We are in confusing and complicated times. Advocates focused on early childhood disability services find themselves managing challenges on multiple fronts, from questions about the management and funding structure of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to restrictions to Medicaid access. It can be difficult to know where to focus.

Yet, advocating for young children with disabilities and developmental delays is more important than ever. Without access to high quality Early Intervention and early childhood education, these children can miss out on important opportunities critical to lifelong outcomes. Proposed shifts at the federal level related to IDEA and Medicaid create uncertainty at the state and local levels, which directly impacts the programs and services children with disabilities rely on for healthy growth and development.

State advocates play a critical role in this work. They serve as catalysts to drive transformative change across local Early Intervention and early childhood education systems. By elevating the voices of families, children, educators, and providers, advocates collaborate with key stakeholders to develop meaningful solutions to meet the unique needs of their communities. In times of uncertainty, access to information and supportive networks is necessary to affect system change for children with disabilities and their families. In short: it’s time to come together and be clear about what we know and what’s next.

To support the work of state advocates, Start Early and New America created a fact sheet summarizing recent federal policy actions that impact young children with disabilities and developmental delays and their families, along with resources to guide action at the local, state, and federal levels.

Over the past several months, Head Start programs and other federal programs that provide critical services to children, families and communities across the country have been hit with a wave of challenges that threaten their ability to serve. From a temporary federal funding freeze and prolonged communication delays to the abrupt closure of several regional offices, and policy changes, these disruptions have created deep uncertainty—diverting time and energy away from what matters most: supporting nearly 700,000 young children and their families.

The recently proposed Fiscal Year 2026 federal budget offered another blow: flat funding for Head Start. However, just last week, thanks in part to the incredible advocacy efforts of the national Head Start community and its supporters, the Senate Appropriations Committee proposed to fund the program at $12.36 billion, an $85 million increase over fiscal year 2025. Although this is a hopeful sign for the future, the proposed budget represents less than a 1% increase, which is far short of the full adjustment needed to maintain Head Start services given rising operational costs and growing demand. If the budget is approved as is, Head Start programs will be forced to make impossible choices for their children, their families, and their teachers.

In the field of home visiting, leadership isn’t just about steering a team; it’s about fostering a culture of empathy, growth, and inclusivity. A recent project led by Start Early, Leadership Pathways for Home Visitors of Color: An Exploration, sheds light on the successes and barriers that diverse home visitors face when striving for leadership opportunities. The project features the voices of two diverse home visitors who served as leaders on this work, Clare Willamson, Home Visitor/Parent Educator at Georgetown University Parenting Support Program, and Claudette Kabera, Family Case Manager at Community of Hope. Through the lens of their experiences, we explore what it truly means to be a leader in this field.

Effective Leadership to Empower Diverse Home Visitors

Effective leadership in home visiting requires more than just managerial skills; it demands a profound understanding of the challenges faced by both families and team members. Clare emphasized the importance of empathy, transparency, and openness to feedback:

“It’s always great to feel like your supervisor is open to learning things from you because it creates trust on both ends.” – Clare Williamson

Having firsthand experience working with families allows leaders to establish a genuine connection and offer meaningful support to supervisees. Claudette highlighted the significance of shared experiences, advocating for leaders who have walked the same path as their team members:

“The best manager I ever had, was a home visitor before they became a manager. I always felt like they knew what we were going through and was our biggest champion.” – Claudette Kabera

It is crucial for leaders to be committed to continuous learning and growth, and to foster diversity within their leadership teams. By investing in the advancement of diverse home visitors into leadership roles, organizations can create pathways for greater representation and inclusivity.

“As a leader it’s important to know your community, and if you don’t know your community, be open to learning about it!” – Claudette Kabera

Transformation of Professional Identity

As leaders within the Leadership Pathways Project, Clare and Claudette found themselves in an environment where they felt valued and supported. This collaborative venture not only bolstered their confidence but also instilled a deep appreciation for the contributions of all home visitors.

“It was refreshing to have a whole team backing this project, and us, every step of the way. Sometimes, it felt like they saw our potential before we did. Being part of this project has made me more confident and made me appreciate diverse home visitors and all the work that they do.” – Claudette Kabera

Being part of such a transformative project not only enhanced their professional skills but also shaped their personal and professional identities. It fostered a sense of belonging and empowerment, affirmed their values as home visitors, and equipped them with insights into their potential as leaders.

“This was my first time being a part of a project like this. The consistent encouragement e.g. “you got this” or “you’re great” made me feel a sense of belonging, but also made me feel like they trusted me to do the work. And I think that’s huge!” – Clare Williamson

In essence, leadership in home visiting transcends traditional managerial roles. It’s about fostering a culture of understanding, support, and empowerment, where every team member feels valued and heard. Through their journey within the Leadership Pathways Project, Clare and Claudette exemplify the transformative power of leadership in nurturing a brighter future for home visitors and the families they serve.

For diverse home visiting professionals aspiring to cultivate leadership abilities, Clare and Claudette offer practical advice. They stress the significance of self-belief, seeking mentorship, and expressing interest in leadership positions. By recognizing their own potential and actively pursuing opportunities for growth, individuals can embark on a journey towards leadership with confidence and determination.

To learn more about the Leadership Pathways project and the takeaways from this work, click here.

This blog post was co-authored by Clare Williamson (Home Visitor/Parent Educator, Georgetown University Parenting Support Program) and Claudette Kabera (Family Case Manager, Community of Hope).

Connecticut’s Governor Ned Lamont has a bold vision for the long-term success of his state: He wants to make Connecticut the most family-friendly state in the nation. And he and other state leaders are grounding that vision with a forward-leaning investment in early childhood. Under the leadership of Beth Bye, Commissioner for the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC), they are going deep and wide in building a strong early childhood system because they believe that being family-friendly is a pragmatic, economic decision essential to secure the state’s future.

I am impressed with the comprehensive approach Governor Lamont and Commissioner Bye are taking to design their early childhood strategy, and think it is worth shining a spotlight on it for other states to consider.

Last month I was honored to join a convening of Connecticut’s government and advisory leaders, policymakers, and early childhood experts to participate in a panel discussion, “Shaping Connecticut’s Tomorrow: A Conversation with Early Childhood Leaders,” alongside Ellen Galinsky, President of Family and Work Institute, Michelle Kang, CEO of NAEYC, and Commissioner Bye.

When Connecticut’s leaders talk, I hear three themes that I think will ensure their success:

• Align your leaders and your resources
• Don’t play favorites: invest in all the essentials for a strong system
• Plan for multi-generational success

Align your leaders and your resources

Connecticut created a shared understanding and alignment around early childhood for the state’s governance bodies through its Blue Ribbon Panel Report. Connecticut is fortunate to have multiple entities, beyond the OEC, that provided guidance and input into the design of a system that will transform early childhood care and education. Together they co-created and committed to a plan featuring common priorities:

• Workforce and Quality
• Inclusion and Access
• Systems Building and Funding and Costs

I recall a conversation I had with Commissioner Bye several years ago about ways states could address the entire early learning system by taking an approach that better aligns all its resources. The Blue Ribbon Panel Report maps smart resource alignment and allocation to achieve shared goals – for example, providing stable housing for families in addition to high quality early childhood education, and health screenings to address the needs of the whole child. Additionally, as Connecticut strengthens their focus on Birth through Age 3, they are comprehensively approaching the infant/toddler funding challenge by blending and braiding federal and state funds to remove some of the burden on programs.

Don’t play favorites: invest in all the essentials for a strong system

Connecticut’s holistic approach to addressing early childcare and education is comprehensive and thoughtfully weaves together all the elements necessary for a high-quality, inclusive early childhood system. Too often states invest unevenly, which diminishes (and sometimes undermines) their overall impact.

The Blue Ribbon plan prioritizes inclusion for the families with the greatest needs, prioritizes the success of the early childhood workforce, and focuses on stabilization and system building.

I want to particularly call other states’ attention to Connecticut’s focus on the early childhood workforce. The Connecticut plan highlights the importance of providing high quality professional learning for teachers, including career pathways for ECE professionals to get their credentials and increase their knowledge so that they are eligible to receive higher wages. We know that quality professional learning can provide powerful and rich onboarding to staff new to the field and improve the work environment to create a culture that is inclusive and supportive and fosters ongoing learning. As a field, we want to develop professionals’ skills, knowledge, effectiveness, and confidence to increase retention and wellbeing. And Connecticut is showing us how.

Plan for multi-generational success

Family voice is evident throughout Connecticut’s plan and early actions. From philosophically focusing on parents as their child’s first teacher to engaging with parents as thought partners in the convening I attended, Connecticut shows a commitment to thinking about the success of young children through the lens of the whole family. They encourage and prepare families to use their voices to advocate for the needs of their young children now, through their elementary years, and beyond. For the Governor’s “most family-friendly state” vision to be achieved, this is essential.

The early childhood ecosystem must include fully funding early learning and care, as we cannot provide high quality childcare on the back of parents. Connecticut understands that in order to do so, the state will need to provide inclusive community and policy supports for parental leave, childcare subsidies, affordable housing and health care screening so that opportunity gaps are addressed. These investments in families create intergenerational benefits that will have a wide-reaching and lasting impact, from the socioeconomic success of individual households to the growth of the entire state’s economy.

Frederick Douglas said, “It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” I am heartened to see Connecticut carry out his words through policy and planning that invests in the early years. A family-friendly state indeed; let’s all pay attention to Connecticut’s next steps together. This is a model worth watching.

At Start Early, we point to Research, Program & Policy Partnership (RPP) as our guiding framework for data usage among our early childhood programs and services. RPPs consist of collaborations among different teams working toward improvement that is informed by research to understand what works and what does not work, and to allocate resources effectively for the most effective and sustainable progress.

To ensure continuous quality improvement, we recently sought to gain a better understanding of data literacy among Start Early’s Early/Head Start (E/HS) staff and how they currently use data for improving practice. We also recognized this as an opportunity to reaffirm the important role of RPPs in implementing effective changes through data.

Data Literacy: the ability to meaningfully explore, understand, use and communicate with data

The Early/Head Start Network and Research & Evaluation teams collaborated to conduct and analyze the annual Staff Data Utilization Survey from May 2023. This survey measured understanding of and experiences with data from various E/HS staff members across multiple Start Early programs.

Key Findings

95% of the 235 respondents reported that data is an important piece to serving children and families (Figure 1), affirming how important it is that all staff have the training and resources they need to understand and use data.

Figure 1

Our findings also highlighted that many staff, particularly content area specialists and coordinators, family support specialists and home visitors, reported overall high enjoyment, confidence and understanding of data use and management.

Other staff, specifically assistant and lead teachers, expressed less enjoyment in understanding and using data and noted the need for more personalized training in data use and management.

A common hurdle for staff in using data was found to be a lack of time available to enter and work with data, making it essential to find creative solutions that fit into busy schedules.

The Power of Research, Program & Policy Partnerships

Our findings confirmed and emphasized that ongoing training and professional development opportunities were needed. Thus, the Early/Head Start Network partnered with Start Early’s professional development experts, which provides customized professional development trainings for early childhood professionals, to develop a one and a half day training for its E/HS staff later that year.

This training was open to all E/HS staff and focused on breaking down steps in data analysis and utilization, creating awareness and understanding of data terminology, and building confidence in using data to inform practice.

Overall, training participants shared that they learned helpful tools, gained confidence and, as a result, now have a better understanding of data utilization for their work. All participants said this training met their professional development needs and would recommend it to their colleagues.

Conclusion

This example highlights the crucial role that exploring data literacy plays in informed decision-making and enhancing outcomes for children and families. The collaboration between Start Early’s Early/Head Start Network, Research & Evaluation and professional development teams led to a successful training program and demonstrated the value of this ongoing work. We are committed to continue using the RPP framework, showcasing how collaboration can bridge research and practice in data literacy and drive meaningful improvements in programs, policies and practice for children and families.

If you’re interested in exploring how an RPP framework and other tools can drive improvements in your early childhood system, please reach out! You can get in touch with Start Early’s Research & Evaluation team via email at Research@startearly.org.

Earlier this month I had an opportunity to participate on a panel at the Hunt Institute Summit alongside my good friend Connecticut Commissioner of Early Education, Beth Bye and Stanford Professor, Phillip Fisher. During the panel, we engaged with legislators, mayors, city council and school board members from 49 states and the Virgin Islands.

We were all gathered in one room to talk about the importance of early care and education.  Our conversation focused on four critical components of growth and impact for ECE programs identified by The Hunt Institute within their State Snapshots 2024 report:

• Access
• Affordability
• Funding
• Quality

Over the three-day Summit, we discussed how various states rank on each of these areas. Additional detail regarding the state rankings can be found in The Hunt Institute’s State Snapshots 2024 report. Currently, no one state is doing well in all four areas. In fact, most states scored around a 2 on a scale of 1-4 in each area.

Summer is in full swing! Along with the fun the season brings, young children, expectant parents, and those who care for them face many decisions about how to safely navigate heat, poor air quality, extreme weather, and more. Compared to the general population, infants, young children, and pregnant people are more susceptible to the effects of poor air quality.

It is important for child care providers to know how to manage these environmental risks as they plan to keep children and staff safe. Child care providers are also in a unique position to support families by providing resources and guidance to keep children safe while at home.

Below are some common questions caregivers might have about how to protect young children and families if the air quality is poor, and resources that will help answer them:

• How can I monitor my local air quality to ensure that it is safe outside for infants, young children, and pregnant people?
  • The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) AirNow Air Quality Index (AQI) Map displays the air quality in your local area and recommends precautions to take when needed. The AirNow Fire and Smoke Map also provides real-time information about where wildfires are happening across the U.S. and Canada and how they might affect your local air quality.
  • As you’re planning the day ahead for yourself or those in your care, access the map on the go and sign up for notifications about local air quality alerts using the AirNow smartphone app.
  • AirNow also has easy guidance for when and how outdoor physical activity should be modified for young children and pregnant people based on air quality: if the air quality is at orange level or above (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or 101–150) these groups should reduce prolonged and heavy exertion outdoors. EPA also offers educational activities and materials on air quality (recommended for children ages 4 to 7).
• What steps can I take to protect infants, young children, and staff on days with poor air quality or extreme heat?
  • This resource from the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood includes information about protecting the health of children and staff on days with extreme heat or compromised air quality.
• Where can I find programmatic guidance about poor air quality and other disasters- before and after they happen?
  • Visit the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Community Services (OCS) Disaster Flexibilities Hub. This resource has live weather updates and tools from Ready.gov and Ready.gov/es (en español) to prepare for wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, drought, extreme heat, and more. Resources for Head Start providers and early childhood caregivers include ACF Emergency and Disaster Waivers and Flexibilities, Head Start ECLKC Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Recovery Guidance, and Child Care Resources for Disasters and Emergencies. Programs that receive OCS funding can also visit the Disaster Flexibilities Hub for guidance on what types of flexibilities their programs have following climate emergencies.
• Where can SNAP and WIC be used when poor air quality and other disasters cause families to evacuate?
  • When poor air quality impacts communities, families sometimes face the difficult decision of evacuating their homes. For families who rely on nutrition assistance programs, relocating can cause confusion about how to transfer SNAP and WIC benefits across state lines. EBT can be used across state lines for SNAP and CalFresh. Families who have WIC can continue to use their benefits until their certification expires. Families must have proof that they received WIC benefits in another area or state and should contact their WIC office with any questions.
• How do I talk with young children and families about wildfires and other climate change issues?
  • Trinka and Sam: The Big Fire is both a coloring book and story, with a parents’ guide at the end of the book with prompts for how to talk about wildfires and their aftermath with families. The book is available in Spanish, Portuguese, and Greek. See a similar story about hurricanes by the same authors.

We encourage child care providers and those supporting networks of providers to share these resources broadly. Climate change is an early childhood issue and programs supporting young children and their families need tools to be responsive and climate-resilient. These resources can be helpful not only during the summer, but year-round as communities around the globe face an increasing number of extreme weather events.

Interested in other resources supporting early childhood professionals? Sign-up for our newsletter here.

Looking for helpful resources to protect yourself and the children and families in your care from extreme heat this summer? Find them here.

Summer is in full swing! Along with the fun the season brings, young children, expectant parents, and those who care for them face many decisions about how to safely navigate heat, poor air quality, extreme weather, and more. Compared to the general population, infants, young children, and pregnant people are more susceptible to the effects of extreme heat.

It is important for child care providers to know how to manage these environmental risks as they plan to keep children and staff safe. Child care providers are also in a unique position to support families by providing resources and guidance to keep children safe while at home.

Below are some common questions caregivers might have about how to protect young children and families from extreme heat and resources to help answer them:

• How do I know when it’s too hot for infants and young children to play outside?
  • Check out this informative Child Care Weather Watch Poster from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. This resource tells us how to determine if the weather is suitable for outdoor play for infants and young children, both when it’s cold and hot outside.
• How can I find heat-related health information specific to my community?
  • Type your ZIP code into the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Heat and Health Index (HHI) tool. This tool helps you prepare for hot weather, prevent heat-related illnesses, and learn about the effects of heat on health.
• How do I know when extreme heat is coming to my community?
  • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) HeatRisk Forecast color-coded map shows a seven-day heat forecast and health risks. CDC also has a HeatRisk Dashboard with resources for high-heat days, local air quality details, and actions to stay safe. The CDC has guidance for heat health, focused on children with asthma, people who are pregnant, and people with cardiovascular disease.
  • Looking for heat updates in your inbox? Check out the Monthly Climate Outlook Reports by the HSS Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE) with forecasts for heat, drought, wildfire, hurricanes, and more for your region. Use this link (the “OCCHE” subscription option) to sign up for the monthly reports via email. See this link for the August report.
• What heat-related emergencies are happening in my community?
  • The OCCHE and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) NEMSIS Heat-Related EMS Activation Surveillance Dashboard has a map and graph with Emergency Medical Services (EMS) data about heat-related emergencies. The information is useful for knowing heat-related risks in your area.

We encourage child care providers and those supporting networks of providers to share these resources broadly. Climate change is an early childhood issue and programs supporting young children and their families need tools to be responsive and climate-resilient. These resources can be helpful not only during the summer, but year-round, as communities around the globe face an increasing number of extreme weather events.

Interested in other resources supporting early childhood professionals? Sign-up for our newsletter here.

Looking for helpful resources about air quality? Find them here.

Child care remains inaccessible and unaffordable for too many families across the country. As a result of not having access to quality child care, families may lose their jobs, or be unable to complete school or training programs.

States have submitted three year plans for implementing the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) to the Office of Child Care (OCC) by July 1, 2024, and will be finalized by the end of September 2024. These plans address how states will meet the new rules that became effective April 30th (details are available here). The rule changes are designed to improve access, affordability and the stability of providers who accept vouchers. Below are highlights and considerations for state child care leaders and advocates to simplify CCDF eligibility and application processes.

• Making eligibility determination and application process easier and faster for families. States are required to design their eligibility policies to minimize disruptions for families, and are encouraged to consider presumptive eligibility, use documentation from other programs (i.e., SNAP, Medicaid) to enroll families, and to provide online enrollment options. Significantly, if a state does not provide online enrollment opportunities, they must describe why it is impractical to provide this option.
• Leveraging application guide for best practices in benefits application design and processes. The guide includes a sample online child care assistance application and provides examples of how states are already implementing recommended best practices. The intent behind the guide is to support states as they consider how to reduce long wait times for application approval and allow families to apply online at any time and from anywhere. The guide recommends reducing unnecessary documentation, which can reduce inequity in the child care subsidy program by improving access for families who most need services.
• Clarifying how states can implement presumptive eligibility. These policies allow families to access child care subsidy while their eligibility is being determined, so they do not lose their child care slot or end up turning down a job or school opportunity. States are expected to approve applications for child care assistance within 30 days, but it can take much longer for some families. States can apply presumptive eligibility to families that present circumstances that strongly suggest they will be eligible, such as enrollment in other income support programs (SNAP, Medicaid, WIC, etc.), enrollment in Head Start programs, as well as those families who are part of a priority group such as families experiencing homelessness, or children with disabilities.

Authentically and meaningfully engaging families in systems design and improvement work requires careful attention to how we value the expertise and lived experiences of these critical partners. Oftentimes, there is a contrast in our espoused beliefs and actual behaviors (explicitly or implicitly). How conscious are we of the disconnect? What tools and frameworks exist to help us as systems leaders on our journeys to be more genuine in our beliefs and equitable and liberatory in our practice? Here are some key insights from Start Early Consulting’s work focused on centering family and provider voice.

Systems leaders aiming to engage families more equitably and effectively in systems design and improvement efforts need to assess their progress towards meeting these goals. Start Early has developed a self-assessment tool focused on cultivating family leadership in systems building work through the establishment of Family Councils. Framed as a continuum for developing capacities, the tool incorporates tenets of the Spectrum of Community Engagement to Ownership framework.