During the first webinar in our “Building Resilience” series, experts across policy, program, and system levels shared their successes, challenges, and opportunities with Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships (Partnerships). The discussion touched on many relevant and timely themes within the early childhood education sector, including the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis on the child care industry.
Supporting & Sustaining Early Head Start–Child Care Partnerships
Early childhood experts across policy, programs and state systems discuss their experiences with Early Head Start–Child Care Partnerships.
One panelist, an early childhood education teacher from Southwest Child Development Center in Oklahoma City, shared this call to action: “The [federal] administration should acknowledge child care workers. We are on the same guidelines as school teachers, we just make less money than them. Child care workers should get the same benefits that school teachers receive.”
While the pandemic has revealed the fragility of our under-resourced child care workforce, it has illuminated the strength and visibility of the Partnerships model. A recent qualitative policy analysis from Start Early, found that Partnerships support continuity of care for infants and toddlers and raise the level of quality for child care.
Participants came away from the discussion with a deeper understanding of Partnerships and their benefits, particularly during the pandemic, as well as ideas on how to support and sustain Partnerships and professional development resources for themselves and their staff.
Thank you to our wonderful panelists:
- Melinda George-LeCote, Director, Child Care Assistance Program in Louisiana
- Amanda Guarino, Policy Director, First Five Years Fund
- Charlina Tirso, Teacher, Southwest Child Development Center
- Sujey M. Venegas, Sr. Director Family, Community Engagement, Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership, United Way of Miami-Dade County
- Moderator: Kristin Bernhard, SVP Advocacy and Policy, Start Early
Building Resilience
About the Series
“Building Resilience” is a free quarterly webinar series that connects you directly with Start Early childhood learning and development experts. Appropriate for all types of programs and early learning professionals, this series will explore:
- Advancing Equity through Ambitious Instruction
- Trauma-Informed Family Engagement
- Leveraging Research to Increase Positive Child Outcomes
Join our mailing list to find out about upcoming learning experiences from Start Early and continue the conversation with us on Early Childhood Connector.
