Thurston County Council for Children and Youth January 2011

1. Thurston County Council for Children and YouthJanuary 2011 Thurston County Early Childhood Coalition

2. The State of Children Birth to Five in Thurston County

3. Thurston Early Childhood CoalitionIncreasing School Readiness and School Success • An ad-hoc, interagency collaborative • Members from the spectrum of early health, education and social services providers along with community volunteers • Began with United Way in 2001, but independent since 2007 • Governance structure: bylaws, officers, paying membership, and a fiscal agent • Funding: dues, foundations, and state

4. VALUES • Collaboration with stakeholders throughout the county • Communication about early learning and care issues • Community consensus to develop and maintain systems to provide early learning and care services to children and families • Commitment to fund the early learning and care systems work

5. Washington State Early Learning Plan • Ready and Successful Children • Ready and Successful Parents, Families and Caregivers • Ready and Successful Early Learning Professionals • Ready and Successful Schools • Ready and Successful Systems and Communities

6. Why Is Early Learning Important? • 80% of the brain develops before age 3 • The achievement gap begins before kindergarten • The readiness gap is not restricted to children from low-income families • There is a six year spread in pre-reading skills at the beginning of kindergarten (3 – 8 years) • Children who start behind typically stay behind

7. What We Know About Early Learning

8. Early Learning • Children are born learning, and through early experiences the basic architecture of the brain is built. • Early learning happens through relationships and nurturing experiences and environments. • Brain connections are built best in an environment of security and low stress. • The ability to process complex information, cope with stress, and feel empathy builds on this early hard-wiring of the brain.

9. Brain Growth versus Public ExpendituresOn Children Age 0-18 Research demonstrates that the human brain achieves approximately 85 percent of its adult size by age 2 and one-half years, and 90 percent of total growth by age 3.

10. Investing in Early Learning is an Economic Development Strategy • Return on investment in early learning is especially strong for very young, at-risk children. • Community efforts to support school readiness make business sense.

11. High Return on Investment in Quality Programs for At-Risk Young Children • ROI = Ranges from 1:4 to 1:17 • Perry Preschool – 40 years • Abecedarian • Chicago Child-Parent • Key Elements for Success: • More than preschool: Comprehensive • Highly qualified and paid staff • Intensive service model with home visits and year round services.

12. Return on Investment with Quality Programs: Participants versus non-participants • Higher graduation rates from high school • Higher earnings as adults • Reduced criminal justice involvement • Decrease in child abuse and neglect • Economic Stability: owned a home, car and had a savings account.

13. What We Know About Thurston County

14. Thurston County Population • From 2005 to 2020, the number of children ages 0-14 is expected to grow by 45%. • 27,379 children birth to five (2008) • 11% Hispanic • 37% at poverty level F/R lunch • 100% = 22,050 for family of 4 • 185% - 40,793 for family of 4 • 22% with single parent home • 32% with at least one parent with HS graduation or less • 46% participate in WIC

15. Thurston County Kindergarten Readiness Survey • Conducted by United Way in 2004, 2008, 2010 • Perceptual survey of kindergarten teachers

16. School Readiness and Success Nearly one in five Thurston County children entering kindergarten have difficulty with: • Basic literacy • Basic math • Self-direction • Attentiveness

17. Thurston County Kindergarten Survey • HEALTH

18. Thurston County Kindergarten Survey • LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

19. Thurston County Kindergarten Survey • COGNITIVE ABILITIES

20. Thurston County Kindergarten Survey • SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

21. Thurston County Kindergarten Survey • APPROACHES TO LEARNING

22. Current Programs • Home Visitation Programs: Federal and State funded: Nurse Family Partnership, Parents As Teacher – focused on infants and toddlers • Preschool Programs: Fee based: cooperative, private, and faith based. Unlicensed and unregulated. • Preschool Programs: Federal and State funded: Head Start/ECEAP, special education: highly regulated. • Child Care: A combination of fees paid by parents and subsidies paid by federal dollars. regulated • licensed family and center; • family, friends, and neighbor care

23. Learning Environments for Young Children

24. Changing Landscape • State Department of Early Learning • Coordinates with OSPI and Thrive By Five • Child care, ECEAP, Infant/Toddler with disabilities • Statewide vision and plan • Regional and local coalitions working in partnership with DEL, Thrive by Five

25. Who “Gets Its”? • State and federal policy makers • Public Schools • Many community members

26. So – What is Needed? • Resources to complete the system and support all children to thrive • Universal preschool in community based settings • High quality childcare for all • Parent education – new parents daily • Choices for parents

27. Early Learning is the foundation for building human capital… If you can’t make waves make ripples…