Alliance grantees work independently or in collaboration on a number of initiatives in the areas of research, policy and advocacy. Click below to learn more about Alliance funded work by national organizations.

CLASP develops and advocates for policies at the federal, state and local levels that improve the lives of low-income people. CLASP focuses on policies that strengthen families and create pathways to education and work. Through careful research and analysis and effective advocacy, CLASP develops and promotes new ideas, mobilizes others, and directly assist governments and advocates to put in place successful strategies that deliver results that matter to people across America.
 
CLASP will be available to multiple state grantees for rapid response needs. Their work will also focus on financing including disseminating their financing guide, providing technical assistance to Maine, and publishing a brief on state policies that support comprehensive services in child care settings. On infants and toddlers, CLASP will share findings from a 2012 survey of infant/toddler child care policies. CLASP will also conduct research on the use of Title III of ESEA for preschool, explaining uses of the funds and providing illustrative examples of school districts and schools using Title III for young children.

Partnerships
CLASP will partner with NCCP, ZERO TO THREE, BUILD, NCLR, NBCDI as well as Maine Children’s Alliance.  CLASP will work directly with advocates and state administrators in multiple states.
 
Website: www.clasp.org

The CSCCE at UC-Berkeley provides research, policy analysis, and policy development focused on issues relating to the teachers and providers working in early care and education (ECE) settings.  CSCCE provides information to policymakers, advocates, and practitioners seeking to ensure the workforce supports necessary to provide high-quality early learning services to all children.
 
CSCCE will continue its work helping states and relevant ECE organizations in their efforts to integrate workforce data with child-level data, early childhood program data, and K-12 data.  They will be available for rapid response on workforce policy issues, and work with specific states on alignment of workforce data systems.  CSCCE will publish a brief on integrating federal data into state systems and support efforts to expand ECE workforce data systems. Will continue to partner with the Early Childhood Data Collaborative, and this year they will add work on building ECE leadership by working with advocates in 5 states on their Policy, Politics and Power for Early Childhood Leaders (3P’s) training.
 
Partnerships
Will coordinate the Workforce Data System Partnership among the National Registry Alliance, Child Care Aware, and T.E.A.C.H. ®. Other partners: Early Childhood Data Collaborative (ECDC) and the Ounce of Prevention Fund to implement the 3P’s leadership training.

Website: www.irle.berkeley.edu/cscce

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard builds, translates and applies science to catalyze the development of innovative programs and policies that improve outcomes in health, learning, and behavior for children and their families. The Center synthesizes findings from multiple fields of study, translates those findings into actionable concepts, and explores and designs new media forms to reach diverse audiences. The Center will focus on the dual goals of translating science through the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs, while also pushing the field toward innovative new strategies to improve outcomes for young children through the Frontiers of Innovation initiative.

The Center will host Council and Forum meetings; publish working papers, InBriefs, and videos on neglect, child mental health, and resilience; work with Washington state to create a suite of products on executive function that can be shared with other states; share lessons learned from state level policy work in Washington state and add one additional state; disseminate a range a communications products.

Partnerships
The Center will continue to partner with NCSL, NGA, and Truepoint Center on the Frontiers of Innovation initiative, and with NCSL and NGA to develop and disseminate materials developed through the Council and Forum.  At the state level in Washington it will continue to partner with the Department of Early Learning and other state agencies and legislative leaders. 

Website:  www.developingchild.harvard.edu

The Committee for Economic Development (CED) is a non-profit, non-partisan business-led public policy organization dedicated to restoring the American economy. CED conducts research on major economic and social issues and actively informs and engages the business community to achieve policy reform for the good of the nation. Membership includes some 200 senior corporate executives and university leaders who conduct CED's research and outreach efforts. With nearly 20 years of research, analyses, and recommendations for policymakers, their work has stressed the economic advantages of early investments in children and promoted child care as a central workforce issue.

CED will focus on dissemination of the report Unfinished Business to CED networks and set up media opportunities such as legislative and editorial board meetings where they can share the findings of the report. CED will continue to conduct strategic recruitment and engagement of business leaders in state advocacy efforts, utilizing Trustee relationships to promote increased investment and facilitate peer-to-peer discussions. These will culminate in both large and small gatherings lead by CED Trustees.
 
Partnerships
Partner with grantees and allies as needed on media dissemination and will continue to partner with leaders in New Mexico and Mississippi.  Other partners include the Ounce, Council for a Strong America and the National Black Child Development Institute.

Website: www.ced.org

CCSSO is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states. Their work focuses on improving our nation’s public education system, which they recognize begins with supporting healthy early childhood development and high quality early learning opportunities for children birth to age 5, and extends through postsecondary education.

CCSSO will support Chiefs in five states to conduct in-state forums to showcase and amplify their leadership in connecting early learning and the early grades.  They will help states develop and implement a continuum of Birth-Grade 3 learning standards and will provide rapid response to a variety of states in standards and assessment.  They will co-sponsor webinars and potentially convene states on common core implications for early childhood.  They will continue to be a member of the Early Childhood Data Collaborative, with a focus on linking Head Start data and serving as the ECDC liaison to federal government leaders.

Partnerships
CCSSO will continue to participate in the Early Childhood Data Collaborative (ECDC) with Child Trends, DQC, NGA, NCSL, and the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at UC Berkeley. They will partner with NGA and NAEYC as needed on early learning and the Common Core.

Website: www.ccsso.org

The Council for a Strong America is a network of unexpected messengers who champion research-based public investments that help at-risk children succeed. 

CSA comprises:

• Fight Crime: Invest in Kids – 5,000 law enforcement leaders who argue that early investment in kids reduces crime and makes communities safer.  Will focus on MI, MS, and NM.

• Mission: Readiness – 300 retired generals and admirals who connect the country’s investments in children with national security. Have launched work in MS and will expand work to MI and NM.

• America’s Edge – 700 business leaders who maintain that investments in kids are key to the health, recovery and restored competitive edge of our economy.

• Shepherding the Next Generation – More than 200 pastors who promote the outcomes of investments in children that help strengthen families and communities.  Will expand recruitment and engagement in MS, TN and OH.

 

The project will focus on rapid response (particularly in CA, IL, KS, ME, NY, and WA), building their membership base in select states, organizing meetings, producing reports, hosting media events and garnering media coverage.  They will prioritize new policymaker education in several states post election, which may include a briefing at the state capitol, site visits with policymakers, cultivation of First Lady/First Gentleman or other key allies, and distribution of information. 

 

Partnerships

CSA will collaborate with the Ounce of Prevention Fund and state child advocacy organizations.  They will seek advice from ZERO TO THREE on efforts to expand Early Head Start, child care, and early intervention, and collaborate with research allies in the Alliance TA network.

 

Website: www.councilforastrongamerica.org

NAEYC is the world's largest organization working on behalf of young children in early education settings, from birth through age 8.  With nearly 80,000 members, a national network of more than 300 state and local Affiliates, and a growing global alliance, NAEYC convenes thought leaders, teachers, researchers, and other stakeholders to sets standards of excellence for programs and teachers.  NAEYC’s Early Childhood Workforce Systems Initiative (ECWSI) assists states in developing, enhancing, and implementing policies for an integrated early childhood professional development system, by building the capacity of state policymakers and advocates.

 

The ECWSI will focus on three main policy areas:  integrated professional development systems (focusing on professional standards, career pathways, and data), technical assistance professionals (coaches, mentors and consultants) within professional development systems, and birth through age eight early childhood teacher licensure.  NAEYC will provide rapid response, convene multiple meetings including professional development and QRIS and workforce data systems, publish state profiles on TA professionals policy and an assessment tool and mapping tool, host webinars with partners, and produce a white paper on a birth through 8 teacher license.

 

Partnerships

NAEYC will partner with the National Center on Child Care Professional Development Systems and Workforce Initiatives, CSCCE, NCCP, and BUILD.

 

Website: www.naeyc.org

NCCP, a public policy center in the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, is dedicated to promoting the economic security, health, and well-being of America’s low-income families and children. NCCP uses research and data to inform policy and practice. 

NCCP will enhance and promote its signature tools, the Improving the Odds state profiles and the Young Child Risk Calculator, with a specific focus of expanding their reach through age 8 with new data and policies.  NCCP will also focus on young children’s mental health by continuing work with ID, KY, MO, NH, NJ, NY and VA and support state efforts to promote early literacy through quality rating and improvement systems (with BUILD). NCCP will also conduct a research review of parent engagement strategies and publish a research-to-policy brief on this topic.

Partnerships
NCCP will partner with ZERO TO THREE and BUILD on the early childhood mental health project.  They will also partner with BUILD on the early literacy learning table.  NCCP and CLASP will co-author a brief that draws on both of their state profiles.
 

Website: www.nccp.org

NCSL is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staff of the nation's 50 states, commonwealths, and territories. NCSL provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on state issues. NCSL also advocates for the interests of state governments before Congress and federal agencies.
 
NCSL will: continue to recruit and educate new and engaged legislators through the Early Learning Fellows program, a year long program for state legislators; track legislation and host sessions at NCSL meetings; publish briefs on science and policy; generate and share policy ideas connected to the science of executive function in the Frontiers of Innovation (FOI) initiative; support a working group on standards and assessments in Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio and Washington; and educate legislators through multiple media and forums.  NCSL will explore new opportunities to partner with the private sector, particularly related to new investment opportunities (with CED); continue to provide support to the Birth to Five Alliance through two meetings, management of the Alliance website, and expansion of the website with new branding.

Partnerships
NCSL will partner with the Center on the Developing Child, the National Governors Association, and Truepoint on the Frontiers of Innovation.  Will continue its membership in the Early Childhood Data Collaborative.  Internally, NCSL will work to connect the Education Program and the Children and Families Program to promote linkage from birth through grade 3.
 

Website: www.ncsl.org

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR)—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans.  NCLR conducts applied research, policy analysis, and advocacy, providing a Latino perspective in five key areas—assets/investments, civil rights/immigration, education, employment and economic status, and health.  NCLR has nearly 300 affiliated community-based organizations in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. 

NCLR will build on previous work to develop a web-based data tool that provides state-based demographic information on young Latino children.  This year’s work will focus on dissemination, both publishing data from the database, and making sure state policymakers know how to use it.

Partnerships
NCLR will participate in NALEO’s ECE trainings for Latino elected officials.  NCLR will collaborate with CLASP on their brief examining Title III funds as an allowable source of funding for immigrant children to attend public preschool.  NCLR will also reach out to NGA, NCSL, and CCSSO to ensure their constituents know how to use the Latino child database.
 

Website: www.nclr.org

The NGA Center for Best Practices is a policy research and development organization that directly serves the nation’s governors by developing innovative solutions to today’s most pressing public policy challenges. It serves governors through tailored technical assistance, acting as an information clearinghouse, and identifying best practices. 
 
The NGA Center will work over the next three years to support governors and their key policy staff in building a birth to 3rd grade (age eight) policy agenda.  Through a mix of one-time events (forum, roundtable, learning lab) and long-term intensive TA (policy academy) NGA will serve as a resource to all governors and their staff on linking the early years and the early grades.   As part of the policy academy, NGA will provide financial support for governors to carry our symposiums that showcase the governors’ birth through eight agenda. NGA will host webinars and write policy briefs to accompany the events and will publish a governors’ guide to promoting third grade success. NGA will build on the K-12 Common Core State Standards, leveraging its relationships in K-12 to build a bridge between ages 0-5 and 5-8.  They will continue to partner on the Early Childhood Data Collaborative and foster progress of the Early Childhood Advisory Councils. While the work will primarily focus on education policy, NGA will frame the work within a comprehensive vision of what young children need to be successful.
 
Partnerships
NGA will partner with CCSSO on a policy forum; with CCSSO, NAEYC, CSCCE, and others as needed on the Policy Academy; and with the Center on the Developing Child and NCSL on the Frontiers of Innovation initiative. NGA will also work with numerous experts in convening the roundtables and other events.
 

Website: www.nga.org

NWLC works to improve the lives of women and girls, with a special focus on the needs of low-income women and their families. NWLC uses the law in all its forms—getting new laws on the books and enforced; litigating groundbreaking cases all the way to the Supreme Court; and educating the public about ways to make the law and public policies work for women and their families.
 
NWLC will continue its annual survey of state child care administrators that tracks and analyzes trends in child care assistance policies. In addition, NWLC will be available to provide technical assistance to support state advocates’ efforts to improve state child care and early education policies and investments.  This includes inviting state advocates to its annual two-day retreat to discuss opportunities and challenges for advancing child care policy in 2013 and strategies for the future.
 
Partnerships
NWLC will invite Alliance grantees to participate in conference calls, including calls on the key findings of the child care policies report, successful state efforts to expand investments in early childhood and improve policies, and the federal budget.  Representatives of the Alliance states are invited to NWLC's 2013 leadership retreat.  NWLC consults regularly on early learning policy in its role as chair of the Child Care/Early Learning Coalition of more than 100 state and national organizations, and the chair of the Task Force on Early Childhood for the Children’s Leadership Council.
 

Website: www.nwlc.org

Generations United seeks to improve the lives of children, youth, and older adults through intergenerational collaboration, public policies, and programs.  An initiative of Generations United, Seniors4Kids works with community leaders and grassroots volunteers to raise the voices of older adults in support of policies that benefit children and youth. Currently, Seniors4Kids mobilizes older adults in state-based campaigns to increase access to quality early care and education in Colorado, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. 

Generations United will create a Nebraska Grandparent Roundtable and statewide advocacy network of 100 older adults to amplify the voices of older adults on behalf of early care and education policies that set Nebraska’s youngest and most vulnerable children on the path to success. A state coordinator will recruit and organize rapid response advocates who can write letters to policymakers, make phone calls, submit editorials and identify key grasstops leaders.  The Nebraska Grandparent Roundtable will host an event and generate media coverage aimed at educating policymakers.
 
Partnerships
First Five Nebraska will provide state policy and local and state media expertise to Generations United.  As a new member of the Alliance TA Network, Generations United will also serve as a valuable resource to other states interested in amplifying the voice of older adults on behalf of public policies that serve vulnerable young children.  
 

Website: www.gu.org

Rhode Island KIDS COUNT is an independent, non-partisan children’s policy organization that works to improve the well being of children in Rhode Island.  RIKC will play a role in both national and state efforts.  RIKC will continue to focus on advocacy for a birth through eight policy agenda and linking the early years with the early grades.  Rhode Island KIDS COUNT will also become a state grantee and will be funded to advance early childhood policy and investment in Rhode Island. 

RIKC will play a “bridging role” to connect the Birth through 8 policy work of the Alliance to other birth through eight initiatives such as the Campaign for Grade Level Reading, the Kids Count Network, Voices for America’s Children, and federal children’s health and development initiatives. They will plan, coordinate and convene a Policy Roundtable meeting. As a state grantee, RIKC will advance early childhood policy in Rhode Island through work on QRIS, child care eligibility, pre-k funding, and home visiting, linkage policies between the early years and early grades.

Partnerships
For the national work on linkages and informing the 0-8 policy agenda, they will work closely with Alliance contractors such as the College Board.  They will work with other TA Network grantees as they facilitate the Policy Roundtable. 
 

Website: www.rikidscount.org

ZERO TO THREE (ZTT) informs, trains and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers.   Their mission is to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers through translating research and knowledge into a range of practical tools and resources for use by the adults who influence the lives of young children. 
 
ZTT will provide rapid response technical assistance  on the full range of infant and toddler policies; host a state policy action team meeting for five states on developing and moving a policy agenda for infants, toddlers, and their families; hold webinars on infant and toddler policy issues for state policymakers, advocates and professionals; conduct a conference call series for six states on strategies to support young children’s mental health (with NCCP and BUILD); continue to write and distribute the bi-weekly Baby Monitor e-newsletter and share information through social media; and maintain the Baby Matters database of state policy initiatives
 
Partnerships
Major partners will include Child Trends, NCCP, BUILD, and the Ounce of Prevention Fund.
 

Website: www.zerotothree.org