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NATIONAL LINKS
Baby Matters: A Gateway to State Policies and Initiatives
Baby Matters is a searchable database that contains resource information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers, and their families. The database, created by Zero To Three, is searchable by category, state and keyword. Policies and initiatives are categorized by the elements of the Infant and Toddler policy framework, which focuses on key strategies across four main areas known to impact the healthy development of infants and toddlers: good health, strong families, positive early learning experiences, and systems. The Center on the Developing Child
The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University was founded in July 2006 to promote healthy child development as the foundation of community development, economic prosperity, and a secure nation. The Center is designed to generate, translate, and apply scientific knowledge in the service of closing the gap between what we know and what we do to support positive life outcomes for children, particularly those who are vulnerable, in the United States and throughout the world. Child Care Aware
Child Care Aware is a non-profit initiative committed to helping parents find the best information on locating quality child care and child care resources in their community. Child Care Bureau
The Child Care Bureau is dedicated to enhancing the quality, affordability, and availability of child care for all families. The Child Care Bureau administers federal funds to states, territories, and tribes to assist low-income families in accessing quality child care for children when the parents work or participate in education or training. Child Care and Early Childhood Research Connections
Child Care and Early Childhood Research Connections provides one-stop access to a continually updated, comprehensive, and searchable collection of original research and related resources including syntheses, datasets, statistics, instruments and measures, and comparative state data tools. Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC)
ECLKC is an information, knowledge and learning resource center run by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Head Start. It is designed to provide the most up-to-date resources and opportunities relevant to the Head Start and early childhood development communities. Families and Work Institute
Families and Work Institute is a nonprofit center for research that provides data to inform decision-making on the changing workforce, changing family and changing community. National School Readiness Indicators Initiative
The National School Readiness Indicators Initiative is a multi-state initiative that uses child well-being indicators to build a change agenda in states and local communities in order to improve school readiness and ensure early school success. The task of participating states was to develop a set of child outcome and systems indicators for children from birth through the fourth-grade reading test, an important red flag for children most at-risk for poor long-term outcomes, such as dropping out of school, teen pregnancy, and juvenile crime. Head Start Bureau
The Head Start Bureau administers the federal Head Start program National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the nation’s largest organization of early childhood educators and others dedicated to improving the quality of programs for children from birth through third grade. National Association for Family Child Care
The National Association for Family Child Care rovides technical assistance to family child care associations to develop leadership and professionalism, address issues of diversity, and promote quality and professionalism through NAFCC's Family Child Care Accreditation. National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC)
NCCIC is an award-winning web site dedicated to the dissemination of information and resources on early care and education to parents, providers, and national, State and local agencies. National Head Start Association
The National Head Start Association is a private not-for-profit membership organization representing more than 900,000 children, 190,000 staff and nearly 2,700 Head Start programs in the United States. National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center supports the implementation of the early childhood provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Their mission is to strengthen service systems to ensure that children with disabilities (birth through five) and their families receive and benefit from high quality, culturally appropriate, and family-centered supports and services. National Institute for Early Education Research
The National Institute for Early Education Research works to produce and communicate the knowledge base required to ensure that every American child can receive a good education at ages three and four. National Women’s Law Center
The National Women’s Law Center mission is to expand the possibilities for women and girls in this country. The Center uses the law in all its forms: getting new laws on the books and enforced; litigating cases in state and federal courts; and educating the public about ways to make the law and public policies work for women and their families. Current priorities include expanding federal and state resources for child care and early education. Success by 6
United Way Success by 6 is a nationwide network of local and state coalitions that address the root problems in a community that prevent children from entering school prepared to succeed. The Trust for Early Education
The Trust for Early Education (TEE) was established in 2002 to provide a strong advocacy voice for high quality, voluntary pre-K for all three and four-year olds. They work at the state and federal levels to educate policy makers, the media and the general public about the potential that pre-kindergarten offers to improve outcomes for America's young children. Zero to Three
Zero to Three is a national non-profit organization that promotes the healthy development infants and toddlers by supporting and strengthening families, communities, and those who work on their behalf.
RHODE ISLAND LINKS
CHILDSPAN
CHILDSPAN is Rhode Island’s child care training system funded by the Rhode Island Department of Human Services to enhance the professional development of individuals serving children birth through age 16 to ensure availability of high-quality care and education services for Rhode Island children, youth, and their families. Options for Working Parents
Options for Working Parents is a non-profit program of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce committed to addressing child care concerns and assisting employers, parents, providers of service, and the community in meeting those concerns. Options manages Rhode Island’s child care resource and referral program. Rhode Island’s Child Care Assistance Program
Rhode Island’s Department of Human Services, through its Child Care Office, offers a broad range of child-care-related services, benefiting families, child-care providers, and employers. DHS manages the state’s child care subsidy system for working families and families participating in the Family Independence Program. DHS also manages Rhode Island’s Comprehensive Child Care Services Program, similar to Head Start, for 3 and 4 year old children in very low income families. Rhode Island Early Learning Standards
The Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has launched a new website for the Rhode Island Early Learning Standards Project. Information about current professional development and technical assistance opportunities for program administrators and practitioners can be accessed on the website. The standards were developed to provide guidance to parents, teachers and administrators on what children should know before they enter Kindergarten. Created by representatives from early care and education, Head Start, parents, and private and public schools, The Standards are divided into eight domains which early learning is based upon. The Early Learning Standards were piloted in five communities who went through a series of professional development and mentoring sessions before they brought the Standards into their schools.
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