Excerpts from the Early Childhood Education Theory of Change

Values
• We value and recognize parents as a child’s primary and most important caregiver and teacher.
• We value the dedication, commitment and contributions made by early childhood professionals and will continue our efforts to advocate for professional development, the need for adequate wages and benefits and improved working conditions for all early childhood professions.
• We value the significant role that families, communities and schools have in providing meaningful opportunities for children.

Principles
• The first years of life are critical to a child’s health and social-emotional development.
• High quality child care is an important aspect in achieving the national goal of having all children ready for school.
• Providing competitive salaries and incentives to commensurate with education level to increase the participation of degreed teachers.

Problem Statements
• A high proportion of child care programs are rated at low or moderate quality.  A national study of center-based infant/toddler care found that 40% of the rooms serving infants in centers provided care that was such poor quality as to jeopardize children’s health, safety or development. (National Research Council, Who Cares for America’s Children? 1990).
• Children whose health and social service needs are not met are not ready for school.
• An increasing number of young children grabble with challenging behavior and emotional problems.
• An increasing need for highly-qualified, well-trained child care professionals is in demand.
• Many parents have limited understanding of quality child care and the importance of quality child care to their children’s healthy development.

Documented Needs
• A sample of child care programs in Palm Beach County rated using the Infant Toddler Environmental Rating Scale (ITERS) scored low, indicating poor quality care.
• Poverty is a critical indicator of children’s outcomes.  Among the children living in poverty in Palm Beach County, 33% are between the ages of birth and 5 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000).
• 14.8% of children ages 0-18 in Palm Beach County do not have health insurance coverage and may not receive basic health and other screening services critical to a child’s well being and development. (2004 Florida Health Insurance Study).
• Overall, children from the lowest socio-economic group arrive at school with fewer cognitive skills than children from the higher groups. (Inequality at the Starting Gate, Economic Policy Institute)
• In Palm Beach County, 21% of births were to mothers who did not finish high school or never attended (2005 State of the Child in Palm Beach County, birth Outcomes Data and Research Review).

Strategies
• High quality ECE Programs – Research tells us that the early years in a child’s life are full of potential. High quality early education programs will help bring out that potential.  Professional development of teachers, public policies and knowledge that support quality programs and early experiences that promote healthy cognitive and social development lay the foundation for school success.
• Comprehensive child and family services – A continuum of comprehensive family-focused services addresses the social-emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and physical development of high-risk children and their families.  Services for each child and family are selected, based on the results of screening and assessment completed on all children by the teachers and parents. 
• Professional Development Initiatives – A professional development system, including both formal and informal training and education, creates a pool of qualified early care and education professionals to provide high quality child care services.
• Family and community engagement – Parents’ involvement in the education of their children brings positive results in the areas of child achievement, parental and community attitudes toward the schools, and family involvement.  Parents and family, peers, teachers and the community at-large promote children’s social-emotional competence and school success.

Desired Results/Outcomes
• Increased availability and access to high quality early education programs
• Early identification and intervention to support the development of children’s needed competencies to assist in getting children ready for school and with success in kindergarten, first grade and second grade
• An increased number of early care practitioners attending formal and informal education and training to enhance quality of early care and education workforce
• An increased number of families and organizations participating in Early Care and Education programs to create better informed families and community about the importance of the quality child care and child development