Our commonwealth needs to make further investments and improve policies for the children and families served in the early care and education system. Read below for updates and information about Pennsylvania-focused policy and advocacy.
Early Learning PA
Early Learning PA – Early Learning PA is a statewide, non-partisan broad-based, umbrella coalition comprised of four specific campaigns focused on access to voluntary, high-quality early care and education and healthy development opportunities for all Pennsylvania children and families. Jen DeBell, PennAEYC Executive Director, serves as a co-chair of Early Learning PA.
The four campaigns include Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, Childhood Begins At Home and Thriving PA. Childhood Begins At Home focuses on the need for more evidenced-based home visiting programs across the state. Thriving PA focuses on ensuring each mother and child in Pennsylvania has the opportunity for affordable, quality health care access.
Pre-K for PA – The Pre-K for PA campaign focuses on promoting high-quality pre-k programs for children in Pennsylvania. Launched in January 2014 as a non-partisan issue campaign. PennAEYC is a founding and principal partner of the campaign.
The Pre-K for PA Campaign has a vision that every 3 and 4-year old in Pennsylvania will have access to high-quality pre-k.
For more on the Pre-K for PA campaign, visit www.prekforpa.org, follow on Facebook at facebook/prekforpa and twitter @PreK4PA.
Start Strong PA – The Start Strong PA campaign focuses on access to high-quality child care that is affordable. The campaign aims to support healthy child development, working families and the economy by advocating for increased access to and affordability of high-quality child care programs, beginning with infants and toddlers. PennAEYC is a founding and principal partner of the campaign.
For additional information on the campaign, visit https://startstrongpa.org and follow on Facebook and twitter @StartStrongPA.
Lead-Free Promise Project – PennAEYC is a coalition member of this statewide project whose goal is to get lead out of homes, guarantee all children get tested twice for lead at ages one and two and ensure all poisoned children are referred to Early Intervention services.
Resilient PA – PennAEYC is a coalition member of the non-partisan statewide coalition which strives to foster resilient Pennsylvania youth, families and communities through promoting trauma-informed care and systems across sectors as well as promoting efforts to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors for youth and families to break cycles of family and community trauma. This coalition exists to raise awareness on the impact of trauma, childhood trauma (ACEs), trauma as experienced by different cultural, racial, and ethnic groups, and benefits of adopting trauma-informed and resiliency building practices and strategies to address critical social challenges at both the community and state level.
Child Care for Every Family Network – PennAEYC is a member of this network which seeks a transformed national system that results in universal access to high-quality, affordable child care across the US with a diverse, well-paid, well-supported workforce.
Children Thrive Action Network – PennAEYC is committed to the policy principles of this national network which seeks to defend and support children in the United States in mixed-status immigrant families. They work in support of all children of immigrants, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, language, ability, income, or nationality. Their goal is to center children in mixed-status immigrant families in advocacy on immigration and other intersecting policies. They also seek to mitigate the harm of anti-immigrant policies and actions on children in mixed-status families in the short-term, while advancing positive policy outcomes in the long-term.