DEADLINE TODAY: Apply to Our Early Childhood Leadership Fellowship!
Time is running out to apply to Groundwork Ohio's Early Childhood Leadership Fellowship! Applications for the 2022 Early Childhood Leadership Fellowship cohort must be submitted by 5:00 PM ET today, Friday, November 5, 2021.
Are you a passionate early childhood professional looking to enhance your leadership skills and gain a better understanding of how to be an effective advocate for infants, toddlers, and families in your community? Apply to be an Early Childhood Leadership Fellow today! All early childhood professionals are encouraged to apply.
What's in President Biden's Build Back Better Framework?
Last week, the Biden Administration released the Build Back Better framework, which includes a historic $400 billion investment in child care and preschool. This transformative investment would build a strong, stable early childhood education system that meets the needs of families, providers, and our economy.
So what's in the Build Back Better framework? Here are some of the specifics:
Saves most working American families more than half of their spending on child care.
Helps states expand access to high-quality, affordable child care to about 20 million children per year – covering 9 out of 10 families across the country with young children.
Supports providers with increased wages to shore up and strengthen the child care workforce.
Enables states to expand access to free preschool for every 3- and 4-year-old in America and increases the quality of preschool for children already enrolled.
Check out this resource from First Five Years Fund to learn more about the Build Back Better framework and the lasting impact it could have for families, early educators, and our economy.
Ohio Families Want the Best for Their Kids—Including Quality Child Care
We all want the best for Ohio's kids, and that includes quality early childhood education. In recent weeks, Groundwork Ohio has been sharing stories from Ohio families on why they care about quality early learning programs, including quality child care and preschool.
This week, we're sharing Renee's story. Renee is a grandmother in Cincinnati who has custody of her grandson. Not only does having access to a quality early learning program enable Renee to go to work and provide for her family, but it's also preparing her grandson and other children to thrive in school.
In Renee's own words: "I'm really grateful for this program because of all the education that my grandson is getting, all the help he's getting to make him successful later on in life...It's not just babysitting. It's an early learning program to teach them how to be successful in school."
ICYMI: Report Explores Ohio's Early Childhood Mental Health Landscape
In case you missed it: Last week, Groundwork Ohio's Center for Maternal and Young Child Health released a new report examining Ohio's early childhood mental health landscape.
As our report illustrates, Ohio’s infants, toddlers, and preschool age children are facing unprecedented mental health challenges. The pandemic has exposed many of Ohio’s youngest children to the stress, trauma, and financial hardships experienced by their families and communities. When children experience trauma or adversity, their emotional health deteriorates. These experiences can produce long-lasting negative effects on children’s physical and mental health, academic achievement, and self-sufficiency.
Our report identifies opportunities for Ohio to promote early childhood mental health, prevent trauma, and treat mental health problems before they become more serious problems later in life. By focusing on early prevention and treatment, we can better meet the mental health needs of Ohio’s youngest children and their caregivers.
Calling All Early Childhood Educators: Register for the Fall Fantabulous
Early childhood educators: The Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children is inviting you to register for the Fall Fantabulous! Taking place November 10th and 11th, this special virtual event includes six empowering presentations focused on joy, self-care, and resiliency. You can earn up to seven hours of Ohio Approved Credit.
Can't attend the live presentation? No problem! All attendees will receive access to the recording of each presentation for 30 days. You can still earn Ohio Approved Credit during those 30 days.
Space is limited, so register soon!
Your Input Needed: Family Resources Survey
Your input needed: Are you a parent, family member, or someone caring for children with disabilities? Ohio’s State Leadership Team on Early Childhood Inclusion wants to hear from you! Complete this short survey to share what resources and information you've found useful in learning about your child’s developmental and special education services.
Your input will help the Ohio Inclusion State Leadership Team develop an electronic resource guide for families, caregivers, and professionals. This resource guide will offer reliable, strong, and diverse messages on how to engage, build, and support relationship building between families and professionals.
The survey is brief and confidential. The information collected by this survey will be utilized for toolkit resource planning purposes only.
Want to help spread the word? Share the survey using this link or this QR code.
Want to increase your impact? Share this message with family, friends, and colleagues now!