Kids Matter:

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Kids Matter IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN IN
WASHINGTON STATE
A framework for building an early childhood system
ECCS National Meeting Reston, Virginia 9-26-06 Ch
ildrens Cabinets Advisory Bodies
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System Building Partners
Lorrie Grevstad, Department of Health, Washington
State, lorrie.grevstad_at_doh.wa.gov Sangree
Froelicher, Head Start State Collaboration
Office The Build Initiative, froelsm_at_dshs.wa.gov
Garrison Kurtz, Foundation for Early Learning
The Build Initiative, garrison_at_earlylearning.org
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Kids Matter FrameworkA Tool to

• Bring together people and organizations through
  common goals
• Reduce fragmentation of systems and services
• Provide policy guidance to decision-makers
• Contribute to strong programs, services, schools,
  and communities

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Kids Matter Pillars of the Plan
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Kids Matter Hallmarks

• Approaches early childhood systems as a
  collaborative effort
• Serves as an over-arching bridge for a
  comprehensive and integrated framework
• Defines common goals and outcomes
• Outlines specific strategies and partners
• Focuses on accountability and evaluation of
  progress

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Kids Matter

• Kids Matter is a framework of prioritized
  outcomes

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Early Learning Governance Structures in Washington

• Current Momentum
• Change and Possibilities
• Up Down and Sideways think outside the
  lines

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A Time of Change

Sparking Possibilities Together to Form a New
System for Children and Families in Washington
State
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Changing Early Learning Context in Washington
State

• Washington Learns
• Early Learning Council
• Department of Early Learning
• Thrive by Five Public-Private Partnership
• Gates Focus Groups

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Washington Learns
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Other Efforts Influencing Washington Learns
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Early Learning Council
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Early Learning Council

• Governors ELC Recommendation Parameters
• Vision and Timing (ten year vision for state
  education system)
• Raising the Bar (raise educational attainment,
  set rigorous standards, expect high quality)
• Building on Success (comprehensive, phased in
  implementation plan that builds on early success)
• Being Accountable for Results (must measurable to
  demonstrate progress)

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Early Learning Council

• ELC Work Group Updates
• Finance Study
• Regulatory (Shivon)
• QRIS (Sandy Nelson Dee West)
• Early Learning/K12 (Robin Denney)
• Early Learning Benchmarks (Kelli Bohanon,
  Enrique Garza, Anna Hogan, Cheri Raff, Kisha
  Thomas, Graciela Valencia, Dawn Williams)

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Department of Early Learning

• Vision/Intent (HB 2964)
• Implement state early learning policy
• Coordinate, consolidate and integrate child care
  and early learning programs to administer
  programs and funding efficiently
• Support public/private sectors toward
  comprehensive and collaborative system
• Encourage best practices

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DRAFT 5/19/06

• A public-private partnership working to help
  ensure all Washington children succeed
• in school and life.

Thrive by Five is a recognized trademark of the
Credit Union National Association (CUNA)
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Why a public-private partnership?

• A partnership brings the assets of each sector to
  the table to leverage social change.
• Private organizations, such as foundations and
  businesses, are able to bring expertise,
  credibility, nimbleness, and flexible funding to
  a problem.
• The public sector offers experience, expertise
  and brings considerable public resources,
  infrastructure and political legitimacy.
• Each of these assets is crucial to creating
  lasting, sustainable change.
• In the absence of a strong public-private
  partnership for early learning, Washington misses
  an opportunity that other states are seizing
  the opportunity to coordinate, support, rise
  above politics and do whats right for children.

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Thrive by Five Partnership Overview of Pooled and
Aligned Funding Strategies
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Summary of Strategy

• Targeted Demonstration Communities a
  comprehensive initiative in two communities to
  ensure that all children and families within
  these selected communities have access to
  high-quality early learning.
• Assess effectiveness of high-quality early
  learning, including parenting, on outcomes for
  children demonstrate a community wide,
  comprehensive, mixed-income approach. Learn with
  and from parents/caregivers.
• Promising Models support innovative efforts on a
  smaller scale to improve early learning for
  children throughout Washington state.
• Build knowledge replicate and bring to scale
  effective programs broaden acceptance and
  buy-in.
• Statewide Efforts support, promote, and
  encourage statewide efforts to improve early
  learning across the state. These efforts include
  programmatic initiatives, parent education, and
  other strategic opportunities for statewide early
  learning improvements.
• Increased capacity and strengthened
  infrastructure systems change build knowledge.
• Community Education/Advocacy encourage and
  promote quality early learning as a statewide
  priority
• Increased public investment, appropriate
  policies parent demand for quality public
  understanding and knowledge build parent demand
  broaden participants that will invest and
  advocate.

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Draft Program GuidelinesWhat we will fund
Grant recipients are aligned with WA state school
readiness
Center programs meet 5 standards of quality
Programs are focused on either
Our funding will support

• Highly qualified, trained, and adequately
  compensated teachers
• Strong, research-driven curriculum emphasizing
  emotional, social, cognitive, and physical
  development
• Research-based education and programs for
  parents parental involvement in care
• Low childteacher ratios
• Appropriate physical space

• Quality Rating System
• Professional development
• Curriculum development
• Physical improvements
• Pre/post natal support programs
• Home-based literacy programs
• Parent education
• and support programs
• Child development classes
• Information and referral resources
• Case management
• Community education classes
• FFN promising models

• Physical well-being, health, and motor
  development
• Social and emotional development
• Approaches toward learning
• Cognition and general knowledge
• Language, communication, and literacy
• Parents are involved in childs early learning

Centers (Children in licensed care)
Homes (Children in the care oftheir parents and
care-givers)
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Draft Public-Private Partnership Structure
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Gates Focus Groups

• Recommendations from Early Learning Focus
  Groups
• Make clear whats at stake why
• Use simple statistics
• Bridge the gap of what is known and what should
  happen
• Focus on parents
• Pay Now or Pay Later
• Emphasize local and community programs

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Early Learning Governance Structures in
Washington

• Structure of the Cabinets or Boards
• Politics
• Being Effective
• Challenges

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Early Learning Governance Structures in
Washington

• Strategies used
• What has worked ?
• How can these bodies be helpful ?
• What would you have done differently ?

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• Examples of how we are using the Kids Matter
  Framework

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Lessons Learned

• Be STRATEGIC !
• BUILD on existing efforts and structures
• Be INTENTIONAL
• Help others see CONNECTIONS that work for
  them !
• Be open to the possibilities

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THANK YOU

• Lorrie Grevstad
• ECCS lead -Kids Matter
• Department of Health
• Washington State
• 360.236.3560
• Lorrie.Grevstad_at_doh.wa.gov