Child Care Directors Discuss QRIS

North Carolina, along with 21 other states, is featured in a new report on quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS)iv. Based on interviews of child care center directors, conducted by CLASP and the National Women's Law Center, A Count...

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Smart Start Responds to NC Pre-K Recommendations

The House Select Committee on Early Education Improvement has released its Report of Recommendations to the General Assembly and is requesting public comment. The draft recommendations focus almost exclusively on North Carolina's Prekindergarten Program (NC Pre-K). The North Carolina Partnership...

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NC Governor Expands Availability of Prekindergarten

Gov. Bev Perdue announced this morning that her administration will create 2,000 additional slots this year in NC Pre-K classrooms across North Carolina. She has identified $9.3 million that will allow the additional at-risk 4-year-olds to attend NC Pre-K. “NC Pre-K...

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Early Childhood and President Obama’s Budget

Hannah Matthews from CLASP summarizes how the President's budget impacts early childhood. An $825 million increase for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), comprised of $325 million in discretionary funding and $500 million in mandatory funding (through approval...

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A Closer Look at the Early Learning Challenge

The Early Learning Challenge Collaborative held a briefing, “Strengthening State Systems: A Closer Look at the Early Learning Challenge,” the week of January 23, 2012. Leaders from North Carolina, Maryland, Ohio, and Colorado came together to discuss the earliest outcomes...

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Benefits of high quality child care persist 30 years later

(University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) Adults who participated in a high quality early childhood education program in the 1970s are still benefitting from their early experiences in a variety of ways, according to a new study. The study...

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Dr. Donna Bryant talks about Smart Start program

Dr. Donna Bryant, a Senior Scientist at FPG Child Development Institute, tells Barlow Herget that early education works for children, especially poor, at rick children if they continue to receive a good education throughout their school years.  Hear what Dr....

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Looking Ahead at the Agenda for Early Childhood Policy and Programs: Trends, Context, and Where We Go From Here

The current state of the economy has changed the context of early childhood policies and programs that impact children and families.  Olivia Golden of The Urban Institute will lead a participatory discussion on this topic at the 2011 National Smart...

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More Stars, Higher Quality Child Care, Cultivates Productive Citizens of North Carolina

More research that shows the relationship between high quality care  and child outcomes. The University of North Carolina-Greensboro has a new fact sheet documenting research that demonstrates North Carolina’s child care system supports working families and economic development. Highlights include: Recent Study...

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Nearly 75% of NC Early Childhood Professionals On Way to Being Certified

The number of certified Early Educators in North Carolina is rising. Over 12,000 Early Educators are certified and another 19,000 have applied. Nearly 75% of the workforce is on its way to becoming certified. Early Education Certification Benefits. A free year of...

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