1. Turnaround Ohio Early Care & Education "Just For You: Supporting Inclusion in Preschool Classrooms September 6, 2007 Columbus, Ohio

2. Overview  Historical Perspective  Turnaround Ohio/Budget  Early Childhood Cabinet  What May the Future Hold?

3. Ohio’s Children  884,593 children under the age of 6  62% of these children live in families with all parents working  22% of children under 5 live in poverty  1 in 6 children is hungry or at risk of hunger

4. Ohio’s Children  Nearly 1/3 of the 130,000 children entering kindergarten are NOT prepared  36% of fourth graders read below grade level  34% of fourth graders perform below grade level in math

5. Ohio’s ECE System  Infant care in 7 urban counties= $170.00 per week  Average current wage for ODJFS licensed center is $9.81 compared to $18.90 per hour in ODE programs  44% of teachers in ODJFS licensed programs have an AA or higher  No licensing regulations for family child care home businesses  376 NAEYC accredited programs; 292 rated programs under SUTQ

6. Governor Ted Strickland  Identified ECE as a priority  Economic development strategy  Supports all developmental domains

7. A Fair Start for Every Ohio Child  Work to make high quality early care and learning for all children a reality in Ohio  Recognize the critical importance of a child’s social, emotional and physical development to school readiness and lifelong learning  Realign state government to promote healthy early childhood development

8. After the Election…  Development of a Resource Group on ECE  Release of the State of the State  Executive Order-March 19, 2007

9. Turnaround Budget Priorities  All children  All settings  All developmental domains  Elimination of barriers for families  Streamline policies for providers  Maximize federal and other resources

10. Turnaround Budget Priorities  Increased statewide investments in HMG, Public School Preschool/ECE, SUTQ, Child Care, system supports, mental health treatment  Harmonizing eligibility  ELI Policy Changes Work requirement 12-month determination Payment structure 6-6 rule for families Teacher qualifications

11. Turnaround Budget Priorities  Public School Preschool/ECE Accessible to new districts December 1 start date  System Supports Training System Additional Infant and Toddler Specialists T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Ohio scholarships Increased CCR&R Core Services

12. Early Childhood Cabinet  Six state agencies  Convened in May  Vision and Mission  Stakeholder Input

13. Early Childhood Cabinet System Elements  Quality Early Care & Education Settings  Professional & Workforce Development  Governance & Accountability  Financing  Involved Families, Informed Public

14. What the Future Holds…  Firming Up Our Foundation  Financing Strategies  Consistency with professional development, technical assistance and program standards  Accountability of state agencies

15. What the Future Holds…  Common data sets  Higher minimum qualifications for programs and professionals  Revised teacher prep programs

16. Challenges/Opportunities  Vision matched with implementation  Universal vs. targeted  Sustainability  Resiliency

17. Thank you  leatha@odjfs.state.oh.us 614-752-2196 leatha@odjfs.state.oh.us  Questions