Strengthening Families through Early Care and Education

1. Strengthening Families through Early Care and Education Chicago, IL October 27, 2006

2. The Ripple Effect • Beyond expectations: a surprising, explosive movement led by early childhood leaders in many states • Momentum and great partnerships: approaching a tipping point

3. Ripples One at a Time • Find evidence that early childhood programs can prevent child abuse • Influence national leaders and systems to adopt the idea • Focus on state by state implementation to reach scale • Create greater safety for millions of young children

4. The Result • Small but significant changes in early childhood practice that help programs reach out to families more effectively can have enormous impact on: • Preventing child abuse and neglect • Parenting competence and confidence • Long term results for young children

5. Steps Along the Way • A new framework for preventing child abuse and neglect • Finding exemplary programs and documenting good practice • Partnerships with key national leaders and national organizations • State leadership teams, now in 21 states

6. Where we are today • 7 CSSP pilot states • 3 Largest Cities: LA, Chicago, New York • 9 Trust Fund Grantees (3 pilots) • 15 Learning Network States • Zero to Three training in 12 states • NAEYC Fellows in 24 states

7. CSSP Pilot States

8. CSSP Pilot State Impact • Total Children: 700,302 • Total Centers: 10,747 • Number of Centers Implementing Action Plans by end of 2006: 4,175 • Exemplary programs identified in pilot states: 214

9. CSSP and Alliance States

10. Potential Impact of Statewide Implementers • Total centers: 34,614 • Total children 0-5 in child care: 2,873,966

11. Behind the Numbers • Enthusiasm and leadership from key state leaders: early childhood, child welfare administrators, Children’s Trust Funds, governors • State Policy and Regulatory Changes: • Professional Development • Licensing • Quality Rating Scales • Mandatory Reporter Training

12. National Influence Protective factors alignment from the most important organizations and leaders • NAEYC accreditation changes: 971,000 children in 11,353 centers • Parents as Teachers: 320,000 Children • Healthy Families America: 50,000 families

13. All States with Activity

14. Signs of Systems Change • Reframing CAN prevention to highlight child development • CDC Violence Prevention Branch • HHS Office on Child Abuse and Neglect • Including Support for Families in Early Childhood Efforts: A New Norm? • State PreK Funding • Policy Guidance from NCSL and NGA • Gates Foundation and other funders

15. A Tipping Point? • Momentum and impact is growing • Significant adoption of a new national approach to prevention AND good results for more children • Continued and growing demand from states and national organizations for technical assistance and planning

16. The Work is Not Finished Continued leadership and support is necessary to: • Deepen good practice • Ensure sustainable policy • Move to scale in all states • Track results and generate evidence of effectiveness

17. The “New Normal” • Child abuse and neglect prevention becomes building healthy families • Early childhood programs extend their mission to support families and protect children • Child welfare and other state systems that serve vulnerable children and families recognize and support the developmental needs of young children • State policy and funding sustain the work of Strengthening Families