Starting Early:

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• Starting Early
• Attitudes on Early Childhood Issues in
  Connecticut
• October 2006

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William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund

• 1993 Public Opinion Research
• Understand the environment
• Opinions and values
• Educators and parents
• Legislators
• Other publics

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William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund

• Improving educational outcomes
• Increased focus on early childhood education
• DISCOVERY INITIATIVE

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William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund

• Improving educational outcomes
• Increased focus on early childhood education
• Discovery Initiative - 2001
• 49 Communities in Connecticut
• 40 statewide organizations -
• All members of the Early Childhood Alliance

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Discovery InitiativeWorkgroup members

• Workgroup members
• Sandy Baxter, Mansfield Discovery
• Lisa Cooney, LEARN and New London Discovery
• Merrill Gay, Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance
  and New Britain Discovery
• Donna Osuch, United Way of West Central CT and
  Bristol Discovery
• Jessica Sager, All Our Kin and New Haven School
  Readiness Council/Discovery

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Discovery Initiative

• Statewide community partners
• Jessica Bonafine, CT Early Childhood Alliance
• Ann Pratt, CT Parent Power
• Memorial Fund partners
• Nancy Leonard
• David Nee
• Laura Downs, TA Broker

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OPINION RESEARCH

• Scientific approach to understanding public
  attitudes
• Voters statistical survey
• Focus groups
• Policymakers interviews

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OPINION RESEARCH

• 603 likely voters
• Over-samples
• 300 parents of children-birth to 8
• 143 Latino voters
• 147 African-American voters

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OPINION RESEARCH

• Focus groups
• Two groups - Parents of young children
• Two groups - Other target groups
• Policymaker Interviews
• Mayors, legislators, staff

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OPINION RESEARCH

• Bipartisan Research Team
• Peter D. Hart Research
• Associates, Inc.
• American Viewpoint

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OPINION RESEARCH

• CT Voters Policymakers feel
• Early education is important
• See clear role for state funding
• Parents need access to early education programs
• Proposals such as Universal Kindergarten
  funding increases for preschool get support

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Create a sense of urgency

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RATIONALE

• Voters have little sense that early childhood
  issues are pressing.
• While most see at least some role for the state
  in this area, many feel that the state already
  fulfills its obligation.

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RATIONALE

• Voters are split
• 31 - state already does the right amount
• 12 - state does too much
• 37 - state does too little
• 20 are unsure of the states level of involvement

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RATIONALE

• Parents biggest concern is affordability
• 36 say that finding an affordable program was or
  will be a major problem
• 32 of parents are nearly as likely to say that
  this was or will not be a problem

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RATIONALE

• Early childhood issues are not a top priority for
  most voters or policymakers.
• When given a choice of important goals for the
  state, early childhood programs come further down
  the list than several other goals.

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RATIONALE

• Important Goals for Connecticut
• 68 Making health care more affordable and
  accessible for all CT families
• 64 Promoting the economy and creating jobs
• 64 Improving the quality of CTs public schools

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RATIONALE

• Important Goals for Connecticut
• 55 Reducing the tax burden on Connecticut
  families
• 47 Expanding access to high-quality
• full-day kindergarten, preschool education,
  infant and toddler care, and childrens health
  programs
• 36 Improving roads, highways, and
  transportation infrastructure

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• What stories can you tell about a familys
  struggle with finding high quality early learning
  opportunities?
• Who in your community needs to know about these
  stories and data?
• Is this part of your Discovery communications
  plan?

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RECOMMENDATION

• Get parents of young children politically
  involved in this issue

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RATIONALE

• Policymakers emphasize that they rarely hear from
  their constituents about early childhood policies
  or difficulties in finding needed early childhood
  services.
• They only heard from those who are in the field
  or who they say are activists.

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RATIONALE

• Parents need to be told and then reminded that
  their voice is important and can make a
  difference.
• Involving parents in this process, in fact making
  them advocates, is one of the critical steps in
  this campaign

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• What do parents know about how local and state
  policy decisions are made and implemented?
• How can you keep parents informed and get them
  involved in advocating for accessible, affordable
  and quality early childhood education?

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• Are there forums you can sponsor or take part in
  where you can appropriately share information
  about the benefits of early education and care?
• Are there easy ways parents can participate that
  dont take a lot of time or energy but speak
  loudly in support of quality early education?

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RECOMMENDATION

• Actively engage fathers of young children Women
  over 50.

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RATIONALE

• Fathers are a natural constituency for this
  issue, as there is obviously a lot at stake for
  them
• Women over age 50 are less natural allies
• most have little to gain personally from the
  state spending more money on young children. Yet
  they show signs of being reachable.

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RATIONALE

• Mothers Of Young Children Vs. Fathers Of Young
  Children
• Expanding early childhood programs is an
  important goal
• Mothers 59
• Fathers 43
• State should have a large role in providing
  programs
• Mothers 56
• Fathers 47

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RATIONALE

• Mothers Of Young Children Vs. Fathers Of Young
  Children
• State is currently doing too little to fund
  programs
• Mothers 43
• Fathers 33
• Education funding a higher priority than holding
  the line on taxes
• Mothers 72
• Fathers 43

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RATIONALE

• Mothers Of Young Children Vs. Fathers Of Young
  Children
• Access to affordable preschool extremely
  important
• Mothers 55
• Fathers 41
• Support increase in preschool funding, even if it
  means a tax increase
• Mothers 53
• Fathers 42

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• How are fathers currently involved in the
  Discovery work?
• Do you keep track of how many fathers attend
  events or participate in programs?
• What do the results mean for parent engagement
  strategies?

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• How do you support fathers involvement in the
  lives of their children?
• Is there a grandparent or senior mentoring
  program in your community?
• Are there other ways for older adults to get
  involved in the lives of young children?

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RECOMMENDATION

• Acknowledgeand promoteparental responsibility

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RATIONALE

• Hot button issue
• Parents can feel guilty about balancing home and
  work
• Public can feel resentful about how families have
  changed over generations

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RATIONALE

• In focus group discussions
• Hard to reach audiences e.g. women over 50 felt
  placing a child in child care is a choice, not a
  necessity.
• Many said they or their parents made sacrifices
  to stay at home with young children
• Some made suggestions that any increased funding
  should go to parenting classes

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• How are you demonstrating that parental
  responsibility and early learning opportunities
  go hand-in-hand?
• How are parent leaders demonstrating how they
  balance home and work?

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• Is parent leadership recognized publicly and
  celebrated?
• Because this is such a hot-button issue -
  Whatever strategies you decided to implement, as
  always be conscious and respectful of cultural
  differences and issues.

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RECOMMENDATION

• Begin with growing programs targeted to at-risk
  populations with an eye toward expanding to
  universal access later.

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RATIONALE

• Voters, parents, and most importantly
  policymakers are inclined to support increased
  funding for ECE targeted at low-income and
  at-risk children.
• This does not mean programs need to be restricted
  to at-risk children alone
• Research proves all children benefit from ECE and
  learning with children of mixed abilities and
  backgrounds

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• How do you help the public to understand the
  range of needs of young children and their
  families?
• How do you communicate to the public that
  children who need programs the most are on
  waiting lists or still in need?

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• What data do you need about the children most
  at-risk in your community?
• How do you communicate the benefits of early
  childhood programs for those at-risk?
• What specific data and studies support your case?

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RECOMMENDATION

• Make accountability and quality measures
  centerpieces of any policy proposal.

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RATIONALE

• Most legislators are only willing to commit
  additional funds to early education if they know
  that they will see results.
• Proposals that include assessment of state funded
  programs and outcome measurement would satisfy
  policymakers
• Policymakers want to know taxpayers money is
  being used efficiently

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• What information is your community tracking to
  show the benefits of early learning programs? Is
  the data appropriate? Is it sufficient?
• Do educators and parents agree on what data is
  important and how to use it?
• Have community members had an opportunity to talk
  about what quality features of an early
  childhood program are most important for young
  childrens success?

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• What information would be useful from the state?
  From others?
• Are there models for how assessments can be used
  to support a childs development, or, the
  improvement of programs?
• How are they used in your community?

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RECOMMENDATION

• Have hard datawith credible citationsto back up
  claims of the value and benefits of early
  childhood education.

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RATIONALE

• Policymakers want to know that there are going to
  be real benefits to a significant investment in
  early childhood programs over the long-term.
• Documentation of long-term cost savings is
  compelling to legislators

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RATIONALE

• Policymakers are aware of studies that show the
  benefit of early care and education
• ECE advocates need to expand the reach of these
  studies to all legislators especially those who
  vote on the budget.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• What information about cost benefits does your
  community have to demonstrate the effectiveness
  of investing in early childhood programs?
• What information from other communities can you
  use?
• What national research can you use?

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Create a sense of urgency
• Get parents of young children politically
  involved in this issue
• Actively engage fathers of young children Women
  over 50
• Acknowledge and promote parental
  responsibility

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Begin with growing programs targeted to at-risk
  populations with an eye toward expanding to
  universal access later
• Make accountability and quality measures
  centerpieces of any policy proposal
• Have hard data-with credible citations-to back up
  claims of the value and benefits of early
  childhood education

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Working with Statewide Initiatives
The CT Early Childhood Alliance is a statewide
coalition that supports a public goal that all
children shall enter kindergarten healthy, eager
to learn and ready for school success.

• Connecticut Parent Power defines priority issues
  necessary for children's well-being and a plan
  for action to implement or protect those
  priorities. To do this, CT Parent Power
  distributes an annual survey to communities
  across the state as well as holds 4-6 statewide
  meetings every year where Parent Delegates come
  together to make decisions that reflect local
  needs on state issues.

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Working with Statewide Initiatives
Tools for Implementing the Recommendations -
Ready Set Grow website www.readysetgrowctki
ds.org - Early Years Advocacy Groups -
Listening Campaign
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Ready Set Grow CT Kids

On-line grassroots organizing website - Issue
Policy Alerts - Calls to Action
Organizes People by Community
Ready Rabbit in your Community
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Early Years Advocacy Groups
Early Years Advocacy what ?

• Tool kit for communities that includes
• Study and Action Guides on ECE Issues
• Tips for managing Early Years Advocacy Group
• Tips on Communicating with the Media and
  policymakers.
• Legislative Surveys
• Legislative Scorecards

• Toolkits will be available to the communities
  early this winter. There will be a roll out
  event. Info regarding the event will be shared
  with Discovery network.

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Listening Campaign
One on One Interviews The power of organized
people operating in their own Self
Interestseeking parent stories interests one
by one

• CT Parent Power Regional Trainings on Conducting
  Effective Listening Campaigns
• -November
• -January

CT Parent Power will link with Discovery
Communities throughout 2006-2007 in assisting
with engaging parents to this initiative
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• Starting Early
• Attitudes on Early Childhood Issues in
  Connecticut