Press Releases
From the Children Now Newsroom
New Resource for Journalists Covering Education
Aug 25, 2010
WHAT: With California’s budgets in continuing crisis mode and resulting cuts in state funding for programs meeting children’s needs, Children Now, the East Bay Community Foundation, the California Community Foundation, and the Mimi and Peter Haas Fund have joined together to publish a new 27-page guide to the state’s myriad early learning and development programs, services, and funding streams. The guide is being distributed to state legislators and advocates—and is now available to journalists.
WHO: The guide, California’s Early Learning & Development System: A Review of Funding Streams and Programs, was developed by Children Now, which finds common ground among influential opinion leaders, interest groups and policy makers in order to develop socially innovative, “win-win” approaches for helping children achieve their full potential. The guide was funded by the East Bay Community Foundation, the California Community Foundation, and the Mimi and Peter Haas Fund, all three of which have a history of funding causes related to children’s needs.
WHEN: The guide was researched and written earlier this year, and is being distributed now to members of the California Legislature, the California State Early Learning Advisory Council, and to early learning and development advocates.
WHERE: Journalists can access the entire guide here.
WHY: The need for quality early learning and development opportunities in California remains largely unmet, despite investments made to improve programs. The well-being of the state’s youngest children depends on increased access to more early-learning opportunities and the development of a coordinated, comprehensive system of services that can assist young children and their families. The guide takes note of such issues and provides a tool to understanding early learning programs in the state. Given that the state’s early learning and development system is pieced together from a myriad of funding sources, leaders charged with strengthening the state’s system, must carefully review all available resources as they build a more efficient system.