2011-12 Public Policy Platform
QUALITY
To ensure the best outcomes for young children aged birth to 13 and their families, we support a sufficiently funded system that ensures high quality programs including: developmentally appropriate curriculum; environments conducive to learning and development; knowledgeable, well-trained, well-educated and well-compensated staff; robust parental engagement; and comprehensive services - all of which are culturally and linguistically appropriate and that respect and support diversity.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
To ensure all children are cared for and educated in safe and healthy environments, we must have a sufficiently funded and staffed Community Care Licensing system and supports that monitor, and provide technical assistance and resources to, current and future licensed programs and providers.
WORKFORCE
To ensure that a qualified workforce cares for and educates our diverse population of young children, we promote public and private efforts and systems that recruit, retain, and support a diverse, well-trained, well-educated, well-compensated child care/ECE workforce that is recognized as professional. This workforce must have access to high quality, coordinated educational and professional development systems that address cultural, linguistic, and literacy needs on a continuum from entry-level through degree attainment.
AVAILABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY AND AFFORDABILITY
To ensure all families and their children benefit from high quality child care/ECE services, including children who face challenges such as learning a second language, socioeconomics, disability and special health care needs, we support investments and strategies that increase the availability, accessibility and affordability of high quality services and preserve our diverse delivery system, inclusive of funding to all types of legal entities in both the public and private sectors.
FACILITIES
To ensure that all children are cared for and educated in high quality, inclusive environments within a diverse delivery system, we support strategies at the state and local levels that equitably improve and expand the public and private capital resources and technical expertise available to develop, finance, and maintain needed new and existing high quality child care/ECE facilities.
SYSTEMS FINANCING AND ADMINISTRATION
To ensure and support a comprehensive, high quality child care/ECE system, we promote streamlined and efficient administration, including adequate resources for local child care/ECE planning, and well-financed and coordinated regulatory, contracting and reimbursement processes. This child care/ECE system will require coordination between and integration within State and County agencies that support physical or mental health, prevention/ early intervention, K-12 and higher education, community and economic development, family support, food/nutrition, social services and recreation services.
