Resources from the Good Start, Grow Smart Federal Interagency Workgroup Presentation to the 2005 OSEP National Early Childhood Annual Meeting December 12, 2005

Good Start, Grow Smart (GSGS) Launched April 2002 with roles for HHS and ED Oversight by White House Office of Domestic Policy  Strengthen Head Start  Partner with the States to Improve Early Childhood Education  Bring Research-Based Information to teachers, caregivers, and parents Companion to No Child Left Behind…

GSGS Interagency Workgroup: Coordination at Federal Level Convened in 2003 Goal is to coordinate Federal efforts to support the implementation of GSGS Workgroup Membership includes representatives from several branches within the Dept of Health and Human Services (CCB, Head Start, OPRE, ASPE), the Dept of Education (OSEP, OESE, IES), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL).

GSGS Workgroup Activities Participating agencies host monthly meetings on a rotating basis; Child Care Bureau provides organizational support Workgroup has sponsored two roundtables on early learning guidelines, a review of professional development efforts at each Federal agency, and a research briefing Developed a Joint Technical Assistance Flyer: Identifies resources and TA networks from CCB, Head Start, HRSA, SAMHSA and ED Brochure: A Guide to Good Start, Grow Smart and other Federal Early Learning Initiatives

Future Directions for Good Start, Grow Smart Support the interagency task force framework Focus on updated research findings Strategies:  Disseminate research findings. One-stop web portal for Federal early childhood information. Publications Presentations/Conferences Partnerships with external organizations  Strengthen grant competitions  Enhance existing technical assistance networks

Good Start, Grow Smart Principles Inclusion-Include all populations of children and the various early care and education settings in advocacy efforts. Implementation-Ensure that early childhood research findings are easy to find, understand, and implement. Systemic approach-Align efforts among the parts of the early care and education system to produce sustainable changes and maximize limited resources. Child focused- Focus decisions on the child’s well being as the most important objective.

Dept of Ed GSGS Activities White House Summit on Early Childhood Learning Early Childhood Educator Academies – designed to share research on early childhood instructional practices and professional development that promote cognitive development, and to provide guidance on developing or strengthening early childhood voluntary guidelines. Interagency School Readiness Consortium (ISRC) Publications (Available at  Healthy Start, Grow Smart series  Helping Your Child Series (e.g., Helping Your Your Preschool Child and Helping Child Become A Reader. Available in both English and Spanish).

Other Interagency Collaboration Opportunities and Initiatives Inclusion Institute: Expanding Opportunities for Young Children with Disabilities and Their Families Through State-wide Interagency Efforts Early Childhood Outcomes Work  OSEP funded Early Childhood Outcomes Center (ECO) to help develop and implement outcome measures for young children ( center.org)  OSEP funded State General Supervision Enhancement Grants to address early childhood outcomes system development.

Child Care Bureau’s Mission The Child Care Bureau supports low-income working families through child care financial assistance and promotes children’s learning by improving the quality of early care and education and afterschool programs.

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) $4.8 billion in CCDF funds provided to States, Territories and Tribes. Money more than doubles through leveraging State match and other State and Federal sources State Lead Agency uses funds to: Provide child care subsidies to low-income families – 80% in vouchers Improve the quality of child care services – 4% must be spent on quality. In ’03 States spent $881 million or 9% of CCDF including earmarks on quality activities Improve the quality of child care for Infants and Toddlers Provide child care resource and referral and school-age activities

Child Care Bureau: Who We Serve 1.7 m children served with CCDF subsidies each month; 2.4 m with State and TANF expenditures Ages: 5 percent were infants under 1 year; 22 percent toddlers (1 - 3 years); 26 percent preschoolers (3 - 5 years); 10 percent kindergarten-age (age 5); 36 percent were school-age (6 through 12 years) Settings: 58 percent of children were cared for in a child care center; 28 percent were in family child care homes; 4 percent were in a group home, and 8 percent were in the child's own home.

Ways You Can Be Involved Individual State Child Care Plans  View your State, Territory, or Tribe’s Plan and public hearing schedules on our National Child Care Information Center’s website, towww.nccic.org  CCDF Biennial Plan Process – Public Hearing Public Hearings are held by the State Lead CC Agency to obtain input from the child care community and general public. Partner with your local child care resource and referral (R & R) agency  Over 800 local agencies help parents locate child care & provide consumer info on how to find quality care.  Partner with your local agency to help families of children with disabilities find care; build the supply of inclusive child care; and provide training and technical assistance to local child care providers  To search for the R & R nearest you, use the Child Care Aware hotline: or Collaboration and Coordination: Work with your local R&R, Assoc. for the Education of Young Children, or State and local child care agency to:  Increase the availability of inclusive child care  Partner with child care provider for screening and early identification

GSGS: Partnering with States  Develop early learning guidelines  Establish professional development plans  Strengthen program coordination across early childhood programs The charge (voluntary) to the Child Care Bureau and States:

GSGS Status in States, DC, and 3 Territories have drafted early learning guidelines 37 States and 1 Territory are implementing their guidelines through dissemination, training or embedding them in their professional development system 50 States, DC, and many of the Territories have created partnerships with at least some sectors of early care and education; all are continuing to strengthen partnerships

States are Using GSGS to Foster Inclusion Early Learning Guidelines bring the early childhood community together Examples: Montana, Alaska, Idaho See NCCIC.org for links to your State ELGs Professional Development Systems bridge gaps between professional communities Examples: Illinois, West Virginia

National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC) Tribal Child Care Technical Assistance Center (TriTAC) Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) National Infant & Toddler Child Care Initiative Research Connections Child Care TA Network (CCTAN)

Head Start Comprehensive Child Development Program Goal/purpose is to promote school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of low- income children Serves children birth to five years old. Children birth to three years are served in Early Head Start Required to provide services to children with disabilities (10%) Head Start grants are awarded by the ACF Regional Offices and AIAN & MSP Branches directly to local grantees.

Head Start Program Facts FY 2004 Budget: $6.8 Billion Enrollment: 905,851 Over 50,000 served in home-based settings Full-day and part-day programs Ages of enrollees: Five years and older-5% Four year olds- 52% Three year olds- 34% Under three years- 9%

Head Start Program Facts Children with disabilities-12.7% ( mental retardation, health impairments, visual handicaps, hearing impairments, emotional disturbance, speech and language impairments, orthopedic handicaps and learning disabilities)

Head Start Program Facts Racial/Ethnic composition Hispanic 31.2% Black 31.1% White 26.9% American Indian-Alaska Native 3.1% Asian 1.8% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.9% Multi-Racial-Other 5.0%

GSGS GOALS Strengthen Head Start  Ensure cognitive development for Head Start children  Provide training, information and ongoing mentoring and coaching for Head start teachers  Provide information to Head Start parents/caregivers on early learning

Head Start-GSGS Activities National Reporting System Strategic Teacher Education Program/Mentoring and coaching Parent Mentoring Program Hispanic Initiative

Head Start GSGS Activities Resources for Teachers, Program Managers, Parents and Caregivers Teachers and Managers  The Head Start Leaders Guide to Positive Child Outcomes  STEP Teacher’s Manual  Putting the Pro in Protégé  Steps to Success

Head Start GSGS Activities Resources for Teachers and Managers (cont’d) 21 st Century Parenting Early Literacy Toolkit English Language Learners Focus Group Report English Language Learners Toolkit English Language Learners Bulletin Fatherhood Building Blocks Parent Resources Parent Mentoring Workbook

Head Start: An Opportunity To Connect Around Training & TA HS State Collaboration Directors are best starting point for collaboration (see handout) Each state has local TA Specialists assigned to support local programs Every HHS/ACF Region has at least one HS TA Manager with content specialists who cover:  Early Childhood (infants & toddlers)  Literacy (3s & 4s)  Health  Disabilities  Fiscal Issues  Community Partnerships

GSGS Resources - Publications Emerging Literacy: Linking Social Competence to Learning Healthy Start, Grow Smart Series Teaching Our Youngest: A guide for preschool teachers and Child Care and Family Providers Learning to Read and Write Begins at Birth: A guide to early literacy in child care Head Start STEP Teachers’ Manual Linguistic Diversity and Early Literacy: Serving Culturally Diverse Families in Early Head Start

GSGS Resources – Technical Assistance Networks National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC)  Good Start Grow Smart: Training and Technical Assistance Materials  Tribal Child Care Technical Assistance Center (TriTAC) National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC) National Head Start Training and Technical Assistance Resource Center  Head Start Regional Disabilities Services Technical Assistance Providers

GSGS Resources – Centers and Research Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFL) Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior Research and Training Center on Early Childhood Development (RTC) Child Care and Early Education Research Connections CCB Research Projects on Inclusion Early Childhood Outcomes Center (ECO) center.orgwww.the-ECO- center.org What Works Clearinghouse (WWC)

GSGS Resources – Professional Development Projects Child Care Bureau Professional Development Systems OSEP Personnel Preparation Discretionary Grant Program Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Program (Office of Elementary and Secondary Education)

Contact Information Shannon Rudisill Director of Technical Assistance, Child Care Bureau Administration for Children and Families, HHS U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Carmen Bovell-Chester Head Start State Collaboration Offices Administration for Children and Families, HHS U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Beth Caron US Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services