September 2021 Bits & Bytes
Correction: In an earlier version of this newsletter, the date provided in "Policy Beat" for September's Directors' Nook was September 19. The correct date for this meeting is September 15. We apologize for any confusion caused.
DC Action's Fall Reception and Awards Celebration taking place on Tuesday, October 26, is the start of a new tradition of honoring our youth, young adults, individuals, and District leaders who are blazing new trails in advocacy and bringing to life our collective vision of making the District of Columbia a place where all of our children and young people grow up safe, resilient, powerful and heard. This year's award categories include:

  • Early Educator of the Year Award (co-sponsored by DCAEYC) - Cash prize of $5,000
  • Home Visitor of the Year Award - Cash prize of $2,500
  • Shooting Star Award - Cash prize of $2,500
  • Youth Champion of the Year Award - Cash prize of $2,500

To learn more about these awards and submit nomination's click here. Nominations are due Monday, September 27 at midnight. Note: A nominations page in Spanish will be coming shortly.
Bulletin Board:
National Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place from September 15 to October 15, celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. Originating as a week-long celebration in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson, it was later expanded to a month in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan.

DCAEYC encourages educators to be culturally inclusive by incorporating various cultures into their curriculum. While anytime is a good time to highlight Hispanic culture, Hispanic Heritage Month provides a great opportunity to especially highlight the shared history of our Latin American neighbors. Ready to start? Check out our suggested book titles and resources on our blog.
DC Action Child Care Compensation Survey
Our partners at DC Action would like to invite you to participate in a brief survey on educator/director compensation in early learning settings. Your participation will help them ensure that publicly-funded compensation increases are equitable and responsive to early learning programs' current circumstances and realities.
To participate:
  1. Please complete this spreadsheet to share information about compensation within your program.
  2. Send the completed spreadsheet to jbowman@dckids.org. You may also send your spreadsheet directly to morrisse@american.edu.

All of your responses will be kept completely confidential and anonymous in DC Action’s data analysis and advocacy- and will only be used to help them understand what compensation looks like across the sector. Neither you nor your business will ever be identified in any publications or advocacy.

DC Action conducts research and advocates for policies that improve the lives of young children, their families, and their teachers in the District of Columbia.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact jbowman@dckids.org for further assistance. Survey responses are due by September 18, 2021.
 Hunger Awareness Month
September is Hunger Awareness Month. According to D.C. Hunger Solutions, nearly 15 percent of households in DC struggle to afford enough food. The struggle to afford enough food is almost twice as high in households with children in the District than households without children, 21.2 percent compared to 11 percent. To find resources for those experiencing hunger, visit the D.C. Hunger Solutions resource page.
 2021 NAEYC Virtual Annual Conference
Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with NAEYC’s diverse community of professionals. Experience the dynamic, relevant, and fun professional development and networking that the Annual Conference is famous for.
 
This year's virtual event features:
  • Over 100 essential professional learning sessions
  • Opportunities to connect with other NAEYC members
  • The NAEYC Expo with inspiring solutions an expert advice
  • Fun and educational activities to extend your learning
  • On-Demand access through November 30
Principle of Practice:
Capitalize on the Social and Interactive Nature of Early 
Childhood Classrooms to Engage with Multilingual Children
National Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to honor the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans. One part of this contribution is language. Many Hispanic and Latin American families, as well as families with ties to other cultures, may not speak English at home as their first language. Having conversations with children who are learning English in addition to their home languages—or multilingual children—is an essential skill for early childhood educators. Such engagement has implications for multilingual children’s developing identities as valued and knowledgeable members of their communities as well as for their language learning. 

Instructional conversations, which are small group discussions among children and teachers that focus on a learning goal, promote the language development of multilingual children. Yet, to be effective, these conversations must engage multilingual children as active participants. Unfortunately, research indicates that in preschool classrooms serving culturally and linguistically diverse learners, interactions between educators and children are often in the form of giving and receiving directions, with limited opportunities for children to practice producing multiword sentences. Multilingual students who attended public schools in the United States have reported feeling “tongue-tied” and “silenced”. Early childhood educators can address these concerns by using pedagogy that facilitates and values all children’s contributions and voices.

Looking for ways to communicate better with multilingual students in your classroom? Check out the NAEYC article “Five Tips for Engaging Multilingual Children in Conversation.”
Policy Beat:
Budget Season Ends with Wins for Early Childhood Education in DC
Every three years the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) updates its analysis of the cost to deliver child care in the District of Columbia. This information is used to inform reimbursement rates for subsidized child care, make policy decisions that will support child care providers in maintaining financial sustainability, and enhance business supports for child care providers. With the release by OSSE of the Modeling the Cost of Child Care in the District of Columbia 2021, the door is open for a potential policy change to the subsidy rate. Let us know what you think of this most recent model by joining us on Wednesday, September 15 at 1pm for September’s DCAEYC Directors Nook. To join, register in advance here.
Upcoming Events:
Directors' Nook
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
1:00 pm-2:00pm
Join our virtual meeting for DCAEYC members who are early childhood directors or administrators. This meeting will be a safe place for all early childhood directors and administrators to meet, share, and discuss topics related to our work and any additional interests. This month our meeting will include a discussion on OSSE's cost modeling report (more information above in Policy Beat).
 
Click the above image to access the pdf with links. Click here for a version in Spanish.
WTU and DCAEYC ECE Task Force Meeting
Thursday, September 16, 2021
6:00pm to 7:00pm
Please join our virtual conversation, Speaking with a Common Voice: The Significance of Identifying Yourself as an Early Childhood Educator, on Thursday, September 16th at 6:00 pm. 
 
Please reflect on the following questions in preparation for our conversation: 
  • As an educator, do you feel your contributions are heard? 
  • Do you feel included and respected?
  •  Do you think you are treated differently because of your work setting? 

If so or not, we want to hear your story!
 
Annual DCAEYC Membership Meeting
Thursday, September 29, 2021
6:00pm to 7:00pm
Join DCAEYC and your fellow members on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, at 6 pm for our Annual DCAEYC Membership Meeting for a chance to check-in. This virtual meeting will be an opportunity to learn more about the new DCAEYC Board, hear about the current State of DCAEYC, and tell us about any emerging concerns you or your program are facing.