Call for Papers

The Institute for Child Success is pleased to announce the Call for Papers for its third annual Early Childhood Research Symposium. The Research Symposium will be held October 15 and 16, 2015 at The Westin Poinsett in Greenville, South Carolina. The 2015 Symposium will include two formats for presentation--Poster Sessions and Research Presentations--from early childhood researchers representing health, development, education, safety, policy, economics, and other disciplines. Plenary speakers include some of the prominent medical and scientific thinkers working at the leading edge of research on child development. ICS invites proposals for paper presentations and poster exhibits addressing early childhood development including: physical health and wellbeing, mental health and executive function, and epigenetics and environment. Proposal ideas that extend beyond these thematic areas will also be considered. Papers are due June 1, 2015. For more information please visit our website.

Reporters to Discuss Cradle of Shame

On June 23 at 12pm, please join us in Greenville, SC at the Upcountry History Museum for a discussion with reporters Lauren Sausser and Doug Pardue on South Carolina's high infant mortality rate and the Post and Courier's recent series, Cradle of Shame. Ms. Sausser and Mr. Pardue will be joined in conversation by Dr. Jennifer Hudson, MD, Newborn Services, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of the Greenville Health System.

New Paper Explores Access

CEELO (Center on Enhancing Early Childhood Outcomes), recently published a paper by ICS Associate Director of Policy Research, Megan Carolan entitled, Approaches to State Pre-K Eligibility Policy: Considerations for Policy Makers in Revising Policy to Increase Access to High Needs Children. As states seek to expand access to early childhood programs and services for children and families most in need, they are revising eligibility policy and practice with multiple goals in mind. A state's eligibility policy must balance accountability for public funds with the need to provide efficient and flexible processes for program staff in documenting risk factors. Most importantly, the policy should prevent unintended burdens on families to access services they or their children are eligible to receive. This report provides policy makers with information on state-funded pre-K programs' eligibility policies and the common risk factors used to prioritize enrollment. The report on the risk factors with the strongest impact on children's school readiness is summarized. The report concludes with considerations for policy makers as they review or revise eligibility to serve more children, effectively and efficiently, in high quality early education programs.

ICS On the Road: Locally, Nationally, and Internationally

Conference of the Early Childhood Social Impact Performance Advisors: With our partners at ReadyNation, ICS co-hosted the Second Annual Conference of the Early Childhood Social Impact Performance Advisors in San Diego the last week of April. The jam-packed two-and-a-half days brought together over 200 representatives from more than 30 jurisdictions as well as researchers, business partners, and experts in Pay for Success (PFS) transactions. The conference was the Institutes' first major event since announcing its five Social Innovation Fund Pay for Success early childhood subgrantees. Significant focus was given to the "nuts and bolts" of PFS transactions, balanced by a system-wide look at the possible role for PFS in the early childhood.

ICS staff (l-r) Katy Sides, Bryan Boroughs and Emily Carroll with Jennifer Garner

ICS and Save the Children

In partnership with Save the Children Action Network, on April 15, 2015, ICS hosted a reception following the screening of the documentary, A Path Appears, in Columbia. Narrated by Jennifer Garner, Artist Ambassador and Trustee for Save the Children, this amazing documentary makes a compelling case for why investing in kids is the best way to combat poverty. Garner attended the event along with Mark Shriver, President of Save the Children Action Network.

SIF Site Visits

SPARTANBURG: Members of ICS's Pay For Success Team recently met with leaders in Spartanburg at the Mary Black Foundation on their first site visit with this Scoial Innovation Fund subgrantee. There, ICS representatives met with Spartanburg's Assistant City Manager Chris Story, and other members of Spartanburg's core PFS team. The meeting kicked off the first of several technical assistance visits (TA) during which ICS will advise Spartanburg officials through the process of assessing the feasibility of using PFS as a source of funding for the expansion of programs that improve early childhood outcomes.

(l-r): Megan Golden, Mary Garvey, Megan Carolan

CONNECTICUT: Recently, ICS conducted its second Social Innovation Fund (SIF) site visit with the Connecticut PFS team. The team, convened by the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, also includes representatives from the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Social Services, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and the Grossman Family Foundation. Connecticut is exploring an expansion of its current Triple P: Positive Parenting Program offering through a possible Pay for Success deal. Triple P, a program with demonstrated outcomes for parents, children, and communities, is already available in several areas of the state. However, a PFS expansion could make the full Triple P system available to families and communiities in all areas of Connecticut. The meetings have helped the ICS team understand the current program offerings, the goals of an expansion, and the experience of organizations represented in the Triple P Steering Committee.

National Early Childhood Pay for Success Roundtable

National Early Childhood Pay For Success roundtable: On May 5th, ICS was hosted by the American Enterprise Institute and Save the Children Action Network in Washington, DC for a national PFS roundtable focused on early childhood. The roundtable featured a number of diverse organizations at the forefront of this field, including presentations by ReadyNation, America Forward, The United Way of Utah, the Social Innovation Research Center, Third Sector Capitol Partners, Goldman Sacs, and the Virginia Pay for Success Council. The invigorating discussion examined existing models, upcoming challenges, and how we can best advance the field in the future. ICS thanks those organizations who came to the table and looks forward to our ongoing work together.

Lego Foundation Idea Conference

Joe Waters traveled to Bullund, Denmark in April to participate in the Lego Foundation Idea Conference. Waters moderated a pre-conference session that included Mayor Ben McAdams of Salt Lake County and Janis Dubno, Director of Early Education, Voices for Utah Children. The pre-conference session on Early Childhood Development Pay for Success funding in a global context was hosted by the Brookings Center for Universal Education.
 

The invitation-only conference hosted 250 international experts focusing on play and its critical link to learning.