Early Years Matter Video

See Early Years Matter, a new video produced by the Early Care and Learning Council (a WBNY Co-convener)

New York State Not Chosen For Early Learning Challenge Grant

Unfortunately, New York was not one of nine states named as winners of Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grants from the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services. New York applied hoping for a repeat of its success in 2010, when it received a $700 million Race to the Top grant. New York was one of four states eligible to receive up to $100 million. Winning Beginning NY believes the state should not abandon the initiatives proposed in the grant application. New York planned to set up a five-star rating and improvement system (QUALITYstarsNY) for all early education programs and to standardize kindergarten readiness. Winning Beginning NY urges the State to invest in building a true early care and learning system, which would set New York up for the next round of federal funding.

See WBNY Co-convener Marsha Basloe's Jan. 5th letter to Governor Cuomo regarding New York's application process and Basloe's prior experience with North Carolina's Smart Start program - one of the nine states selected to receive this funding.

See our press release regarding this announcement. Additional press can be accessed here.

      
        Watch our NEW video:

   What Is QUALITYstarsNY?
                  

  Learn more QUALITYstarsNY, on our QSNY webpage.

  Download a description of QUALITYstarsNY: Getting New York State’s Children Ready for Kindergarten and College

Recent Testimony

WBNY submitted testimony before the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee on the SFY 2012-13 Executive Budget Elementary and Secondary Education Hearing. January 23, 2012. See testimony

WBNY submitted testimony before the Senate Standing Committee on Children and Families on Challenges Facing the Childcare Community in New York State in 2011. December 12, 2011. See testimony

2012 Executive Agenda

Winning Beginning NY believes that in this time of fiscal crisis our State must preserve, protect, and increase access to high-quality early care and learning programs. These programs, all of equal priority, are essential for children’s success and our State’s economic recovery. See our 2012 Executive Agenda.

Latest Publications

Scared Sick: the Role of Childhood Trauma in Adult Disease, a new book by Robin Karr-Morse and Meredith S. Wiley, demonstrates how chronic fear in infancy and early childhood— when we are most helpless—lies at the root of common diseases in adulthood. Based on the latest research, Scared Sick highlights case studies and cutting-edge scientific findings to show how our innate fight-or-flight system can injure us if overworked in the early stages of life. Persistent stress can trigger diabetes, heart disease, obesity, depression, and addiction later on. January 2012.

Toward Better Policy for Early Care and Education in the United States, an Alliance for Early Childhood Finance policy brief. October 2011.


         

The Center for Children’s Initiatives, a Winning Beginning NY Co-convener, issued a report with findings on what happens to New York City working families that lose child care. This case study, WHEN FAMILIES ELIGIBLE FOR CHILD CARE SUBSIDIES DON’T HAVE ONE, included interviews with 83 randomly selected families who contacted CCI for assistance with child care - who were eligible for a child care subsidy but unable to obtain one.