Yes We Can: New Opportunities for Young Children with Disabilities & their Families Keynote Panel Joan Lombardi, Deputy Assistant Secretary and Inter-Departmental liaison for Early Childhood Development, US Department of Health & Human Services Lisa Backer, Early Childhood Special Education Specialist, Minnesota Department of Education Justine Strickland, Assistant Commissioner, Child Care Policy, GA

Early Childhood 2009: New Opportunities for ALL Children July 14, 2009 Joan Lombardi, Ph.D.

Reflections… From knowledge to goals Opportunities and challenges Looking back and moving forward Next steps

What we know… Early experiences matter, particularly good health and positive early relationships Poverty, family stress and other risk factors can have a serious impact on child development, particularly when children are young and risk factors are persistent Support needs to start early (prenatal) and continue throughout the early years

Healthy, happy and successful children Parents and other family members who are engaged and supportive Excellent and effective early childhood development programs Caring communities mobilized on behalf of young children and families

Opportunities New energy and attention to young children and their families New Federal initiatives which can advance the reform efforts that have emerged in many of the states Strong focus on cross-sector collaboration This leads to new opportunities for INCLUSION

History of early childhood: From multiple roots ………. Health Family support Education Disability services Head Start Child Care Pre-k Title I IDEA

…..to a common tree Governance Professional development Standards and monitoring Health promotion Parent engagement and support Data systems ……inclusion should be a key element in all components of the infrastructure and at the program level

To do list…..

Have high expectations for all children………..

Reinforce the importance of parents and other family members in the lives of their children…. And support them in this role.

Develop and nurture the new early childhood workforce

Step up efforts to mobilize communities on behalf of young children and families…and share and celebrate success!

Balance work, family and friends…..and take care of yourself………….

Be the change you want to see….

Perspectives from States: Lisa Backer Minnesota

Exciting Time in Early Childhood

Joint Position Statement DEC/naeyc On Inclusion

Minnesota: Land of 10,000 Lakes 350,000 children birth to K 214,000 in child care 50,000 living below poverty level (14.5%) 20,000 children in early intervention or early childhood special education 10,300 in Head Start 2,600 in state-funded pre-kindergarten

Early Intervention & Early Childhood Special Education MN Dept. of Education is the lead agency for Part C Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) begins at birth 95% of infants and toddlers receive services in natural environments 69% of preschool children with disabilities participate in regular early childhood programs

“Of all the states where you might expect to find a robust early education system, Minnesota might be near the top of the list.”

Minnesota was actually “Several decades ago Minnesota was actually a leader in early ed…”

Seeds of Excitement Business has become involved. MnBEL: MN Business for Early Learning A Boost from Philanthropy Recently determined by OSEP to be “Meeting Requirements” of IDEA for Part C and Part B Mary McEvoy Lecture Series MN EC Caucus

139 Members-69% Voluntary Bi-Partisan Committed to: System-building Accountability Tracking progress

Opportunity: Stimulus Package Regional Professional Development Facilitators Reduced/eliminated cuts Additional capacity for inclusion Part C: Action planning tied to improving local performance on federal indicators (SPP/APR)

Opportunity: Knowledge Second Generation Research NPDCI Research Synthesis Points Focus on Evidence-based Practice What Works Clearinghouse Effective Professional Development

Opportunity: Outcomes Child Outcomes Social Skills Acquire & Use Knowledge and Skills Take Action to Meet Needs Family Outcomes Know Rights Communicate Child’s Needs Help Child Develop and Learn

Cross-Sector Work NPDCI Cohort 1 Landscape Infrastructure Documents Excitement Opportunity Challenge Cross-Sector Work NPDCI Cohort 1 Landscape Infrastructure Documents Indicators of Progress Early Learning Guidelines 0-2 Core Competencies for Early Childhood Professionals

Two Teams: One Dream Minneapolis Early Childhood Special Education Partners in Community Action (PICA) Head Start

Perspectives from States: Justine Strickland Georgia

Yes We Are: Improving Opportunities for Children 0-5 Statewide Inclusion Coordinator Highly qualified inclusion specialist in each CCR&R region Pre-K increased inclusion classes statewide More than 10,845 children are served in inclusive environments Out of 880,879 children 0-5 in the state –

Other State Initiatives “Blended” Head Start and Pre-K classrooms with 10% of children with disabilities enrolled Revision of rules and regulations to enhance quality services SpecialQuest/NPCDI CSEFEL training this fall One third of Head Start programs serving 4 year olds are blended

Maximizing Federal Opportunities State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care Collaboration with DOE on GET READY TO READY American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – awaiting approval

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