Entries for the 'Newly Elected Leaders' Category

Combining knowledge from neuroscience, behavioral and developmental science, economics, and 40 years of early childhood program evaluation, they authors provide an informed, nonpartisan, pragmatic framework to guide policymakers toward science-based policies that improve the lives of young children and benefit society as a whole.

A vital and productive society with a prosperous and sustainable future is built on a foundation of healthy child development.  Health in the earliest years - beginning with the future mother's well-being before she becomes pregnant - lays the groundwork for a lifetime of vitality.  This publication was co-authored by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs.

Anyone looking for upstream solutions to the biggest problems facing America should look to Nobel Prize winning University of Chicago Economics Professor James Heckman's work.  Great gains are to be had by investing in early childhood development - from birth to age five.

Investing in early learning now is more cost-effective than playing catch-up later.  Research on comprehensive, high-quality early learning shows that they promote substantial economic and social benefits, while reducing the need for more expensive, less productive interventions for older children and adults.

From the National Conference of State Legislatures, this webpage provides background information on a variety of state policy options for legislators interested in early childhood.

NCSL's Early Childhood 101 webinar was recorded on Friday, January 28, 2011 at 2pm ET.  This is a briefing for new legislators and new chairs to help get up to speed on what states are doing to promote early childhood development and school readiness and what resources are available from NCSL for support.

The National Center for Children in Poverty at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health profiles states' policy choices that promote health, education, and strong families alongside other contextual data related to the well-being of young children.

The National Women's Law Center compares state child care assistance policies from year to year in four policy areas:  income eligibility, waiting lists for assistance, copayment requirements and reimbursement rates for providers.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) developed A Policy Blueprint for State Early Childhood Professional Development Systems.  The searchable database links to current state laws and regulations, organized by the blueprint's six essential policy areas of:  professional standards, career pathways, articulation, advisory structure, data and financing.

ZERO TO THREE's Baby Matters:  A Gateway to State Policies and Initiatives is a web-based searchable database of more than 550 state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers, and their families.  It can be searched by state, category, or keyword.

The Center for Law and Social Policy's Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care project links research to policy ideas and state examples that support the healthy growth and development of infants and toddlers in child care settings.  The project provides resources to help states make the best decisions for infants and toddlers in child care.  The foundation of the project is a policy framework comprised of four key principles describing what babies and toddlers in child care need and 15 recommendations for states to move forward.