This Early Childhood-LINC newsletter connects communities across the country as they build and strengthen systems to help children and families thrive. Click the box below and enter your email address in the Stay Informed box to sign up. 
 
 
        

We encourage you to share LINC-UP with others. Please send feedback or suggestions for "Community News" to:
COMMUNITY NEWS
Denver's Early Childhood Council Plants Seeds of Resilience

In early October, Denver's Early Childhood Council (an EC-LINC member community) hosted the 4th annual Denver's Early Learning & Health Institute.

This one-day, sold-out conference brought together early care and education professionals, child health professionals, service providers and others to discuss social-emotional early development. Keynote speaker Heather Forbes, LCSW and owner of the Beyond Consequences Institute, spoke on stress, childhood trauma and bridging the gap between scientific research and practical applications to equip families and providers with tools to support traumatized children.
Sessions focused on topics such as whole family mental health, understanding the differences between challenging behaviors and mental health disorders and self-care in stressful professions. 
Great Start Kent Completes New 3-Year Strategic Plan

First Steps and the Great Start Collaborative in Kent County, Michigan, an EC-LINC member, recently released their three-year Strategic Plan and Action Agenda to assess the needs of young children and families in their communities, identify community assets for addressing those needs and plan for systemic change.

The Plan is informed by years of experience, statistical and demographic data from multiple sources, parent perspectives, community surveys and much more. The priorities include: promote healthy beginnings, nurture strong families, promote quality early learning and build infrastructure to support the early childhood system.

Great Start Kent is actively working to involve the entire community in the execution of the 2015-16 Action Agenda, in particular. They plan to include parents, caregivers and community members to serve on community workgroups that will develop plans for success in the established priority areas.
NATIONAL NEWS 

Four Pillars of Public Policy Needed to Reduce Child Poverty 

In early October, CLASP executive director Olivia Golden published an op-ed in the Washington Monthly outlining four public policy steps to reduce child poverty. Golden based her analysis on the recent U.S. Census Bureau report on poverty, income and health insurance. "The bad news," she writes, "is persistently high poverty for children and youth, especially for those of color. The good news...is that ambitious public policies are proving effective." Golden notes that these successes point the way for a bold public policy agenda to stem the devastating consequences of child poverty.


PHILANTHROPY and EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM-BUILDING
Funders Toolkit
How to Invest in a Strong Start for Children
 
Funders face vast amounts of information and interest in funding early childhood systems and programs. The Center for High Impact Philanthropy developed this web-based "toolkit" with key facts, strategies for investment, high impact opportunities and partners to help funders make informed investment decisions.

Funders Toolkit
Guide to Early Childhood Investment

The Bridgespan Group and the Pritzker Children's Initiative recently released  Achieving Kindergarten Readiness for All Our Children: A Funder's Guide to Early Childhood Development from Birth to Five. The guide provides 13 tested early childhood investment opportunities for both public and private sector investors.
EXPLORE MORE RESOURCES                        
 
Early Childhood-LINC is a learning and innovation network developed by and for communities. Our mission is to support families and improve results for young children in communities across the country with a focus on accelerating the development of effective, integrated, local early childhood systems. We are currently made up of nine member communities across the country. Learn more about the innovative work of our communities.