March 8, 2023 Trying Together Offering MOYC Opportunities Trying Together is offering families, community members, and child care providers a number of opportunities to celebrate Month of the Young Child. MOYC-in-a-Box Trying Together is offering child care programs in Allegheny County the opportunity to receive Month of the Young Child (MOYC) materials. Programs may request a mailed box of materials related to Month of the Young Child including: Posters to display at their program location or to give to local businesses to promote the importance of child care in the community Buttons for staff and families to wear during the month of April Printed materials and resources from Trying Together and ELRC Region 5 A copy of this year’s PA One Book, “Mel Fell” by Corey R. Tabor Materials will be shipped by the end of March, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. Request your MOYC box. Month of the Young Child Events MOYC Resource Open House Friday, April 7 The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center, 7219 Kelly St., Pittsburgh, PA 15208 Details to come Student Affiliate Dinner Wednesday, April 12 | 5 – 8:30 p.m. Seton Hill University, Cecilian Hall Administration Building (2nd Floor), 1 Seton Hill Dr., Greensburg, PA 15601 Register Homewood Block Party Saturday, April 15 | 12 – 4 p.m. The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center, 7219 Kelly St., Pittsburgh, PA 15208 Pre-registration not required Annual Celebration Dinner Thursday, April 27 | 6 – 8:30 p.m. Acrisure Stadium, UPMC Club, 100 Art Rooney Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15212 Register About Month of the Young Child First established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in 1971, the Week of the Young Child is an opportunity to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.Over the years, with growing interest and focus, Trying Together designated the entire month of April as the Month of the Young Child (MOYC). In April 2023, we will offer opportunities to elevate and celebrate early childhood by providing resources, hosting, co-hosting, and participating in child and caregiver -focused events, and working with early learning programs to share MOYC materials and experiences. Learn More To learn more about Month of the Young Child, visit Trying Together’s Month of the Young Child webpage.
February 14, 2023 NAEYC Report Quantifies Impact of Recent Child Care Challenges The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has released a report on the results of their fall survey. Entitled, “Uncertainty Ahead Means Instability Now: Why Families, Children, Educators, Businesses, and States Need Congress to Fund Child Care,” the report quantifies the impact of recent child care challenges. About the NAEYC Survey and Report The NAEYC survey was conducted in October 2022 using SurveyMonkey. The resulting report represents the responses of 12,897 individuals working in all states (including 941 individuals working in Pennsylvania child care programs) and early childhood education settings, including faith-based programs, family child care homes, Head Starts, and child care centers. It is intended to present the experiences of the respondents, as captured in the moment that they took the survey. Summary of Pennsylvania Survey Data Data on Stabilization Grants Over the course of the pandemic, Pennsylvania utilized federal relief funding to stabilize the child care sector. This included one-time bonuses for child care teachers and increased subsidy payments for providers to increase staff salaries. However, this relief funding will soon end. As a result of the end of pandemic relief funding: 62% of Pennsylvania child care center directors reported that they will have to raise tuition 29% of Pennsylvania child care center directors reported they will have to cut staff salaries Data on Staffing and Supply 57.7% of Pennsylvania child care center directors reported serving fewer children than they would like, primarily due to staffing shortages 65.8% of Pennsylvania child care center directors reported currently experiencing a staffing shortage 33.7% of Pennsylvania early childhood educators (ECE) indicated “yes” or “maybe” to considering leaving their job or closing their family child care home 45.8% of family child care providers indicated “yes” or “maybe” to considering leaving their job 35.4% of ECEs in minority-owned child care businesses indicated “yes” or “maybe” to considering leaving their job 9.9% of ECEs in non-minority-owned child care businesses indicated “yes” or “maybe” to considering leaving their job However, the majority of ECEs indicated competitive wages would convince them to stay at their jobs. Data on ECE Workforce Well-Being 34.9% of Pennsylvania respondents reported experiencing financial insecurity in the last year, despite 54.7% reporting an increased wage Additionally, 78.6% of Pennsylvania respondents indicated that burnout/exhaustion contributed “greatly” or “to some extent” to problems retaining teachers NAEYC Recommendations NAEYC recommends that congress build on the successes of child care funding to prioritize additional, sustainable investments. These investments ensure programs and educators can meet the needs of families, children, and businesses, and states can continue to build towards an early childhood education system that works. Learn More To learn more about the NAEYC survey results, read the full report.
January 18, 2023 NAEYC 2023 Public Policy Forum (PPF) Are you a NAEYC member who is passionate about early childhood policy? Join fellow NAEYC members at this three-day forum and help us strengthen advocacy skills, expand policy knowledge, deepen relationships, and build power across states and communities! As a Public Policy Forum participant, NAEYC members have the opportunity to: Be part of a powerful team working to advance federal and state early childhood policy Hear from national and state policy leaders and fellow advocates Get the resources and experiences they need to be an informed and effective advocate Meet with members of Congress and build relationships with their staff and teams Forum Details Sunday, February 26, 2023 – Tuesday, February 28, 2023 Washington, DC Cost: $125 Registration NAEYC’s PPF is organized by state teams in order to build strong relationships and networks. To register, follow these steps: Find the name and email address for your state’s team leader on this spreadsheet. Send an email to your State Team Leader asking if you can join the team! Include your name and contact information. They will respond by providing you with the link to register. They may also ask you to share additional information to help them build a strong and connected team. Registration closes Tuesday, January 31, 2023.
October 10, 2022 Fall 2022 NAEYC Survey of the Field Available The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is conducting a new survey to gather current data from the field to inform federal and state actions on child care. (This article was updated on October 18 to reflect a new deadline). About the Survey From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, NAEYC has been surveying child care programs to convey the challenges they are facing across states and settings. Early childhood educators can answer the questions about how their programs are currently doing, regardless of what kind of child care program they work in or what role they have there. The survey will close on Sunday, October 23, 2022. Child Care Survey in English Child Care Survey in Spanish See results from past NAEYC surveys.
May 5, 2022 New Commission Releases Call for Applications from Early Childhood Educators Early childhood educators are invited to apply to serve on national a new Commission on Professional Excellence in Early Childhood Education. About the Commission Seventeen organizations – including the National Education Association (NEA), the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and ZERO TO THREE – dedicated to young children formed the commission “to develop and promote the framework for a unified, cohesive, and equitable early childhood education profession informed by and in partnership with early childhood educators across states and settings,” according to a news release. The Commission is guided by the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council’s Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 report, the Power to the Profession Task Force’s Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education Profession, and The Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators. Eligibility The Commission is opening an application process for individual early childhood educators to apply to be co-equal, full voting members. Eligibility and criteria information for applicants are available online. Apply The application is available in English and Spanish. Applications are open until Friday, May 27. The Commission will appoint up to seven early childhood educators, representing a diverse cross-section of the profession.
March 2, 2022 Survey: Chronic Child Care Staffing Shortages Persist, Threaten Economy To understand the depth of the ongoing child care crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has been surveying thousands of programs across states and settings. Current survey results show that federal and state relief funds have provided critical support for stabilizing child care programs. NAEYC Pandemic Survey NAEYC’s newest survey results, completed in January 2022 by nearly 5,000 respondents working in child care centers and family child care homes, shows that two-thirds of respondents reported experiencing a staffing shortage that affected their ability to serve families. The survey also showed that stabilization grants provided through the American Rescue Plan were critical in helping child care facilities stay open, including during the recent COVID-19 Omicron wave, even if providers were simultaneously unable to serve all families who needed care. Statistics 75% of respondents reported that the end of stabilization grants would have a negative or highly negative effect on their programs. Of the respondents who said they knew enough about Build Back Better’s investments in child care and pre-k to answer the question, 89% agreed that it would “secure the future of our program,” including 86% of respondents from family child care homes and 85% of respondents from faith-based programs. 28% of respondents reported that they are definitely or maybe considering leaving their program or closing their child care home in 2022. This comes on top of recent findings from Child Care Aware of America indicating that between December 2019 and March 2021—during the pandemic but before ARP funds started to go out—8,889 child care centers and 6,957 licensed family child care homes were permanently closed. More Information For access to prior survey data and analyses: Visit NAEYC.org/pandemic-surveys Read the Survey Brief: Saved But Not Solved: America’s Economy Needs Congress to Fund Child Care Read the press release
February 9, 2022 NAEYC Virtual Public Policy Forum Join NAEYC for live engagement, virtual Congressional visits, and opportunities to build connections with educators, advocates, and allies in your state and local community. Visit the 2022 Public Policy Forum website for more information on sessions and speakers, and to register for this event. Registration will close on February 22, 2022. Reserve your spot today to become part of this strong, supportive, and growing community of advocates standing up for our nation’s children, families, and early childhood educators. NAEYC Members may attend this year’s Virtual Public Policy Forum at no cost. Individuals must be a member by February 20 to qualify for this benefit. About the Event Sunday, February 27 | 1 – 4:30 p.m. Monday, February 28 | 1 – 2:30 p.m. In order to provide participants with the most timely and relevant information and access to speakers and content, NAEYC shares the agenda and resources shortly before the start of the policy forum. Once registered, the state leader will contact participants in mid-February with details and state and community Congressional visits. About NAEYC NAEYC promotes high-quality early learning for all children, birth through age 8, by connecting practice, policy, and research. They advance a diverse, dynamic early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children.
January 11, 2022 January 2022 NAEYC Survey of the Field Available The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is conducting a new survey to gather current data from the field to inform federal and state actions on child care. About the Survey From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, NAEYC has been surveying child care programs to convey the challenges they are facing across states and settings. Early childhood educators can answer the questions regardless of whether their child care program is open, closed, or somewhere in between, and regardless of what kind of child care program they work in, or what role they have there. The survey will close on Monday, January 17, 2022. Child Care Survey in English Child Care Survey in Spanish
November 19, 2020 #SaveChildCare Wednesdays The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is asking all child care champions to support early childhood educators and families by participating in #SaveChildCare Wednesdays each week at 4:50 p.m. About Quality child care is critical to the recovery of the current economic crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Advocates are asked to take action each Wednesday on social media and call on Congress to prioritize passing a COVID-19 relief package that includes at least $50 billion in dedicated funding to stabilize the child care sector. Participate Everything you need to engage each week can be accessed via this #SaveChildCare Day of ActionToolkit. The toolkit is regularly updated with messaging and contains additional links and content for social media tiles, shareable graphics, and sample posts in English and Spanish from a range of organizations.
November 17, 2020 Child Care Programs: Submit Your Experience The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is conducting a survey to gather information from the early childhood field to inform federal and state actions on child care. This survey is intended for early learning professionals. About Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, NAEYC has been collecting survey responses from early learning professionals to convey the challenges child care programs are facing across states and settings. Data collected through this survey will be shared with policymakers to build a deeper understanding of the ongoing urgency of the challenges programs are facing. Early childhood educators can answer the questions regardless of whether their child care program is open, closed, or somewhere in between, and regardless of what kind of child care program they work in, or what role they have there. Take The Survey To submit your experience, complete the online survey by November 22, 2020. NAEYC will select 10 respondents at random to receive a $50 gift card. Winners will be notified on December 18, 2020. Child Care Survey (English) Child Care Survey (Spanish) More Information For more information, contact advocacy@naeyc.org.
