Category: Education and Empowerment

If your 3- or 4-year-old lives in Maine versus Florida versus California, you might see a widely differing quality and level of access to preschool education. A new analysis from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) shows significantly different experiences based on geography, and the gap is widening while some areas make progress, and others lag behind.  The organization’s press release accompanying the report, published April 18, 2024, says state and national lawmakers have some “critical choices” to make on this issue. Allison Friedman-Krauss, PhD, lead author of…

It’s the kind of educational ranking West Virginia officials actually don’t mind reading about or talking about. That’s because the Mountain State has just placed near the top in the nation, in being able to provide pre-kindergarten education to its youngest students. West Virginia ranked fourth in those offerings to 4-year-olds, according to a recent study by the National Institute for Early Education Research, which is housed at Rutgers University. The District of Columbia, Florida and Oklahoma were first, second and third in the study, which was released last week.…

UNICEF is one of the few global agencies meeting that goal. UNICEF’s Catherine Russell told the Act For Early Years event: “Millions of children don’t have the most basic needs met. That undermines their development and the development of their communities. Today almost 40% of children under five globally suffer from extreme poverty or stunting. “These are staggering, eye-opening figures that demand action, especially if we hope to achieve by 2030 the target that all children have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education.” Russell highlighted “insufficient…

What is the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five program? The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program is the only federal funding stream dedicated to building state-level early childhood systems—critical to improving, streamlining, and coordinating the nation’s fragmented early care and education landscape.1 A competitive program for both states and territories, PDG B-5 is one of several early care and education programs that the federal government administers2 and was first authorized in 2015 under the Every Student Succeeds Act.3 Funding for PDG B-5 is appropriated to the…

A new Theirworld report reveals that – despite record aid spending on pre-primary education – millions of the world’s poorest children are still missing out on crucial support. That’s due to a chronic lack of funding by donor countries. Analysis by the University of Cambridge for Theirworld shows that global aid to pre-primary education increased by 40% between 2021 and 2022 – reaching $282million, the highest since records began in 2002. But this was driven largely by spending from a single donor – the World Bank. It invested $181million in…

Hours Wood StreetMonday–Friday: 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Visit the Satellite Locations page for those hours. The Early Learning Resource Center Region 5 downtown office and satellites are open for families and professionals interested in accessing services and support. At this time, appointments are strongly preferred. Virtual and phone appointments continue to be available for convenience and safety. Virtual after hours personal interviews and provider orientations also are available on an as-needed basis. ELRC Region 5 is currently offering Tuesday evening phone hours from 5 to 7 p.m. to support families and…

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has announced the recipients of the 2024 Equity in Early Childhood Education (ECE) Champion Award. Several local child care providers were among this year’s recipients. About the Equity in ECE Champion Award The Equity in Early Childhood Education Champion Award recognizes the equity work of Pennsylvania early childhood education (ECE) programs and professionals, and highlights the impact of that work on staff, children, and families within early childhood education settings. The award recipients’ work aligns with the state Department of Education’s…

She’s schooling the mayor. Beloved children’s YouTube star Ms. Rachel has hit out at New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ for cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from early childhood education — stressing that investment in the program provides returns that last children’s “whole lives.” “Parents are really struggling to find affordable, high-quality child care,” Ms. Rachel – whose real name is Rachel Accurso – said in a TikTok on Tuesday.  “Here in New York City, our mayor cut $400 million from early-childhood-education programs and is proposing more cuts,” the former…