Early Childhood Supporters Gather in Oklahoma to Discuss Improved Care for Infants and Toddlers
February 12, 2020
In January, the Educare Learning Network and the Ounce of Prevention Fund led a lunch and learn at Educare Oklahoma City highlighting the release of a new policy brief, Expanding High-Quality Child Care for Infants & Toddlers: Lessons from Implementation of Early Head-Start Child Care Partnerships in States. The report demonstrates the impact of this innovative public investment in high-quality child care through Early Head Start.
Early Head Start launched in 1994, but recent investments through the Child Care Partnerships (Partnerships) have made high-quality early learning experiences available to thousands more infants and toddlers across the country, including in the six states profiled in the report. These partnerships encouraged state early childhood systems to leverage multiple funding streams to improve quality in local child care programs. The Partnerships also allowed for better continuity of care and increased access for infants and toddlers in working families with low incomes.
The event in Oklahoma City drew over 40 community leaders from government, business, philanthropy, and other early childhood education organizations to discuss the report findings and the impact of the Partnerships in Oklahoma. The Educare Learning Network would like to thank the Ounce for their partnership, Educare Oklahoma City for hosting and extend a special thanks to representatives from Sunbeam Family Services, the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness, the state of Oklahoma, and grantees of the EHS-CCP Partnerships program for sharing their insights and experiences.
