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Early education in the news
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 Early education has been receiving a lot of recent public attention. Articles about the benefits of quality early learning of young children and how this supports later life success are increasingly gaining attention from policy makers, parents, teachers, and the general public. Currently in Idaho, two out of four children are not prepared for kindergarten. Any early educator or child care provider can attest to the educational, social, and emotional benefits for young children through early learning. Preschool may not be the first area of early learning that comes to mind, but preschool is exactly what Boise legislative representative Hy Kloc (D-Boise) is promoting as a way to support Idaho's children to be prepared for school. Kloc will be presenting a bill to the legislature to create a pre-K pilot program. This proposal would call for funding--55 percent of which would come from non-tax sources like the private sector and nonprofit foundations--to send 120 students in five Idaho school districts through preschool. The bill will be presented to Idaho's Legislature in the upcoming 2014 session. Idaho AEYC will keep you updated on the journey of this proposal! |
| A strong start for kids through preschool |
On November 13th, Senator Harkin (D-Iowa) along with Representatives George Miller (D-California) and Richard Hanna (R-New York) introduced legislation - Start Strong for America's Children. This bipartisan-sponsored legislation will accelerate the existing commitment of federal, state and local programs for young children's early development and learning from birth to kindergarten.
The bill has three main components:
- Grants to states to expand high-quality preschool, building on their current state-funded preschool delivery system (there are also grants for states that do not yet invest in or need to raise the quality of their standards for preschool);
- Grants to create Early Head Start/child care partnerships to improve the quality of and expand access to high-quality child care for infants and toddlers; and
- A call for the expansion of the voluntary home visiting program for infants and toddlers.
Children's early learning experiences set the course for success in school and life. High-quality programs benefit everyone: children, families, communities - and because of the return on investment, everyone wins.
To learn more about this bill, please read the NAEYC summary.
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Idaho AEYC partners in Idaho Reading & Literacy Summit
Children learn to read between kindergarten and 3rd grade, after 3rd grade they read to learn. If they are not reading at grade level by the 4th grade they are likely to struggle throughout their education journey and are more likely to drop out of school.
Idaho AEYC was proud to partner in The First Annual Idaho Reading and Literacy Summit. This summit explored the reasons behind Idaho's mediocre reading scores and consider ways to increase the reading proficiency of our young people. With four focus areas, the summit engaged citizens, elected officials, educators, and community leaders to discuss the importance of school readiness, summer learning loss, chronic absenteeism, and quality instruction. This conference will be an annual event, so if you did not make it this year, we hope to see you next year!
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Improving IdahoSTARS
The IdahoSTARS Project will be entering 2014 with a new look and message for child care providers, early educators, and parents looking for child care. If you are participating in IdahoSTARS, things might look a little or say things a little differently. While the changes are important, the goal of IdahoSTARS is not changing. The vision of the project remains that all of Idaho's children must have access to the highest quality child care and early education.
IdahoSTARS is a collaborative project that offers opportunities for child care providers to enhance their training, grow their businesses and strengthen relationships with parents. IdahoSTARS encourages business success by offering professional development, incentives and resources for child care providers. By ensuring that child care providers have access to current standards and resources, IdahoSTARS support providers to offer the best care possible and foster strong, lasting relationships between providers and families.
We hope that you will take a moment in the new year to explore the new IdahoSTARS website where resources will be specifically available for parents and providers.
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| A round of applause for accredited centers |
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NAEYC accredited programs invest in early childhood education because they believe in the benefits to children and families. NAEYC has set 10 standards for early childhood programs that help families make the right choice when they are looking for a childcare center, preschool, or kindergarten.The standards and criteria are also the foundation of the NAEYC Accreditation system for early childhood programs. To earn accreditation, programs must meet all 10 standards. This process is no small feat.
Idaho is proudly home to eighteen (18) accredited centers. These programs deserve a round of applause for their dedication to providing high quality early childhood education for Idaho's families.
To learn more or view a list of accredited centers in Idaho, visit our accreditation page!
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Welcome Landis!
Landis Rossi has recently joined Idaho AEYC as the Assistant Director for the IdahoSTARS project. With over five years of experience in the early childhood field and ten years in the non-profit and public sectors, Landis brings a wealth of knowledge to Idaho AEYC. Landis received her degree in Bachelors Administration from Boise State University and comes to Idaho AEYC from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, where she was worked as a Bureau Chief. Landis is passionate about offering all children, regardless of income, the opportunity to receive quality early education and care.
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 Welcome Deya!
Taking over the position of Multicultural Community Liaison, Idaho AEYC welcomes Deya Osgood. Deya has been an educator for the last 16 years and her commitment to early childhood education goes back 12 years ago she had the opportunity to volunteer at Southerland Head Start in Beaumont, Texas. During the last 4 years, Deya has worked for Teachers without Borders promoting awareness among teachers about how can they change lives. Deya would love the Multicultural Program to impact all areas of our practice, for all to start seeing things through the lens of multiculturalism and become an exemplary peace zone.
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 Thank you Carol!
Carol McClain has been a huge helping hand around the Idaho AEYC office this fall. We all appreciate her assistance and dedication working on the Idaho AEYC team. "I really enjoy it here, everyone is so kind and helpful. I have been made to feel very welcome," said Carol. Thank you again for your contribution to furthering Idaho AEYC's mission!
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