January 2021 Bits & Bytes
Renew and Refresh
with the New Year
The start of a new year is a great time to renew and refresh yourself. Ready to get started? Check out these 16 ideas from the Huffington Post.
Upcoming Events
WTU and DCAEYC ECE Task Force Meeting

Thursday, January 21, 2021
6:00 pm-7:00pm

The ECE Task Force is made up of Early Childhood Educators working in all early childhood settings (public, charter, private, community-based, and homes) that collaborate to advance the profession by improving policy and practice in DC.
 
Special Guest: Dr. Lenore Jarvis
Director of Advocacy and Health Policy, Division of Emergency Medicine, Child Health Advocacy Institute Affiliate Faculty, Children's National;
President, D.C. Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
*Save the Date*
NAEYC's Public Policy Forum - A Virtual Event

February 28, 2021 and March 1, 2021


Whether you have tons of advocacy experience, or none at all, NAEYC's Public Policy Forum is THE place for you to sharpen your advocacy skills and help us move a nonpartisan agenda in support of young children and the early childhood education profession!

Stay tuned for more information on registration, agenda, and more.



Member
Spotlight On...

Buen Abo
Education Program Specialist,
Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Division of Early Learning
"Early care and education is more than just preparation for primary school. It is about developing and supporting the whole child though building a solid and broad foundation for lifelong learning and well-being."
Principle of Practice:
Valuing Diversity
"Culture shapes not only our values and beliefs, but also our gender roles, family structures, languages, dress, food, etiquette, approaches to disabilities, child-rearing practices, and even our expectations for children’s behavior. In this way, culture creates diversity."
Everything we think, say, and do is processed through our own cultural backgrounds. But because culture is absorbed and passed down from generation to generation rather than explicitly taught, we’re seldom aware of it. This is why when educating young children, it's vital to talk about celebrating our cultural diversity.

One great opportunity to celebrate diversity with young children is through the upcoming DC Area Black Lives Matter at School Year of Purpose and Week of Action. Organized by Teaching for Change's DC Area Educators for Social Justice and taking place from February 1-5, 2021, this week of action will be built on the momentum of past local weeks of action and the National Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action campaign. This campaign takes place in cities across the U.S. to promote a set of national demands based in the Black Lives Matter guiding principles that focus on improving the school experience for students of color.

Interested in joining this movement? Click here to sign up, and here to learn more about the purpose for Black Lives Matter at School Year and Days of Action. Additional resources for lessons with young children can be found here.
Policy Beat:
DC Must Act to Protect Child Care in the District for the
Benefit of Children, Parents, and the Economy
Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the District, child care/early learning programs were already stretched thin. There weren’t enough slots for all the infants and toddlers who needed them, and child care was not always accessible or affordable to many District families. Now, after nine months of health and safety restrictions, closures, limited government subsidies, and dramatically decreased enrollment, early childhood educators who have dedicated themselves to caring for our youngest citizens are wondering if their businesses will survive. 

Amplifying the voices of 170 early education programs from all wards of the District, a new brief from DC Action for Children, based on a survey that DC Action for Children, DC Early Learning Collaborative, DC Association for the Education of Young Children, Washington Area Child Care Association, Under 3 DC, and the Director’s Exchange conducted, offers timely data about the challenges and opportunities facing our local early learning system. 

Survey responses depicted an early learning sector in a worrying state, with child care programs experiencing ongoing uncertainty and financial strain. Financial relief has been limited and, in many cases, difficult to access. Meanwhile, in the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s 2020 State of the Business Report, they warned of “continued stagnation in economic activity if workers cannot return to work due to lack of childcare.”

Key Findings:
  • Two-thirds of early learning programs reopened by the end of November 2020, but families are not re-enrolling children at pre-COVID rates: fewer than ⅓ of programs reported being fully enrolled
  • Child care programs are under significant financial strain: revenues have plummeted as costs have risen
  • Public and philanthropic relief has helped, but has not met the full need: Programs say only 35% of their costs were covered by grants
  • Changes to child care subsidy payment guidelines are likely to deepen financial difficulties: 57% of programs that accept subsidy expect lower payments from OSSE under new payment guidelines
  • COVID-19 is exacerbating long-standing workforce challenges, amid new pressures, as over half of programs reported experiencing staffing barriers
  • Click here to read the full report, including our recommendations to DC government for protecting the District’s child care sector.