From the Day They Are Born
Putting Science and the System to Work for Infants and Toddlers
A Report to Governor Deval Patrick
The Birth to School Age Task Force
Phase I: Supporting Infants and Toddlers, Their Families and Communities
Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care
November 2010
Dear Governor Patrick,
I am pleased to present you with From the Day They Are Born, the final report of the Department of Early Education and Care’sBirth to School Age Task Force, in response to your call for the creation of a Task Force “to establish a statewide birth-to-schoolagestrategy to ensure the healthy development of children, particularly those from low-income families.”
Herein, the Task Force articulates the rationale and urgency for deliberate attention to the critical first three years of a child’s development. Equally important, the Task Force offers a framework for statewide policies, programs and practices that will put science and the system to work to ensure that all children have the best foundation for a lifetime of health, well-being and learning.
The Task Force shares your vision of a “21st century education system that is fully integrated, coherent and seamless — serving children from birth through higher education and beyond.” The Task Force also recognizes that the science of early development demands heightened attention to the years from birth to eight. Consequently, the Task Force has ensured that its first phase of work is consistent with, and complementary to, the work of the Commonwealth Readiness Project and the Success for Life framework recently endorsed by your Readiness Cabinet.
Ever-cognizant of the challenges presented by the current and projected fiscal environment, the Task Force remained faithful to its charge to establish a statewide framework for action that addresses various service agencies, links multiple funding streams, and aligns preschool and school-age care. The Task Force calls for an unprecedented commitment to a shared vision and to collaborative planning, as well as for revolutionary partnerships across state agencies and between the public and private sectors.
On this foundation, and with the agreed set of common outcomes and indicators of progress presented in this report, the Task Force is confident that its recommendations will yield improvements in services. On behalf of the Department of Early Education and Care and the members of the Birth to School Age Task Force, thank you for your leadership. We stand ready to work with you, your Child and Youth Readiness Cabinet, and all those in the public and private sectors who share our commitment to the children and families of Massachusetts and who share our belief in a brighter future.
Sincerely,
Sherri Reneé KillinsEd.D
Commissioner, Department of Early Education and Care
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Task Force Membership
Introduction and Overview
Task Force Vision, Values and Beliefs
Organization of the Task Force’s Work
Target Beneficiaries
- Children
- Families
- Communities and Programs
Areas of Focus
- Basic Needs
- Health and Well Being
- Development and Learning
- Positive Relationships
Toward a Better Future
- Start with the Science
- New Science Offers Insight and Opportunity
- The Achievement Gap Begins as Early as 15 Months
- Early Childhood Risk Factors Can Have Long Reaching Effects
- Investing in Early Education Benefits All
Shared Responsibility and Accountability: A Framework for Action
- Shared Outcomes
Appendices
- Appendix A: Strengthen the System
- Governance and Leadership
- Family Support and Leadership
- Standards and Regulations
- Financing
- Accountability and Evaluation
- Appendix B: Example Indicators of Progress for Identified Outcomes
- Appendix C: Task Force Shared Goals
TASK FORCE MEMBERSHIP
The Birth to School Age Task Force Phase I: Supporting Infants and Toddlers, Their Families and Communities
Although the Task Force was established by and convened under the auspices of the Department of Early Education and Care, it is important to note that it represents the work of more than 50 practitioners, policymakers, educators and advocates from myriad disciplines and service sectors throughout the state. Based on the experience and expertise of this coalition, this report lays the foundation for an integrated system of early care and lifelong learning that begins on the day each individual is born. It also provides a blueprint for each individual’s success for life.
TASK FORCE MEMBERS
Dr. Robin Adair, University of Massachusetts Memorial Infant-Toddler and Preschool Clinics
Dr. Charles Anderson, Caritas Christi Health Care
Betty Bardige, A. L. Mailman Family Foundation
Suzin Bartley, Children’s Trust Fund
Lynson Moore Beaulieu, Former Member of the Board of Early Education and Care
Ron Benham, Department of Public Health
Ruth Bowman, Early Childhood Policy Coalition
Emily Caille, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Senator Gale Candaras, Massachusetts Senate
Ann Capoccia, Department of Mental Health
Marie Cassidy, Coordinator, Medford Family Network
Sharon Scott-Chandler, Board of Early Education and Care / Action for Boston Community Development
Representative Katherine Clark, Massachusetts House of Representatives
Dr. Cassandra Clay, Boston University School of Social Work
Kitt Cox, Birth to Three Family Center
Richard DeRosa, Healthy Baby Healthy Child, Boston Public Health Commission
Barbara Prindle-Eaton, Cape Cod Child Development
Lei-Anne Ellis, City of Cambridge Department of Human Service Programs
Dr. Meme English, Commonwealth Healthcare Group at Brightwood
Marie Enochty, Cape Cod Children's Place
Anne Marie Fitzgerald, Reach Out and Read
Bob Gagne, Thom Westfield Infant Toddler Services Early Intervention Program
Hanna Gebretensae, Urban College
Melinda Green, Infants and Toddler Consultant
Valerie Gumes, Haynes Early Education Center
Darla Gundler, Department of Public Health
Sue Heilman, Horizons for Homeless Children
Lynn Hennigan, Together for Kids, Community Health Link
Joan Kagan, Square One
Sherri Killins Ed.D, Department of Early Education and Care
Corky Klimczak, Hampshire County Family Network
Betsy Leutz, Connected Beginnings
Dr. John Lippit, Thrive in 5
Joan Louden-Black, Bristol Community College, New Bedford Early Literacy Consortium
Mary Lu Love, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Institute Community Inclusion
Jennifer McCracken, The Home for Little Wanderers
Christine Haley Medina, Department of Early Education and Care Parent Advisory Council
Neal Michaels, Department of Children and Families
Heavenly Mitchell, Healthy Baby Healthy Child, Boston Public Health Commission
Michele Norman, Consultant
Amy O'Leary, Early Education for All
Howard Ray, Department of Early Education and Care
Eleanora Villegas-Reimers, Wheelock College
Grace Richardson, Family Child Care Educator
Yvette Rodriquez, Action for Boston Community Development
Kate Roper, Department of Public Health
Caroline Ross, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley
Carol Rubin, Parent Child Home Program
Linda Schaeffer, Board Member, Massachusetts Early Intervention Consortium
Ronna Schaffer, Early Head Start
Peg Sprague, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley
Carl Sussman, Sussman Associates
Sunday Taylor, Family Services of Greater Boston
Lori Thames, Early Childhood Education Consultant
Carole Thomson, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Nancy Topping-Tailby, Massachusetts Head Start Association
Victor Vasquez, Department of Transitional Assistance
Representative Alice Wolf, Massachusetts House of Representatives
Nida Wright, Tartt’s Day Care Center
Dr. Libby Zimmerman, Connected Beginnings
STAFF
Laura Beals, Connected Beginnings
Laurel Deacon, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley
Gail DeRiggi, Department of Early Education and Care
Nicole Lessard, Department of Early Education and Care
Bryce McClamroch, Department of Public Health
Larisa Mendez-Penate, Department of Early Education and Care
Geetha Pai, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley
Chris Pond, Department of Early Education and Care
Pam Roux, Department of Early Education and Care
Kelly Schaffer, Department of Early Education and Care
Dr. Mallary Swartz, Connected Beginnings
Jennifer Amaya-Thompson, Department of Early Education and Care
Anitza Guadarrama-Tiernan, Children’s Trust Fund
INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW
In states and communities throughout the country and around the world, public officials are beginning to act on new knowledge that their constituents’ future prosperity and well-being are based on a foundation that is laid in early childhood. Based on decades of developmental science and recent, dramatic contributions from neuroscience, genomics, and even economics, this knowledge base is informing how innovative states approach early childhood systems change, as a path to solving some of their most intractable problems: improving school achievement, reducing anti-social behavior and remediation costs, ending the cycles of violence and poverty, and even improving the lifelong health of their residents. A clear vision for, and commitment to, facilitating and supporting healthy development and continuous learning of all children,from the day they are born, is not only a moral obligation, but also a sound economic strategy as well.
Massachusetts,right now, has the opportunity to be a national leader in re-conceptualizing how its interlocking systems support the healthy development of all children. Fiveyears ago, with strong support from the state legislature, Massachusetts established the first state agency to combine the budgets and operations of its early education and early care agencies into a single department – The Department of Early Education and Care.
More recently, under the leadership of Governor Deval L. Patrick, Massachusetts has embraced a vision for education that begins before kindergarten and continues through higher education and beyond. Based on the work of the Governor’s unprecedented Readiness Project, the Governor’s Education Action Agenda[1] set the goal that by 2020, Massachusetts will have a coordinated plan to provide high quality education and care for all children beginning at birth, which will smooth their transitions to school. Calling for the use of science and an integrated system to revolutionize care, education, programs and services, the Department of Early Education and Care’s Birth to School Age Task Force offers the following report as the next essential step toward achieving that goal.
The following report, From the Day They Are Born, draws from and integrates key elements of the Department of Early Education and Care’s Strategic Plan[2]. However, it also breaks new ground. In fact, it is the first-ever comprehensive Massachusetts framework for action on behalf of our youngest – and arguably most vulnerable residents – infants and toddlers.
OUR VISION, VALUES AND BELIEFS
We Envision…
A Massachusetts in which every infant and toddler is emotionally and physically healthy with opportunities to experience consistent, nurturing early education and care in the context of strong families and supportive communities that provide comprehensive, high quality, culturally-competent programs and services that focus first on prevention and include responsive evaluation and informed intervention.
We Value…
- All those who nurture, care and educate children.
- A holistic approach to the care and education of children that integrates and leverages health, education and human services programs and support.
- Continuity of education and care with seamless transitions between systems of support.
- Programs and services that enable family choice and that meet the individual needs of children, parents and families.
We Believe…
- All children can succeed.
- Healthy development and learning begins before birth.
- Parents and caregivers are recognized as their child’s first teacher.
- Parents/families and all those who support and care for young children have an obligation to work together as equals and to be positive forces in the lives of children.
- Culturally appropriate services are essential to children, youth and families.
- The Massachusetts system of early education and care must focus equally on promotion, prevention and intervention.
- Communities must be active partners in ensuring access to high-quality education and care of children.
- Disparities in access or quality of service to children, youth and families must be eliminated.
- We believe our system should serve first those children and families with the greatest need.
- We must all do more to ensure a diverse early education and care workforce that is compensated fairly and given the opportunity for ongoing professional development and career advancement.
- Our system of early education and care should be flexible and responsive, adapting to meet changing times.
- Accountability, evidenced-based programs and informed use of best practices are paramount.
- Sustainability must always be a key consideration for any program, service or initiative.
- Collaboration and coherent programming, services and advocacy based on shared data is essential to generate the best possible outcomes for children, youth and families.
ORGANIZATION OF THE TASK FORCE’S WORK
The Zero to Three’s[3] “Infant-Toddler Policy Agenda” framework was adapted by the Task Force.As a result, four committees were formed to focus on the following areas:
- Good Health
- Strong Families/Communities
- Positive Early Learning Experiences
- Strong Systems
In addition, the Task Force added a Diversity Subcommittee, as they felt diversity was an essential component of any framework given the current national and state demographic trends.
Good Health
Subcommittee Vision: All Massachusetts infants and toddlers, and their families, will have access to health care, nurturing relationships (including non-family care-giving settings) and physical and mental health promotion, prevention, and intervention, in order for the infants and toddlers to grow into positive, caring and contributing adults.
Children learn best when they are healthy physically, socially, and emotionally.The good health of infants, toddlers, and their families can be ensured by enacting policies, which address the following issues that this subcommittee focused on: physical health,mental health, family/parental physical and mental health,
developmental screening, and environmental factors.
Strong Families/Communities
Subcommittee Vision: All Massachusetts infants and toddlers will live in strong families that raise resilient children in supportive, just and inclusive communities.Familieswill be offered culturally and linguistically appropriate information, education, and supportto help them be effective caregivers, as well as the opportunity to learn skills necessary to be engaged advocates for their children. Communities will invest in building strong families by having affordable, accessible, high quality programs and services available to all partnerships with families that will be grounded in mutual respect, strengths-based practice, and parent/family empowerment.
Parents play the most active and significant role in their baby’s healthy development.Young children learn and grow in strong families where parents/caregivers are able to successfully face the challenge of caring for their children, while, at the same time, meeting their work and other responsibilities. Strong families that allow babies and toddlers to thrive are supported by family –friendly state and federal policies with adequate funding for implementation. These policies should address the following issues: basic needs, income security, home visiting, child welfare, paid family leave, family/parental education, early education and care, health and safety of environments, and nurturing families.
Positive Early Learning Experiences
Subcommittee Vision:Every infant and toddler in Massachusetts has the optimal opportunity to experience caring, culturally and linguistically responsive and affirming relationships with parents/families, caregivers, peers and siblings within safe, stimulating, language-rich environments that promote exploratory learning.
Babies are born learning.Learning in very young children takes place through play, the active exploration of their environment, and, most importantly, through interactions with the significant adults in their lives. Positive early learning experiences can be provided that lay the foundation for future success by enacting policies, which address the following issues that this subcommittee focused on: access to quality affordable early education and care, home visiting,community strategies, early intervention, and safe and nurturing environments.
Strong Systems
Subcommittee Vision: All Massachusettssystems that serve infants and toddlers, especially those experiencing low income or other risk factors, will ensure that all families and young childrenhave access to comprehensive, high quality early childhood and family support services that support healthy development of all children through affordable, inclusive and developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate services. The goal shall be to promote family and community wellness, so that all children, at 3 years of age, have the communication, cognitive, physical and social – emotional skills appropriate for their age level.
All infants and toddlers need access to high-quality, affordable early education and care, health and mental health, and family support services.Programs and services that address these areas are critical; however, they are only as strong as the infrastructure that supports them. Comprehensive, coordinated systems of high-quality, prenatal-to-five services can be built by utilizing the following resources and tools: governance, leadership, quality improvement, accountability and evaluation, financing, public engagement and political will building, regulations and standards, and professional development.