Child Care and Early Education Legislative Network E-Update
February, 2006
In This Update
Two states recently moved forward with approaches to fund early childhood through public/private initiatives. Nebraska proposes an endowment and Washington is embarking on a Memorandum of Understanding. Efforts to include the private sector in early learning initiatives are growing across the country.
Nebraska (LB1256)
Senator Kermit Brashear, Speaker of the Legislature, introduced a bill to create the Nebraska Early Childhood Endowment Fund. The bill, LB1256, would establish a public-private endowment fund for early childhood education programs for children from birth through age three. The bill calls for $40 million in state funding with private contributions of $20 million over 5 years. The Fund will be administered by a Board of Trustees, with representatives from the public and private sectors. In addition to overseeing the Endowment Fund, the Board will also oversee the Early Childhood Education Grant Program.
Washington State
Governor Christine Gregoire recently announced the creation of a new public-private partnership, the Washington Early Learning Fund, comprised of foundations, corporations, and state government. The Fund’s purpose is to enhance parent education and support, child care, preschool and other early learning environments.
South Dakota
On January 19th, NCSL helped to sponsor a legislative forum called South Dakota Legislative Briefing on Early Learning. The forum covered brain research, the business perspective on early learning, and looked at state activity on prekindergarten across the country.
Washington
On February 16th, NCSL will bring Dr. Jack Shonkoff, the nationally recognized Chair of The National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, to Olympia, Washington. Dr. Shonkoff will address legislative, business, and philanthropic leaders at several events. Washington legislative leaders are active participants on the Governor's Early Learning Council and have introduced legislation to change agency structure to promote early childhood.
NCSL serves as a resource for all states. To learn about the types of technical assistance we can provide to you or your state, please contact Steffanie Clothier at (303) 856-1416 or steffanie.clothier@ncsl.org. Our technical assistance is supported by grants from The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Buffett Early Childhood Fund.
Save the Date
The "Prekindergarten Leadership Institute: Building Bright Futures," will be held June 5 and 6 in Denver, Colorado. This expense-paid NCSL institute will foster legislative leadership by providing a forum to learn about the challenges and opportunities of enacting and expanding prekindergarten. Learn from state and national experts and share experiences with peers from other states.
Space is limited, and participants will be chosen through a short application process. Legislators may apply as individuals or as part of a state team. Watch for more information to arrive towards the end of this month.
New Publication Addresses Prekindergarten Financing
Watch for our Legisbrief, New Efforts to Finance Prekindergarten, to arrive in March. This brief highlights how states use school funding formulas to distribute funding for prekindergarten. State examples are Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and West Virginia.
Audio and video of the 2005 Annual Meeting pre-conference seminar, Breakthroughs in Early Learning: Advances in Science, Economics and State Policy, is now available on our website. Watch video of leading neuroscientists, economists, legislators, early childhood researchers and policy experts who presented in Seattle, Washington. This is a great opportunity for those who missed these engaging speakers or who want to see their presentations again.
The Georgia Early Childhood Study
Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies released The Georgia Early Childhood Study, which examines effects of Georgia’s Prekindergarten Program on four-year-olds. In 1995, Georgia was the first state to offer voluntary, universal prekindergarten to every four year old. This study compares four-year-olds in Georgia’s Pre-K Program with children who attended other types of early childhood education programs.
Hawaii’s Early Childhood Education Task Force Report
In 2005, the Hawaii Legislature passed Act 151 and created the Temporary Early Childhood Education Task Force. Its mission was to develop a framework to establish an Early Learning System. This report, developed for the State Legislature, provides the Task Force’s findings and recommendations.
Early Childhood Education: Investing in Quality Makes Sense
Published by the American Educational Research Association, this report examines the decisions that accompany the design of quality early childhood programs.
Funding the Future: States’ Approaches to Pre-K Finance
This report, published by Pre-K Now, examines the range of financial approaches states employ to improve the quality of and expand access to prekindergarten.
The Effects of State Prekindergarten Programs on Young Children’s School Readiness in Five States
Produced by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), this study found that children in prekindergarten programs experienced gains in their language and math abilities. The five states in the study are Michigan, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and West Virginia. Each state’s individual report is available on the NIEER website.
 Child Care and Early Education Legislative Network E-Update
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