Children's Champions Update - June 20, 2016

Today is the longest day of the year! Wondering what to do with all that extra time? Use a couple of those minutes to take the following actions - and then go ahead and get outside!

Call Your Representatives

The Senate Appropriations Committee has finalized a bi-partisan mark up of their FY2017 bill, with an increase of $25 million for CCDBG (for a total of $2.8 billion) and $36 million for Head Start (for a total of $9.2 billion). While all increases are appreciated, especially when we know the committee is operating within very tight spending caps, these increases nevertheless fall far short of the investments needed to achieve the programs’ goals for children, families and communities.

If you haven’t checked in with your Representatives lately, now is the time! The next step in the appropriations process is for the Labor-HHS Subcommittee to mark up their bill on the House side. We strongly encourage you to keep pushing and continue to call your Representatives to ask for additional investments in early learning, and particularly in CCDBG (if you need it, you can find your Representatives’ information here). Let them know you are paying attention and keeping track of how they support our youngest children and their families.

Follow Early Ed for President

In the three months since the launch, Early Ed for President has gained over 50,000 supporters, with new content and campaigns rolling out nearly every day. As you know, the bigger our numbers, the louder our voice, and the stronger our message that all candidates can champion early learning on the road to the White House – and the state house, and the schoolhouse… so if you haven’t joined us yet, make today the day!

1. Follow @supportearlyed on Twitter and like Early Ed for President on Facebook
2. Sign the Supporter Wall at www.earlyedforpresident.org.
3. Invite your friends and networks to join, follow and like as well.
4. Wear your Early Ed for President buttons and t-shirts with pride – and post pictures of you wearing and using Early Ed for President swag on social media! #earlyedin16

Read And Share (Advancing the Profession)

• The new Power to the Profession initiative, a national collaboration to define the early childhood profession by establishing a unifying framework for career pathways, knowledge and competencies, qualifications, standards and compensation.
• The new Build it Better Indicators of Progress, to help you and your state support integrated, equitable and high-quality early childhood professional development systems.
• The new compensation report: “High-Quality Early Learning Settings Depend on a High-Quality Workforce: Low Compensation Undermines Quality.” And read NAEYC’s statement about the report too.

Finally, ICYMI…

• The White House Domestic Policy Council, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Education partnered with NAEYC, NHSA, NWLC and SEIU to host a convening on the early childhood workforce last Wednesday, June 15, as part of the United State of Women Summit. Check out #fairpay4earlyed and #earlyedin16 to learn more about the conversations.
• Standing Together Against Suspensions and Expulsions in Early Childhood: A Joint Statement. (And new data from the Office of Civil Rights).
• Bilingualism is an asset. Here’s how we can support Dual Language Learners.
• NAEYC and the White House know that STEM starts early!
• Philadelphia’s new soda tax will raise millions for a major expansion of early childhood education (and maybe provide a blueprint for other communities who want to do the same).
• Maybe you missed PDI. Maybe you want to relive it. Check out what happened here. And start getting ready for Annual Conference! Registration and housing will open soon.