Strengthening Families is a relationship-based child abuse and neglect prevention initiative started nationally in 2001 through a partnership between the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) in Washington, DC. Thirty-five states and several thousand early childhood programs nationwide implement…

Providing high-quality education and care for young children at a historically Black university in rural South Africa was a challenging task. But despite many obstacles, two teacher educators (an American and a South African) worked together, partnered with a surprising collection of others, seized every possible opportunity, and persisted, seeing…

As a result of improvements in and the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-446), classrooms across America are evolving into inclusive learning environments where children with and without disabilities learn side-by-side. Often, however, general education teachers find themselves unsure of how…

Maintains that early childhood education and care teachers and workers have some hard choices to face in terms of the delivery of high quality programs. Choices concern salaries, differential staffing and salary plans, interagency and institutional cooperation, curriculum design, and research. (BB)

Describes the growth of Early Head Start (EHS) programs, focusing on one EHS partnership with child care providers in Delaware to serve infants, toddlers, and their families. Includes discussion of partnership strategies that promote quality programming, ways the early care and education coordinator supports child development, strategies for…

Urges early childhood professionals to build partnerships with parents and with other teachers. Points out that agencies and individuals, like children, can demonstrate different cooperative styles. Barriers to collaboration and benefits of cooperative partnerships are discussed. (GH)

Discusses implications of federal budget cuts on services to children and families, types of revenues which will be available, and organizational efforts to increase chances for securing public funds for child and family services. (Author/DB)

Describes the Vermont Autumn Showcase Tour for Early Care and Education as a strategy to reengage legislators and community leaders in early childhood education/care. Notes that regions that had previously hosted a community event focusing on early childhood issues had higher attendance than initial implementers, and that unexpected benefits…

Describes use of accreditation facilitation projects (AFP) begun in the 1990s to provide varying levels and types of support to early childhood programs engaged in the self-study process for accreditation with the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Presents insights about the early childhood program/AFP relationship related…

Discusses a blueprint for a comprehensive community-wide day care program. (BB)

Discusses efforts of states to develop plans to implement the Child Care and Development Block Grant and reexamine and strengthen state child care policies. Describes plans from four states. Lists key elements for an effective early childhood development system. (SH)

Describes eight components of planning initiatives for improving the quality and delivery of early childhood education: (1) creating linkages; (2) using data in planning; (3) improving program quality; (4) developing a coordinated professional development system; (5) financing the system; (6) creating new systems of governance; (7) building public…

Discusses the reasons for the popularity of collaboration in early care and education. Defines the term "collaboration." Discusses results of a national study of early care and education collaborations in terms of the achievements of collaborations and the situations in which they work best. Also offers suggestions for making…

Elements of a successful Head Start program are described. These elements are provision of comprehensive services, parent involvement and family support, a commitment to meeting local needs, training and technical assistance support, and use of a collaborative approach. Anecdotes about two Head Start parents and a former Head Start participant are…

Based on the May 1990 report of Head Start's Silver Ribbon Panel, this article provides background information on the panel, summarizes Head Start's successes and challenges, outlines the commendations, and discusses implications of the panel's report. (BG)