVID-19 crisis has shown us how essential it is that we build a child care system in this country that makes child care available and affordable to all families who need it.
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A majority of American voters (53%) think that federal funding for quality early education from birth to age 5 – including child care and preschool – should be increased. We encourage you to check out the compelling results of this new poll, which highlight the broad support for high-quality early learning and child care among Republican and Democratic voters alike and the unmistakable understanding among voters that child care is an essential service that deserves meaningful attention and investment from the federal government.
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Learn more.








It's Official! The Ounce is Now Start EarlyFor nearly 40 years, we have delivered best-in-class doula, home visiting, Early Head Start and Head Start programs and have advocated for thoughtful policies and adequate funding at local, state and federal levels. From our roots directly serving families and children on Chicago’s South Side and in rural Illinois, we have expanded to impact programs and policies nationwide. 


Start Early will continue to expand our reach across the country, working with other early childhood leaders, providing professional development opportunities and consulting with partners and advocates to deliver and fight for all families and young children.
Be sure to follow us on our new Start Early social media handles for the latest news and updates!


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To learn more about the important of our work and what it means to Start Early, check out our new website,
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StartEarly.org .



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Start Early advances quality early learning for families with children, before birth through their earliest years, to close the opportunity gap.

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(c)2020 Start Early


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