Early Childhood Partnerships What are Early Childhood Partnerships? Information on Starting a Partnership Examples of Partnerships in Action

What’s an Early Childhood Partnership? Partnerships are made up of volunteers from diverse backgrounds who understand that local parents, citizens, and organizations are in the best position to identify what the children in their towns need and how to meet those needs. Parents of young children are supported by key individuals and organizations that ANCHOR the partnership. ANCHORS reach out to engage other ALLIES of young children, parents, and caregivers. Together, ANCHORS & ALLIES connect parents to their community resources and vice versa.

Partnership Organization The Partnership Pillars Parent Engagement & Education Language & Literacy Community Support for Early Childhood Partnership Development & Sustainability Partnerships organize themselves in teams called “Working Groups”. Each Working Group focus on one of four “Partnership Pillars” - The Foundation for Effective Community-Scale Impact.

How Can My Community Establish an Early Childhood Partnership? Establishing an Early Childhood Partnership in your community is a 2-year process broken into four distinct phases. Year 1 is focused on BUILDING Organize a team to ANCHOR the partnership in your community Assess your community's needs and level of support for early childhood Complete a 3-year strategic plan that addresses identified needs & opportunities Year 2 is focused on DOING Execute the first year of work from the strategic plan as a Pilot Partnership Participate in all activities & events with the statewide partnership network Evaluate outcomes and apply for funding as an “Established” Partnership

Phase 1 Timeline By May 30 th : Indicate interesting in forming a partnership By June 30 th : Complete initial consultation with Best Beginnings staff By September 1 st : Build team of 3-5. Complete assessment plan. Request stipend to support assessment & Community Café process

Phase 2 & 3 Timeline Phase 2 By December 1 st : Complete assessment & Community Café By January 31 st : Complete partnership training w/ Best Beginnings staff By February 28 th : Attend Best Beginnings ECP Conference Phase 3 By May 31 st : Complete 3- year strategic plan By June 30 th : Apply to become a funded BB partnership

Final Phase Timeline July 1 st – April 1 st : Complete “Ramp Up” Work Attend BB ECP Conference Complete Quarterly & Mid-Year Progress Reports By May 30 th : Complete Post-Op Training & Final Report By June 30 th : Apply for Funding as an Established ECP

Early Childhood Partnerships in Action Partnerships are engaged in diverse work that meets the needs of parents, caregivers and young children in their communities. Through collaboration with others, they are doing some amazing things! Here are a few examples. Homer: Redeveloping local parks to make them safe & accessible for young children. Anchorage: Delivering a national program “Ready for Kindergarten” – providing training & resources to help parents prepare their children for school. Fairbanks: Organizes the annual Alyeska Best Beginnings Health Fair, educating parents & providing health screenings for hundreds of young children. Wrangell: provides scholarships to ensure access to pre-school classes for 4 year olds going into kindergarten who can’t otherwise afford it. Mat-Su: Organizes Family Fun nights to help kids stay active. They include arts & crafts night, bowling, ice skating & other activities. Juneau: Partnered with the Borough to provide stipends so early childhood professionals can pursue additional training & certification.

Next Steps If you think your community is ready for an Early Childhood Partnership, the next steps are easy! All you have to do is contact Best Beginnings to schedule an initial consultation Telephone: (907) After contacting Best Beginnings, a staff person will work with you to determine how to proceed. You can get started today by recruiting individuals and organizations in your community to serve as Anchors for a future partnership.