Early Childhood Educators: It's Time to Get a Seat at the Table!
Never has there been a more important time for the voice of early childhood educators to be heard. Every day, we see the impact of decisions made without early educators at the table. They work with children at the most influential stage of their development yet have little to no say in the policy decisions, regulations, and practices that impact the work they do every day.
That's why Groundwork Ohio is thrilled to partner with the Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children (OAEYC) to create a new Early Childhood Educator Coalition to help early childhood educators get their voices heard so that they can focus on what matters most – delivering on the promise of high-quality early childhood education!
Whether you’re an ECE college student or faculty; work in child care as a teacher, assistant, or administrator; are a family child care provider; or work at Head Start or a public preschool, this coalition will represent those on the front lines who are most impacted by funding and policy decisions.
You are invited to join this powerful network of early childhood professionals here in Ohio by first becoming a member of OAEYC. Already a member of OAEYC? Sign up to join the coalition here.
The first virtual meeting of the Early Childhood Educator Coalition will be on Wednesday, September 22nd at 7:00 PM!
Upcoming Event: Engaging Parents and Families to Advance Health Equity
Elevating the voices of families with lived experiences into policy and program decisions is critical to improve child and family well-being and advance equity. That's why earlier this year Groundwork Ohio launched the Center for Family Voice, a center dedicated to authentically engaging Ohio parents and families in the policies and practices that impact the healthy development of their children.
On Tuesday, September 14 from 1:00-2:30 PM, join us for a webinar hosted by the Center for Health Care Strategies to hear more about promoting parent and family voices in policymaking. During the webinar, Groundwork Ohio President & CEO Shannon Jones will share how we came to develop the Center for Family Voice and provide an overview of what is on the horizon for working with Ohio’s parents and families through our new Center.
Health care, early childhood professionals and advocates, policymakers, state officials, family representatives, and other stakeholders are invited to join this 90-minute event.
New Resource: Early Childhood Campaign Toolkit
Early childhood is our greatest opportunity to improve lifelong health and well-being. Infants and toddlers who are born healthy, grow and develop in healthy environments, and have access to quality health care services have better physical, emotional, and mental health throughout their lives.
To help promote the importance of early childhood, the American Academy of Pediatrics has put together a communication toolkit that includes social media content, posters, and graphics to communicate with members of your community and legislators. You are encouraged to download, share, and post materials from the toolkit to your networks!
Join the 2021 National Prenatal-to-3 Research to Policy Summit
On Thursday, October 7, you're invited to join thousands of policymakers, scholars, and early childhood professionals across the country to learn how to strengthen state policies that impact the foundational prenatal-to-3 development period.
During this FREE virtual summit hosted by the Prentatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, you'll hear directly from state leaders about what actions they've taken to increase investments that strengthen systems impacting the prenatal to age 3 period. You'll also learn about state investments and policies that best support the earliest and most rapid period of a child's development.
Want to increase your impact? Share this message with family, friends, and colleagues now!