The Time Is Now To Invest In Early Childhood Education

Last week I had the great privilege to attend an invitational conference sponsored by the Partners in Early Childhood and Economic Development (ECED) on Investing in New Ideas to Help Children Succeed.

The ECED was founded by the Insight Center for Community Economic Development, Committee for Economic Development, First Children’s Finance and Linking Economic Development and Child Care Project. This stimulating conference was sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

It brought together a wide range of federal and state representatives, early care and education groups, policy makers, and advocates to learn from each other and exchange ideas and strategies to support investment in early care and education and, in turn, to help parents become more productive employees  in support of economic growth and development.

The range of speakers and participants was varied and impressive including Joan Lombardi, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Shannon Rudisill, ChildCare Bureau, who spoke about the Obama Administrations priorities in supporting early childhood education. 

It is clear that this is a time of opportunity, but also great challenge as there is an increasing realization of the importance of early childhood education as an economic imperative of our country coupled with shrinking state budgets facing difficult tradeoffs in a time of continued economic uncertainty. There was strong consensus from disparate groups and individuals that we must continue to reframe the call for improved early care and education from a cost to society to an investment in our future.  

Given that this conference was held during the week of Veteran’s Day, It was particularly powerful to hear from the opening speaker, Major General Frank Faykes, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Budget, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, who discussed the Ready, Willing and Unable to Serve Report.

This report was issued by Mission: Readiness, Military Leaders for Kids, which is a bipartisan, nonprofit, national security organization led by more than 60 retired generals and admirals, including General Wesley Clark and General Hugh Shelton, former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. Sadly this 2009 report concluded that 75% of 17-24 year old Americans are unable to serve because of inadequate education, criminal history, or excess weight. While describing the magnitude of the problem, the report concludes that the beneficial impact of investing in high quality early education is in the interests of national security.

According to General Shelton, “Our men and women in uniform are the best in the world. But the sophistication of our military is increasing every year so we will soon need even better-qualified recruits. Unfortunately, the number of young Americans who have high-school degrees, are in good physical shape, and are without criminal records is declining. To keep our country strong and safe, we need to ensure all young Americans get the right start in life – we need more investments in high-quality early education.”

It was truly encouraging to see so many leaders of diverse organizations come together to seriously address the problems of our children’s future. And while there was lively debate and discussion on many issues, there was consensus on at least one point–that we cannot afford to sacrifice another generation of children. The time is now to invest in quality early childhood education.

Change and Accountability For Your Child’s Education Begins At Home

I feel a bit caught up in the politics of education these days. There is so much activity, particularly at the Federal level, that has the potential to dramatically impact our educational systems from early childhood education through post-secondary education. The rhetoric is about change and accountability, both of which are sorely needed in education today. But none of this will happen without parents taking the lead, standing up for what is right for their children and in their communities. 

This past week, President Obama and Secretary Arne Duncan went to Madison, Wisconsin to talk about educational reform, specifically highlighting the Race to the Top (RTTT) grant program, which is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. 

RTTT is a $4.35 billion competitive program that is designed to encourage and reward states that create the conditions for making significant improvements in student outcomes through educational innovation and reform. You may have heard about the RTTT funds in the context of the controversy regarding breaking down the “firewall law” in some states that says that you can’t link student performance with teacher evaluation, an automatic disqualifier for eligibility for the funds.

The RTTT calls for reform in 4 key areas:

• Adopting internationally-benchmarked standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and the workplace; 
• Recruiting, developing, retaining, and rewarding effective teachers and principals; 
• Building data systems that measure student success and inform teachers and principals how they can improve their practices; and 
• Turning around our lowest-performing schools.

Yet despite President Obama’s commitment to direct significant sums of money to those states and districts prepared to move education from business as usual to a system of accountability and innovation, his speech in Wisconsin reaffirmed the personal responsibility of parents and students, who ultimately must own their own success or failure.

Citing an example with his daughter Malia, he spoke to the primary role of the family in advancing educational achievement:

Lifting up American education is not a task for government alone — it will take parents getting more involved in their child’s education.  It will take schools doing more to reach out with parents.  It will take students — students — accepting more responsibility for their own education.

So, while the health care debate seems to dominate the headlines and divide our country along partisan lines, the battle over our children’s future is also being waged. But whatever your political leaning or beliefs about education policy, the importance of family involvement in a child’s education, from infancy through the teenage years, is irrefutable. It is perhaps the most significant responsibility one could ever have.

Secretary Duncan’s Speech On Quality Education Inspires Parent Advocacy

Recently, Secretary Duncan spoke at Columbia Teachers College, highlighting the inadequacies of schools of education in preparing teachers for 21st century classrooms. While citing the growing challenges that teachers face, he questioned whether we are adequately preparing future teachers to face those challenges.

He did praise some Schools of Education including my alma mater, Stanford University, as well as some other smaller and less well known schools. One theme, prevalent throughout his speech, is the need to use data on student outcomes to gauge the effectiveness of teaching and, in turn, the preparation that teachers have received.

Another important characteristic is the use of field-based programs so that the course work is closely tied to the practical realities of teaching. And once the characteristics of effective teacher preparation programs are identified, those best practices should be shared and integrated into other programs.

But the burden of ensuring high-quality teaching cannot be left in the hands of the profession itself. As parents, you must be advocates for ensuring the quality of the educational opportunities for your children, whatever the setting. This applies to preschool education as well as K-12 education. Schools will not hold themselves accountable unless your voice, on behalf of your children, rings loud and clear. Teachers and administrators must know that you are engaged in the process of your child’s education, and that you hold them and yourself accountable to “unlocking” each child’s potential and preparing them for the complex world that they will face. 

From One Alumnae to Another: Supporting Hands-On Learning Opportunities for Tomorrow’s Teachers

In the early childhood education space, teacher development is a key ingredient for a quality child care program. Degreed teachers, who are passionate and who already possess some real-world experience in the classroom, can be hard to find. So, what is the key ingredient for recruiting exceptional college graduates?

I believe I have a simple answer to this important question – hire from a university that is committed to educating students with a “learn by doing” philosophy.  Such universities do exist and I am proud to say that I am one of the many successful students that experienced the excellent teaching at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo . 

When departing Cal Poly in 1991, I left with bittersweet feelings. My path was unknown. However, what I did know was that I felt fully prepared for whatever opportunity that presented itself to me.  Why?  Because Cal Poly encourages students to experience hands-on learning opportunities. As student, you are expected to engage, immerse and participate in many opportunities outside of the classroom.  I believe I volunteered for at least six different positions which included teen pregnancy counselor, elementary school aide, YMCA Program Coordinator and so on. 

Today, after 18 plus years of professional experience in early childhood education, I still lean on my past lessons from Cal Poly.  I am thankful for the skilled and passionate professors that continue to instill the same values in their students, which is why our Center Directors are thrilled when they are able to recruit child development graduates from Cal Poly.  Over the years we have hired several dozen grads and their overall commitment and preparation for their new profession is commendable. 

While the quality of education and instruction is above par, in recent years, Cal Poly’s  Preschool Learning Lab outdoor facilities were in need of an update. In working with the University, one question that arose was: “What if the preschool lab included an outdoor space that allowed the students to observe play and implement a variety of learning opportunities?”  Thanks to my good fortune and experience and passion for designing outdoor play spaces for children, I approached the University and offered to fund the development of a new playground; one that would enrich the child’s experience and help the students document their observations.  

Earlier this month, the new playground was dedicated. It puts children back in contact with nature, by removing the large amount of concrete surfaces that previously existed (some of the same surfaces that were there when I was a student!). Sustainable and natural components have been implemented in as many areas as possible, with the addition of new bushes and trees, a dry creek bed and mini sand dunes. Children can enjoy digging for artifacts in a pea gravel pit, and grow their own vegetables and fruit in the organic garden. 

I am so proud to be a part of Cal Poly and to be able to welcome many wonderful Cal Poly grads as members of the CCLC family. It is my hope that the enhanced playground will only help prepare and inspire future child development graduates.

About Fran Durekas, Founder and Chief Development Officer, CCLC
Fran Durekas is Founder and Chief Development Officer for CCLC, a leading provider of employer-sponsored early childhood education and care. In this capacity, she provides executive leadership and support for new center openings, long-term strategy development for centers and client relations. She also assists with CCLC center design, construction and program recommendations. You can find out more about Fran and the high-quality employer-sponsored care that CCLC offers at www.cclc.com

International Conference Highlights The Positive Results From Improving The Lives of Children

I attended the 10th Annual Conference of the International Step by Step Association “Seeds of Change: Effective Investments in Early Childhood for Enduring Social Progress” in Bucharest, Romania last week. The conference was co-hosted by the Center for Education and Professional Development in Romania with support from the Open Society Institute, UNICEF, the Consultative Group, and many other international agencies that work in support of children and families. Knowledge Universe was not only proud to be a sponsor of this important conference but my colleague, Jeremy Williams and I were both privileged to present papers, too.

Many readers in the United States may not be familiar with ISSA but it is a truly impressive organization doing groundbreaking work in support of children around the world, particularly in Central Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Its goals are to promote inclusive, quality care and education experiences for all children from birth through age 10 to become active members of a democratic knowledge society. ISSA’s core members are non-governmental organizations (NGOs) located in Central Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Immediately preceding the conference, I also attended the Policy Roundtable on Early Childhood Development (Roundtable), organized and sponsored by the Romanian Ministry of Education and ISSA. The Roundtable included Ministers and key policy makers from 14 nations in this region, including countries such as Poland, Azerbaijan, Romania, Montenegro, Bosnia Herzegovina, Romania, Lithuania and the Czech Republic.

The Roundtable consisted of presentations from each of the participating countries on the state of early childhood and their national priorities for investment in children. Experts such as Professor James J. Heckman (Nobel prize winning economist), Professor Nathan Fox (renowned development psychologist), Dr. John Bennett (an expert in the economics of early childhood policy) and Professor Stuart Shanker (who spoke on the neuroscience of child development) also spoke from their respective disciplines about the critical imperative to support high quality early childhood programs and experiences for children.

The highlight of the Roundtable was the development of a series of recommendations as a call to arms in support of the children and families of the countries in this region.

The Roundtable and conference highlighted the seemingly overwhelming challenges children face growing up in a world filled with deprivation, disease, violence and economic hardship. Yet we’ve learned that by providing a nurturing, responsive and supportive environment we can promote children’s healthy development and, ultimately, their ability to participate and contribute as productive citizens of the world.

The incredible courage, passion, and commitment to improving the lives of children - from a preschool teacher in Romania to the Ministers of Education to luminaries in economics, neuropsychology, and child development to educators from more than 50 nations - gives hope and inspiration that we can make the world a better place for children if we dedicate ourselves to making that dream a reality and if we have the political and social will to do so.

There is no one solution to these issues, but if each of us participates in the process in our own way, in our local communities or on the world stage, with our own children or in support of children around the world, we will all benefit from the economic and social returns of investing in our children.

States’ Approach To Budget Issues Threaten Early Childhood Education

As states face increasing budget shortages, they inevitably look for places to raise additional revenue or to cut services. Unfortunately, education and services to children and families are often the victims of this process, risking the well-being of the children and our nation. This year we have seen states make it harder for families, particularly lower income families, to access high quality early childhood education programs or for providers to offer services to families who may have limited funds.

A variety of direct and indirect approaches are being used, from reducing reimbursement rates for children from low income families, increasing parent co-pays, or restricting eligibility. But almost whatever their form, these actions have adverse consequences for both parents and children.  

Recently Arizona announced a proposed increase in the licensing fees for child care centers to an unprecedented level, which threatens the viability of centers that are already struggling to make ends meet while providing quality care to Arizona’s children. If approved, the cost of a license would increase from $150 to as much as $13,442 per center. That is an unfathomable increase despite the fact that neither centers nor children will receive any additional services from the state. Unfortunately, centers will have to respond by either passing the cost on to parents, or by cutting back on staff, educational supplies, facilities—or perhaps shut down completely, leaving families scrambling to find quality care.   To learn more about the changes in Arizona, or to contact members of the Arizona legislature, go to:  http://www.azcca.org/  

In Ohio, the Early Learning Initiative (ELI) Pre-K program was eliminated. Statewide more than 14,000 children lost access to care.  As a result fewer children will be ready for kindergarten, early childhood education teachers lost their jobs and may well leave the industry never to return, and many families have had to choose between continuing to work or compromising the quality of care and supervision their children receive.

Ohio also cut its already low reimbursement rates for children.  The state now pays, on average, about 20 percent less than the minimum level the federal government recommends, with an even wider gap for infants, our most vulnerable children. As a result, children statewide are being displaced from their programs, with the growing risk that programs may need to curtail services even further. Those who need quality care most are being deprived access to the very programs that can make a difference in their school readiness, academic performance and, ultimately, their ability to contribute to our society and our nation’s economy. We are shortchanging their future, and ours.  To learn more about developments in Ohio visit:  http://www.oaccp.org/

As parents we cannot take for granted that policy makers will act in the best interests of our children unless they know that we are engaged in the process, with a loud voice and a quick call to action. This is a particularly important time to find out what is happening in your state and your community and to ensure that your voice is heard. 

One way to learn about developments in early care and education, at both the federal and state levels, is to sign up to receive the monthly newsletter and issue alerts of our public policy partner, the Early Care and Education Consortium. Stay informed and let your elected representatives know that the most important investment they can make in the future of our nation is in the education of young children.  Together we can build a better world for the next generation of Americans.

Dr. Goodall Inspires Hope for Our Future

Dr. Jane Goodall was honored last Thursday at a reception in Berkeley, California, and she spoke about her lifelong work with animals in Africa and specifically about her youth organization Roots and Shoots.

Best known for her study of chimpanzee behavior in the Gombe National Park in Tanzania, starting in the 1960’s, Dr. Goodall has achieved international acclaim as a conservationist and a humanitarian. Although she recounted many fascinating stories about her time among the chimpanzees and her life’s journeys, what was most compelling is her emphatic belief that the world can be made a better place for all living things, despite the challenges we face.

Founded in the 1990’s, Roots and Shoots is the global youth initiative of the Jane Goodall Institute. Now in more than 100 countries, Roots and Shoots channels the passion and energy of youth around the world into community service projects that reflect a concern for people, for animals, and for the environment. Children as young as 13 can start or lead their own groups in their communities (or even younger with adult support). Alternatively, they can join an existing group and become involved in an ongoing project that is of importance to them.

It was inspiring to hear Dr. Goodall’s message of hope for our future and the power of the individual to make a difference in the world. It was also particularly poignant to hear questions and comments from the children in the audience who were so clearly inspired by Dr. Goodall, her work with animals, and her message of possibility. When we look to the challenges that we face today, many of which we will inevitably pass on to our children, there is comfort in seeing the power that children possess when they believe in themselves and the better future that they will create.

UK-Based Busy Bees Illustrates The Similarities and Differences To US-Based Early Childhood Education And Care Programs

A few weeks ago I had a great opportunity to visit one of our sister companies in the United Kingdom, Busy Bees, who operates over 100 nurseries in England, Scotland, and Wales. Busy Bees founded the company in 1984 because they felt that they couldn’t find quality care for their own children; the company has grown to be the largest provider in the UK. The company operates both community and workplace nurseries, including two that I visited, one for the University of Safford and one of three that they operate for the Land Registry, the government agency that registers land titles and transactions in the UK.  It is always fascinating to visit child care centers in other parts of the world and to compare our approach to early childhood education with theirs.

After spending time in these programs, I would certainly say that there are far more similarities than differences, and any parent who has been to a child care center in the US would find these centers very familiar. Interestingly, their curriculum is built around the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which is a national program for children from birth through five years of age, required at all nurseries, both private and government run, as well as smaller, organized programs. The program specifies that children must learn through play and have an individualized program to meet their unique needs. Parental involvement is also required under EYFS. The program is comprehensive, specifying learning objectives for children at 6 different ages from birth to five years of age, in six areas of learning including language and literacy, physical development, creative development, social/emotional development, problem solving and numeracy, and understanding of the world/general knowledge.

These early learning standards are aligned with national standards for students in primary and secondary school, so that there is an entire educational continuum in the UK that recognizes the importance of early childhood education as the foundation for long-term student success. In this way, I would say that the UK is years ahead of our country in recognizing these critical years and providing a framework to support quality each child’s early experiences. Frankly, our country has much to learn from the UK in their national focus on and recognition of early childhood education.

In addition to having a comprehensive program at their nurseries, there were many wonderful special features at the programs I observed. One great feature of the Busy Bees programs is the wonderful outdoor gardens they have introduced into their nurseries—some big, some small, where the children grow their own vegetables, ultimately to be used in cooking and eaten at the center. What a great way to teach children about nutrition and what a fun experience to grow their own food.

So, as I so often do after visiting children’s programs outside of the United States, I returned home with a renewed sense of the world community that is dedicated to enhancing the lives of children. There is such an amazing common commitment and passion among early childhood professionals that knows no borders of state or country. We have much to learn from each other to make a better world for all our children.

Changing Workforce Demands Benefits for Working Parents

Periodically, I welcome a guest to join me on my blog. Fran Durekas, Chief Development Officer of Children’s Creative Learning Centers (CCLC) has authored the following article in this week’s edition of BusinessWeek. If your employer is considering sponsored care, pass this article on to the appropriate contact in your Human Resources group. It will help them have a better understanding of the working parent and the benefits of employer-sponsored care they can include in their own proposal.

As the demographics of the workforce changes, the needs of the workforce are also changing. The Society for Human Resource Management Workplace Forecast of 2004-2005 found that an increase in workers with elder care responsibilities and an increase in workers with both childcare and elder care responsibilities were the primary upcoming demographic trends in the workforce.

As I talk to my clients, this is indicative of a prominent dilemma these days – specifically the changing landscape of work-life balance for parents. Especially with the new economic environment, employees want to be visible, engaged and demonstrating value. So, employees worry, “How can I continue to show up to work every day, without worrying about my child care and/or elder care responsibilities?”

As a working mom growing my own business, I know first-hand how hard it can be to balance my work and my life at home. Employers today need to look at policies and benefits that will support the “sandwich generation” and allow them to maintain their skilled workers and their productivity.

Are You Willing to Make the Change?

Offering a spectrum of dependent care benefits that support the work/life balance of employees can produce a win-win solution resulting in loyal, satisfied employees that improve an organization’s overall productivity and reputation in the market. By supporting retention of employees, and solutions that tend to lower family-related absenteeism and subsequently increase productivity, these programs also generate a substantial return on investment.

One of my clients puts it this way:
“We know employees have lives outside of work,” says Pamela Faccone, manager, Health and Wellness at Prudential Financial. “And we’re committed to helping them succeed both professionally and personally. Our employees have access to an excellent network of in-home, on-site and near-site child care providers, adult care services, flexible work arrangements, wellness programs and a variety of other work/life programs all designed to create a highly supportive and productive workplace.”

Other employers are starting to respond to this change as well by adjusting their benefits offerings to meet current employee needs. According to the Families & Work Institute’s 2008 National Study of Employers, 79% of employers now offer employees some level of flexibility. Child care assistance benefits have remained stable over the years even through the down economy and assistance accessing information on elder care services is offered by more employers today (29%) than in previous years.

The Future of the Benefits Package

In the current economy, it is as important as ever to find and retain the best employees and to ensure that dollars spent on employee benefits are spent wisely. According to the 7th annual MetLife Annual Employee Trends Study, 54% of employers cited retention of employees as one of their top three benefits objectives for 2009 and close to a third of employers feel that offering work/life benefits is a key strategy to accomplish this goal. However, I find it concerning to see that the study reveals only 8% of employers feel the need to offer benefits that meet employees’ diverse needs, while 46% of employees would like to see this kind of customization of benefits.

As an employer, if you really want to ensure your dollars are spent effectively, you need to align your organization’s benefits offering with the specific needs of your workforce and offer your employees benefits packages that address their diverse needs.

Organizations that are willing to design this type of benefits package that will cover a range of employees’ diverse needs and simultaneously respond to the changing demographics of the workforce, such as dependent care access or financial assistance programs that cover both child care and elder care are the ones that will ride out the wave as the economy ebbs and flows. They will see direct benefits through lowering turnover and absenteeism, increasing productivity and enhancing the corporate image as an employer of choice. In addition, offering employees benefits that meet their current needs will result in a more engaged, more loyal workforce and assist employers in the consistent, primary goal of employee retention.

Steps You Can Take to Create Customized Benefits Offerings

1. My recommended first step to evaluate the potential impact of any employee benefits option is to survey your employees.
2. Once the basic needs have been identified, organizations can gather information on ways to meet identified needs and research existing resources and programs in the market or industry.
3. Organizations will likely want to look into ways that other organizations meet similar needs in their employee populations, and analyze potential return on investment statistics where available.

For example, an organization is interested in examining the potential to provide dependent care assistance, but doesn’t know where to begin. Through a dependent care needs assessment survey, you can identify challenges and needs. Do your employees need help finding convenient, quality child care or elder care centers in the community? Is there a greater need for emergency care? Do workers need help in paying for quality care for their dependents? Are there resources in the market currently that can be leveraged to support these types of demands?

Once needs have been identified, you can evaluate options such as offering access to traditional dependent care facilities, such as on-site or near-site care or non-traditional options that are becoming more in demand as backup care, access programs, financial assistance programs or resource and referral programs.

A look at best practices offered both in the market and by other organizations to meet similar needs can help the organization narrow down their options, identify key issues to consider in the evaluation process and decide whether to design a new program or develop partnerships with existing providers.

Working with a benefits consultant or other third party resource can help you evaluate and research options appropriate for your organization and ensure that you are effectively aligning your organization with current best practices and providing employees with benefits that are both meaningful and relevant in today’s workforce.

About Fran Durekas, Founder and Chief Development Officer, CCLC
Fran Durekas is Founder and Chief Development Officer for CCLC, a leading provider of employer-sponsored early childhood education and care. In this capacity, she provides executive leadership and support for new center openings, long-term strategy development for centers and client relations. She also assists with CCLC center design, construction and program recommendations. You can find out more about Fran and the high-quality employer-sponsored care that CCLC offers at www.cclc.com

Take Action: Support Early Childhood Education For Our Most At-Risk Children

This week, a very important Early Learning Challenge Grant Fund comes before the U.S. House of Representatives. The Early Learning Challenge Fund is a competitive grant program created to assist states in increasing the quality of early learning opportunities for disadvantaged children from birth to age five.

The Early Learning Challenge Fund will provide $1 billion in grants to state programs each year, for eight years. It is included as part of a larger education bill, H.R. 3221 authored by House Education Committee Chairman George Miller of California and supported by President Obama, who has made investing in early childhood education a priority in his administration.

This is extremely important funding as it will increase the quality of early care and education provided to our most at-risk children, while keeping program development at the state and local level. If passed, it will benefit children in communities throughout the United States.

How can you help? As a parent, I encourage you to send letters to your Representatives asking them to vote in favor of this Early Learning Challenge Grant Fund. Use the letter template below and email today. You can find their names and contact information at: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/ Your support today will make the difference to thousands of children in the coming years in preparing them for a lifetime of learning.

Click here to email to your local representative directly.

Dear (Insert name of your Representative):

On behalf of the children in your district, I encourage you to vote in favor of H.R. 3221 when it comes before the House of Representatives. As you are aware, Title IV of H.R. 3221, creates an Early Learning Challenge Fund to provide grants to the states to increase the quality of Early Childhood Education (ECE).

Economists from Nobel Laureate James Heckman to Art Rolnick, Chief Economist of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve, have demonstrated that there is no higher return on investment in education than the return gained by investing in high quality Early Childhood Education.  The Early Learning Challenge Fund included in H.R. 3221 will give the states the ability to create high quality ECE programs for children from birth to age five, and will focus federal funds on the children who benefit the most from high quality ECE – children from disadvantaged families.  By investing in early childhood today, we make children better prepared for kindergarten and elementary school, reduce long-term dropout rates, teen pregnancy, and crime, and increase long-term earnings and GNP.

The Early Learning Challenge Fund will allow early childhood education and care providers to significantly increase the number of young children who receive a high quality early childhood education, while keeping program development at the state and local level.  By leveraging resources from federal, state, and local governments, as well as the private sector, it also ensures maximum return for our investment.

Please support the thousands of children in your congressional district who will benefit from a high quality early childhood education by voting for H.R. 3221 and the Early Learning Challenge Fund.

Sincerely,

_________