August 2023 eNews

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Inside this issue

Save the Date: 2024 Nurturing Developing Minds Conference
IDEAS Impact Framework: Guidance for EC Program Development and Evaluation & Universal Webinar
New ICS HQ
Resources: For Parents - Raising Trans- and Gender-Nonconforming Children, Family Experiences of Health & Health Care Guide, and In the Spotlight for Systems Change
The Update: ICS Featured in Early Learning Nation Article, and NHSA Early Childhood Innovation Summit
What We've Been Up To: Innovative Finance Solutions for Early Childhood Investments, ICS Senior Fellow Develops Activities for A Child's Haven, Advocating for SC Children, and ICS Presents at APA Conference
In the Field of Early Childhood: Recommended Articles
Bulletin Board: Senior Fellow Co-Authors Textbook
Upcoming Events: 2023 Conferences & Summits for Your Radar

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Save the Date

Cultivating Lifelong Family Wellbeing

Desmond P. Kelly, MD Nurturing Developing Minds Conference & Research Symposium

is part of a 2-day event, in partnership with Furman University’s

Institute for the Advancement of Community Health (IACH)

March 7-8, 2024

Furman University - Younts Conference Center

Greenville, SC

Once registration opens, you may register for a day separately

or receive discounted registration to attend both days.

Spotlight on the IDEAS Impact Framework

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University featured the IDEAS Impact Framework Toolkit in a new episode of their podcast, Brain Architects. The free, newly released IDEAS toolkit provides guidance for early childhood innovators and organizations on program development and evaluation. Members of the ICS team helped support the development of the original IDEAS Impact Framework, and we continue to build upon and expand the framework in our work to meet the growing needs of the field.

What is the IDEAS Impact Framework?

IDEAS was built to answer the question: “How can we build better programs that achieve greater outcomes for more young children and their families?”

The framework is guided by four key principles:

Precision: Understanding a program’s impact—What works, for whom, in what contexts?
Fast-Cycle Iteration: An innovation process that incorporates learning back into the design of the intervention.
Co-Creation: Bringing together different parties to produce a mutually valued outcome.
Shared Learning: Learning from failure as well as success and sharing this learning.

Learn more about the IDEAS Impact Framework Toolkit in this webinar recording.

How we harness the IDEAS Impact Framework

The early childhood ecosystem is complex and requires bold solutions which are led and informed by family and practitioner voice. To catalyze innovation, we utilize the IDEAS Impact Framework, housed within The Harvard Center on the Developing Child , to support government, nonprofit, and foundations in improving the lives of young children and their families.

In our work at ICS, we guide organizations through the following steps:

Listening deeply to communities to understand their unique needs.
Developing a clear and precise theory of impact.
Utilizing innovative measurement and evaluation tools to collect data.
Understanding variation in impact (what works for whom).
Engaging in fast-cycle iteration to drive ongoing improvement.

Learn more about how we implement the IDEAS Impact Framework and other frameworks in the work we do.

Images and description of IDEAS courtesy of The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University.

IDEAS Impact Framework Universal Webinar

If you are in the healthcare field, or you're responsible for changing hearts, minds, and social impact in social programs, or you're in charge of measuring healthcare metrics, then this webinar is for you!

The Health Resources and Services Administration funded

Early Childhood Developmental Health Systems Evidence to Impact Center, together with ICS, present:

Improving Program Outcomes for Children and Families:

The IDEAS Impact Framework

Monday, October 30

3-4:30 pm ET

Registration info coming soon! Learn more about this framework developed by the Harvard Center on the Developing Child.

New ICS Headquarters

As of October 1, 2023, the Institute for Child Success will officially have a new headquarters at Endeavor, but...

*Our mailing and billing address will be the same*

Institute for Child Success

P.O. Box 17811

Greenville, SC 29606

The new physical address of our headquarters will be:

1 N. Main St., Fourth Floor

Greenville, SC 29601

This move to the Endeavor co-working space will allow us to continue as good stewards of the funds we receive to support our work.

Please update your records. Our phone numbers, email addresses, and website will remain the same. If you have any questions regarding our address change, please reach out to our VP of Strategy and Finance, John Young Shik Concklin via email. We value your continued support and trust in ICS.

Resources

Beyond the Binary: Raising Trans- and Gender-Nonconforming Children

by Allison Kimble-Cusano, EdD, ICS Research Specialist

Excerpt: Gender-based stereotypes are all around us. Young children are exposed to binary (male/female), gender-based expectations from birth. From nursery rhymes to toys, to family roles, children are bombarded with overt and implicit messages about how they are “supposed” to feel and act. These messages are further complicated by adults’ synonymous use of the terms “gender,” “sexual orientation,” and “sex.”

In the US, “sex,” or “assigned sex,” is usually designated at birth as “male” or “female.” “Gender” is “a person’s basic internal sense of being a man, woman (cisgender), and/or another gender (genderqueer, transgender, nonbinary, genderfluid, etc.).” For many individuals, their assigned sex corresponds with their gender. However, gender identity development is far from simple. Rather, gender is “the complex interrelationship between three dimensions: body, identity, and social gender.” According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children’s gender identities are stable by the age of four. Sexual orientation on the other hand—the inherent physical, emotional, or romantic attraction to another individual—manifests during puberty. So, while the term “LGBTQ+” represents both gender and sexual orientation, the two are independent of each other.

Are you a parent, educator, or caregiver? Continue reading for advice on lifting gender expectations and supporting children by allowing them to explore and express themselves authentically.

New ICS Family Experiences of Health & Health Care Guide

Families often face challenges in health care settings, from barriers to access to unsatisfactory experiences to communication challenges. Capturing these experiences is crucial to guide health care practice, and to inform policymakers, and researchers.

ICS has a new free measurement guide, Family Experiences of Health and Health Care, that contains a sample of assessments that measure the priorities, challenges, and experiences of families navigating health care, advocacy, and daily life related to health.

Government Agency Spotlights ICS for

Systems Change

The Child Welfare Information Gateway has a resource-rich article, "Building Comprehensive Early Childhood Systems," that offers valuable insights and recommendations for building stronger early childhood systems.

They note that ICS provides issue briefs, data books, and other materials related to connecting young children and their families to the support they need.

By exploring the recommendations provided in this article, states and communities can enhance their understanding of effective strategies for supporting young children and their families. This valuable resource is a must-read for anyone involved in the field of early childhood services.

The Update

ICS Featured in Early Learning Nation

ICS Chief Science & Innovation Officer, Tyson Barker, PhD, was featured in Early Learning Nation recently, highlighting the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care’s work to reimagine the kindergarten transition in the state of Oregon. The department is working to involve families, teachers, and community partners in the co-creation approach, to help honor the lived experiences and values of the various communities living in Oregon. Learn more about the innovative approach Oregon is taking to transform the kindergarten transition.

Here’s what Dr. Barker shared about this project: In our experience, many states collect a wealth of student data related to the transition to kindergarten without a clear understanding of how this information will be used to improve educational experiences. Additionally, it is extremely rare for educators and families to be part of the co-creation process. This is a model that can be replicated in many states that are currently reconceptualizing the kindergarten transition.

ICS Facilitates Session at NHSA Summit

ICS Research Specialist Allison Kimble-Cusano, EdD, participated in the National Head Start Association's multi-day Early Childhood Innovation Summit in Newton, MA in late July. She facilitated an accelerator circle on behavioral challenges in early childhood to craft innovative solutions to big challenges through systems thinking.

ICS Presents on the Intersection of Psychology and Technology at APA Conference

Katie Hammond, ICS Director of Science Communications, presented at this year’s American Psychological Association conference on August 5 in Washington, D.C. During the poster session on the Intersection of Psychology and Technology, Katie elevated how our IMPACT Measures Tool®, measurement resources, and outreach helps support early childhood practitioners to promote equitable assessment.

View our APA poster presentation.

What We've Been Up To

Developing Innovative Finance Solutions for Early Childhood Investments

At ICS, our reach extends beyond state borders. Our work with the Tallahassee and Jacksonville, FL communities on innovative finance solutions for early childhood investments recently landed ICS leadership from South Carolina and New York on the steps of City Hall in Tallahassee, Florida. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, and we're devising transformational solutions that will have a lasting impact on the lives of children.

Pictured from left to right are Bryan Ford Boroughs, COO and General Counsel; Mary C. Garvey, Chief Equity Officer; Loranne Ausley, former Florida State Senator, and ICS Board Member; and Jamie Moon, CEO.

A Child's Haven Finds

Hello Parents Wildly Helpful

ICS Senior Fellow, Mary McKenzie, developed Hello Family, a series of summertime outdoor activities for the parents and staff of A Child's Haven (ACH) to do with their children while participating in TOES, an effort underway at ACH to transform external spaces into therapeutic outdoor environments.

The outdoor activities are tailored to bring joy and adventure to children while providing a safe environment. Development doesn't take a break in the summer!

Amplifying the Voices of SC's Children

To equip the Early Childhood Common Agenda coalition with effective persuasion skills, we convened for Power in Stories: Storytelling to Impact Elected Officials in Columbia, SC on July 22. The session was led by ICS Palmetto Engagement and Policy Director, Deborah DePaoli and ICS Advocacy Intern, Citlaly Rojo.

If you want to learn about advocating on behalf of a child (to call out a need for their illness or disability, to limit access to firearms or e-cigarettes, or to fight for their right to a nutritious lunch), visit SC ECCA.

Deborah DePaoli and Citlaly Rojo attended the Select Health Back to School Event on July 29 in Columbia, SC. They staffed the SC ECCA outreach table.

Deborah DePaoli attended the Tri-County Cradle to Career Youth Council Summit 2-day event in Charleston, SC from July 29-30.

The University of South Carolina College of Social Work recently welcomed Deborah DePaoli as guest speaker for Advocacy in Macro Social Work on August 15.

In the Field

of Early Childhood

The Hechinger Report examines the early childhood educator shortage in, "To fight teacher shortages, schools turn to custodians, bus drivers, and aides"

EdNC convenes to discuss, "Districts and states are ‘on their own’ ahead of federal funding cliff"

Bloomberg explores the sacrifices new mothers often face in, "Motherhood Shouldn’t Stifle Women’s Income"

Bulletin Board

ICS Senior Fellow Dee Stegelin, PhD Co-Authors Textbook

We're thrilled to share the link to the global intergenerational healing and trauma curriculum textbook that Senior Fellow, Dolores Stegelin, PhD co-authored with Edgar Klugman, PhD, and others. It's entitled, The Global Healing Curriculum Project: Promoting Intergenerational Healing and Bridging Trauma to Hope and Wellbeing. You can find it on Amazon.

"Global Healing is a lifelong process that addresses issues of the inner and outer world of all humanity, to heal from personal trauma and create a peaceful future society. Now, more than ever, Global Healing is necessary and urgent."

Upcoming Events

The Impact and Practice team has been busy developing education content to provide technical assistance supports to independent and partner organizations during 2023 conference events.