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Five Celebrations from December 2015

Five Celebrations from December 2015

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Children's Champions Update - December 18, 2015

Here’s to a strong finish for early childhood education in 2015 - and get ready for a strong start to the new year!

5. NAEYC Released “Advancing the Early Childhood Profession” Research Findings

On December 2, NAEYC released the results from our major market research project, which found widespread support for making investment in the early education profession a national priority. Find all the information you need here, including the key findings, press release, executive summary, media stories and more.

4. The Northhaven Co-operative Preschool Celebrated 30 Years of Accreditation

Every day, there are thousands of educators making high-quality practice and policy come to life. Northhaven Co-operative Preschool is a small program in Dallas, Texas, whose leaders made a commitment to providing the highest quality experience for young children 30 years ago, when they were in the very first cohort of programs to be accredited by NAEYC. We were there on December 8 when they received their re-accreditation decision; their validation that, after 30 years, their demonstrated commitment to quality remains an example for us all.

3. The President Signed a New Education Bill Into Law

On December 10, 2015, we celebrated the continuing promise of early childhood education, as President Obama signed into law the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which Congress passed with significant bipartisan support and which includes an elevated focus on the importance of the early years. Read NAEYC’s CEO Rhian Evans Allvin’s statement on the new law here and prepare to turn your attention to implementation, as we work together to realize the promise and potential of this law to achieve quality and equity for all students.

2. Early Childhood Received Increased Funding in Appropriations

Your voices were heard! The Omnibus FY 2016 Appropriations Bill, which Congress passed on Friday, December 18, includes significant increases in funding for early education programs, including: an increase of $326 million for the Child Care Development Block Grant; an increase of $570 million for Head Start, which includes a $141 million COLA for Head Start educators; a $15 million increase for IDEA Part B Preschool Grants; a $20 million increase in IDEA Part C Grants for Infants and Families; and $250 million for the continuation of Preschool Development Grants.

1. The Administration for Children and Families Released the New CCDBG Regulations

We close out the year with deep appreciation for the hard work of the leaders at HHS and the Administration for Children and Families, who released the Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) for CCDF regulations just in time for some holiday reading! This very important proposed rule makes changes to detail some of the provisions of the reauthorized CCDBG in order to protect the health and safety of children in child care; help parents make informed consumer choices and access information to support child development; provide equal access to stable, high quality child care for low-income children; and enhance the overall quality of child care and the early childhood workforce. You will hear much more from NAEYC and other partners in the new year as we work together to provide comments, and we look forward to hearing your thoughts, and then reflecting and integrating your experience and expertise.

We are grateful for each and every one of you - and we wish you a safe and joyful holiday season and a happy new year!

P.S. In need of more holiday reading? May we recommend some of the newest resources from friends in the field:

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