November 14, 2007
New Resources to Shift the Odds for At Risk Children
A New Website is Offering Tools, Networking and Advice for States
DENVER - The Birth to Five Policy Alliance has launched a new website at http://www.birthtofivepolicy.org. The site will become a tool of the trade for policy makers, business leaders and community leaders interested in shifting the odds for young children at risk.
The website will be the first site in the country dedicated to providing a one-stop shop for information including: 50-state information that combines activities by legislatures, governors, and communities as well as state policy profiles and state-by-state data that provides a roadmap for action and a base of information about the status of state policy. Policymakers will find key research as well as ideas, options and best practices they can use. Business and community leaders will be able to access specific tools geared to their needs.
The Birth to Five Policy Alliance was established in 2005 to help shift the odds for very young children at risk and narrow the achievement gap by focusing on children in the first five years, before they enter kindergarten. Backed by both decades of research and continuing discoveries in the science of child development, the Alliance provides state leaders with the opportunity to learn from what’s working across the country and try innovative ideas that will improve the outcomes for young children.
The work of the Alliance is currently funded by the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Children’s Initiative: a Project of the JB and MK Pritzker Family Foundation, the George Kaiser Family Foundation, the Irving Harris Foundation and an anonymous donor. The Alliance is chaired by Joan Lombardi, Ph.D., one of the leading experts on child and family policy.
NCSL is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislatures and staffs of the states, commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American federal system.
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