All on Board for Children Initiative

Overview

The All on Board for Children (ABC) initiative builds on the Insight Center’s nearly 20 years of analyzing, documenting, and publicizing the vital role that early care and education (ECE) plays in building healthy local economies by expanding the impact of this work on a state and national level. By understanding the links between ECE, economic development, and business productivity, policymakers, business and civic leaders, and economic development professionals are able to engage in a collaborative dialogue about how to grow and sustain the ECE industry. Viewing ECE as an economic issue, as well as a social and educational one, helps spark systemic change in investment strategies, policies, and programs. The ABC initiative advances these systemic changes through collaboration, communication, and policy development on both state and national levels. This work helps promote a high-quality, affordable, accessible, and integrated ECE system.

National Learning Community

As part of the ABC initiative, the Insight Center launched a national learning community in 2006 to integrate ECE with efforts to generate economic activity in a community and create lasting change at the local, state, and national level. The learning community is designed to encourage peer-based information sharing, problem-solving, and continuous learning.  The learning community meets in-person annually and collaborates regularly through a listserv, webinars, and other means that foster collective visioning.

To support this collaboration, the Insight Center has just launched The Economic Power of Early Care and Education (ECE Power). ECE Power is a new on-line tool for leaders in early care and education, economic development, business, and government. ECE Power provides information on successful strategies for integrating ECE and economic development, ECE communication and messaging tools, strategies to engage new partners, and links to resources and recent publications.

Recent Learning Community Webinars

On December 15th and 16th of 2009, the Insight Center hosted a series of two webinars on strengthening ECE systems:

Webinar #1: Engaging Business Leaders to Support ECE During Difficult Times:

Panelists in this webinar share effective strategies on how to engage business leaders as ECE champions. Panelists include:

  • Mike Petro, Committee for Economic Development
  • Elaine Weiss, Pew Charitable Trusts
  • Elisabeth Chun, Good Beginnings Alliance in Hawai’i

Webinar #2: Lessons Learned from Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) Pilots:
Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) are emerging as one of the most promising state policy mechanisms for improving ECE program quality. Despite their promise, there is wide variation in how a QRIS is implemented. In this webinar, leaders from three local QRIS pilots share lessons learned from their experiences with QRIS. Presenters include:

  • Rob Grunewald, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
  • Michelle Lenhart, Minnesota Department of Human Services
  • Amanda Blagman, Association for Children of New Jersey
  • Gary Mangiofico, Los Angles Universal Preschool

On February 4, 2009, the Insight Center hosted a Webinar, "Creating Spaces for Children: The Importance of High Quality ECE Facilities." Study after study indicates that quality facilities are directly linked to quality ECE programs. While there has been an increase in investments in programs that provide early education opportunities, such as publicly funded preschool for 3- and 4-year old children, there have been only nominal increases in funding for suitable spaces to house these new ECE programs. This presentation was given by three experts in the facilities financing field: Amy Gillman, Gabriella DiFilippo and Liz Winograd.

“Children Are Community: Creating Family-Friendly Cities for Young Children” was designed for mayors and other municipal leaders in New Jersey and sponsored by the New Jersey Economic Impact Council and the New Jersey State League of Municipalities. Experts from the John S. Watson Public Policy Institute at Thomas Edison State College, the National League of Cities, and the Insight Center spoke as panelists. Click on the following links for materials: Introduction, Ana I. Berdecia, M.Ed., Tonja Rucker, or Saskia Traill.

During “How Tax Policies Link to Quality ECE,” experts in the field helped participants determine if embarking on a tax policy strategy was an effective course to take in their state. Click here for more information and materials.

Supporting State Systems

The Insight Center works across the country to help state leaders develop and implement strategic plans designed to demonstrate how the ECE system supports community economic development, workforce investment, education, and family economic self-sufficiency. We help build state infrastructures by examining and developing best practices, providing content knowledge and expertise, and offering technical assistance to key state leaders. We also facilitate relationships with and among key leaders to build a cohesive and effective vision in the states.

State and National Policy

The Insight Center informs and influences state and national policy by conducting, publishing and publicizing research, presenting at national conferences, testifying at congressional hearings, and contributing to publications produced by our colleagues. We are recognized as a national leader in the ECE field.  State advocates, national policy organizations, researchers, and foundations rely on the Insight Center’s expertise in quantifying the economic importance of the ECE industry, and establishing the link between ECE and economic development.  Through this work, the Insight Center sparks new funding streams for policies and practices that support quality ECE systems.

The Insight Center is also a member of Partners in Early Childhood and Economic Development (ECED). ECED includes four founding members - the Insight Center for Community Economic Development, Committee for Economic Development, First Children's Finance and Linking Economic Development and Child Care Project* -- working with a growing group of business partners, early care and education groups, federal and state agencies, policy-makers and advocates.  ECED works to seek out, develop and support new early care and education (ECE) strategies that lead to more effective investment, greater innovation and improved public policy locally and nationally.

Federal Policy News

The Insight Center for Community Economic Development helped with the development of the new federal bill H.R. 1685, The Child Care Facilities Financing Act of 2009. The 13 million families, who seek access to safe, healthy child care, will have more options due to this new bill introduced on March 24, 2009 by Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (DNY). The Child Care Facilities Financing Act of 2009 will produce millions of dollars to create quality child care facilities nationally by providing funds that allow community development financial institutions (CDFI) and other nonprofit lenders to provide low-cost loans and grants to child care providers.

This bill will improve the lives of low income children. The Child Care Facilities Financing Act will address this need by creating a source of capital administered by the Secretary of Health and Human Services for acquisition, construction and upgrades to child care facilities and technical assistance for providers who need help maneuvering through the complex maze of the financing and construction process. Creating a pool of funds to finance the development of child care facilities will allow CDFI, to leverage private capital, creating more investment in our youngest citizens.

Insight Center would like to specifically thank Congresswoman McCarthy for her leadership on this legislation.

Take a look at Congresswoman McCarthy's website for a feature story on NCFN and the Child Care Facilities Financing Act of 2009.