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Update, Fall 2006
- Winning Beginning NY is a newly-formed statewide coalition working to inform policy-makers and the public about the many benefits of early care and learning to children, families and society. The coalition aims to build a broad-based constituency to make investment in quality early care and education a top public priority in New York State. Winning Beginning NY is co-convened by the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, Child Care, Inc., the New York State Child Care Coordinating Council, and the New York State Association for the Education of Young Children.
Update, Fall 2005
- This year's legislative agenda may sound ambitious, but it's only a tiny part of the state's annual $100 billion budget and we all know the payback for children, families and our communities when we do what's right in early childhood programs. Which is exactly what the state Board of Regents now recognize in their new proposal for statewide early childhood education, "Early Education for Student Achievement in a Global Economy." The regents now champion a birth to five agenda, with preschool services for all three- and four-year-olds. They are also looking into a new school-aid formula tailored just for Pre-K, and propose $99 million in new funding, annually, over the next four years to support such services. Provided by Betty Holcomb, Policy Director, Child Care, Inc. bholcomb@childcareinc.org
Update, Spring 2005
- The New York State budget has been passed and is in the final stages before adoption. Concerns around TANF dollars and family childcare, SUNY/CUNY childcare, and day care have not been addressed. Statewide, advocates identify that childcare services could lose $84 million this year and New York City could lose funding for 22,000 children if this is not considered. Negotiations continue, however, there will be no further negotiations on education. Pre-K has been flat funded again, despite the efforts of many advocates.
- The Pre-K Coalition promotes an agenda for children that supports adding Prekindergarten into the state's education funding formula, and assures that a qualified teacher is in every Prekindergarten classroom, by investing in a loan forgiveness program, making professional development available, and providing comparable pay for all teachers in the field.
- The Schools for New York's Future Act is the Campaign for Fiscal Equity's newly proposed statewide school funding solution. This bill, for the entire state, includes a plan for permanent funding for Pre-K, as every other grade receives, and it covers funding. Support to this bill will ensure universal access to Pre-K http://www.nysecb.org/news/050323worksheets.html
- The Brookings Institution commissioned a research paper to look at how states can deliver pre-kindergarten in partnership with community-based childcare settings. The paper describes the emergence of the mixed delivery model, in which pre-kindergarten is delivered in community-based settings and schools. The emergence of this model is significant to the future of early childhood education because it has the potential to: (1) break the traditional barrier between early education and child care policies and address the needs of children in working families in a coordinated way; and (2) strengthen the quality of community-based child care programs by getting higher standards, more resources and supports into those settings where so many children of working parents already are.
