Early Childhood Policy Matters

In the last episode of our three-part series on the early childhood workforce, we speak with a panel of state and national experts about the early childhood workforce, and how health and wellness strategies can help to improve retention in early childhood settings.  Host Denise Mauzy (SRI International) joins Yale University’s Walter Gilliam, the University of Delaware’s Laura Lessard, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Holly Hatton-Bowers, and the South Carolina Infant Mental Health Association’s Kerri Schnake to discuss new research, findings, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the panel’s recommendations for stakeholders across the country.     Guests include Walter Gilliam, professor of child psychiatry and psychology, and Director of the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy with the Yale Child Study Center and the Yale School of Medicine; Laura Lessard, associate professor in the Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition at the University of Delaware, and program coordinator for the Delaware IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence; Holly Hatton-Bowers, associate professor and early childhood extension specialist with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Education and Human Services; and Kerri Schnake, CEO of the South Carolina Infant Mental Health Association.    Early Childhood Policy Matters is supported by the National Technical Assistance Center for Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care.    For episode transcripts and more information visit: https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/early-childhood-policy-matters-podcast    

In the second episode of our three-part series on the early childhood workforce, host Martine Sadarangani Gordon (ACF) speaks with a panel of state experts about how they are professionalizing the workforce through nontraditional career ladders. Guests from Georgia, Illinois and Michigan discuss their state’s ongoing efforts to address the diversity and community needs of the early childhood workforce.  Guests include Christi Moore, Director of Professional Learning with the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning; Dr. Jamilah Jordan, Executive Director of the Illinois Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development; and Robin Zeiter, Professional Development Specialist, and Candace Vinson, Education Consultant, with the Michigan Department of Education. Early Childhood Policy Matters is supported by the National Technical Assistance Center for Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care. For episode transcripts and more information visit: https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/early-childhood-policy-matters-podcast 

In the first episode of our three-part series on the early childhood workforce, host Ciearra Norwood (SRI Education) speaks with national experts about the history, progression and evolution of the workforce, and a number of federal priorities and supports for the workforce in states across the country. Guests include Richard Gonzales, project manager of the Preschool Development Grants Birth Through Five at the Department of Health and Human Services, in the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Early Childhood Development; and Chrishana Lloyd, Research Scholar with Child Trends.Early Childhood Policy Matters is supported by the National Technical Assistance Center for Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care. For episode transcripts and more information visit: https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/early-childhood-policy-matters-podcast

In this episode we discuss equity, and the work being done in one state to embed equity in all aspects of its early learning system. Host Nancy vonBargen (ICF) sits down with three state leaders from Oregon to discuss their work, their successes, and what a commitment to equity really looks like in early childhood care and education. Guests from the Early Learning Division of the Oregon Department of Education - soon to be the Department of Early Learning and Care – include Karina Guzmàn Ortiz, Partner Engagement Specialist; Jenny Mendoza, Research and Evaluation Manager; and Kimberly Moua, Early Childhood Equity Fund Manager.Early Childhood Policy Matters is supported by the National Technical Assistance Center for Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care. For episode transcripts and more information visit: https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/early-childhood-policy-matters-podcast 

In this episode we explore the New Jersey Enterprise Analysis System for Early Learning (NJ-EASEL), an early childhood integrated data system facilitating cross-agency collaboration and supporting children and families in the Garden State. Host Rebecca Valenchis (SRI Education) speaks with two state leaders about the system, its development with support from PDG B-5, and some valuable lessons-learned for early childhood leaders and stakeholders across the country.  Guests include Erika Kelley, Project Sponsor and Director of the New Jersey Council for Young Children and Founder of Sage Horizons, LLC; and Riddhi Parmar, NJ-EASEL Business Analyst with Mathtech, Inc., for the New Jersey Department of Education.  Early Childhood Policy Matters is supported by the National Technical Assistance Center for Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care.  For episode transcripts and more information visit: https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/early-childhood-policy-matters-podcast 

In this episode we discuss Tribal sovereignty, and how it relates to early childhood care and education systems. Host Mandy Reeve (SRI Education) speaks with a panel of federal and state experts to explain Tribal sovereignty, the value of including Tribal voices in strategic planning and systems building, and offer real-world examples and lessons learned at the state level. Guests include Moushumi Beltangady, Director of Tribal Early Childhood at the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Early Childhood Development, and Program Manager for the Tribal Home Visiting Program; Melody Redbird-Post, Project Director for the Tribal Child Care Capacity Building Center; Tracie Kenney, PDG B-5 Project Director at the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families; and Tleena Ives, Director of Tribal Relations at the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families. Early Childhood Policy Matters is supported by the National Technical Assistance Center for Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care. For episode transcripts and more information visit: https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/early-childhood-policy-matters-podcast

In this episode, we explore Virginia’s unique “Ready Regions” program, designed to bring unprecedented levels of coordination, accountability, and family engagement to early education programs in every community in the Commonwealth. Host Laura Kassner joins leaders from the state and regional levels in Virginia to discuss the program, developed with support from the Preschool Development Grants Birth-To-Five initiative, and their recommendations for early childhood leaders in states across the country. Guests include Kris Meyers, Associate Director of Quality Measurement and Improvement with the Virginia Department of Education; and Catie Sumner, Preschool Development Grant Coordinator with the United Way of Roanoke Valley. Early Childhood Policy Matters is supported by the National Technical Assistance Center for Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care. For episode transcripts and more information visit: https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/early-childhood-policy-matters-podcast 

In this episode we explore new funding models being piloted in Rhode Island in an effort to expand access to high quality pre-K programs. Host Mary Klute joins two state leaders to discuss the pilots, funded with support from the Preschool Development Grants Birth-to-Five initiative, and some recommendations for leaders hoping to fund and expand high-quality programs in states across the country. Guests include Kayla Rosen, Director of Early Childhood Strategy with the State of Rhode Island Governor’s Office, and Lisa Nugent, Coordinator of Early Learning with the Rhode Island Department of Education.  Early Childhood Policy Matters is supported by the National Technical Assistance Center for Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care. For episode transcripts and more information visit: https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/early-childhood-policy-matters-podcast  

In this episode we explore Colorado’s new Department of Early Childhood and statewide voluntary universal preschool program, which were established this spring with support from the Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B-5) initiative.Host Mandy Reeve joins Lindsey Dorneman, PDG B-5 Director with the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, to discuss the origins and goals of the new initiatives and their potential benefits for children and families across the Centennial State. Early Childhood Policy Matters is supported by the National Technical Assistance Center for Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care. For episode transcripts and more information visit: https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/early-childhood-policy-matters-podcast