March 2021 Bits & Bytes
Bulletin Board:
DCAEYC Celebrates Women's History Month
DCAEYC is proud to celebrate Women's History Month, which is a time to celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields. Many women have influenced the field of early childhood education in particular, including NAEYC's first president Patty Smith Hill. Among her many achievements, she is credited with introducing a child-centered philosophy to kindergarten teaching, stressing the importance of the creativity and natural instincts of children.

Learn about other early childhood education visionaries in our Principles of Practice section below. Looking for books on prominent women in other fields to help influence your lessons this month and throughout the year? Social justice books has a great list of books to consider.

One book we love is Milo's Museum, which is a story that opens the door to age-appropriate conversations with young children about representation, institutional racism, youth activism, museum studies, lessons from family, and community engagement. Check out how teachers at Mundo Verde PCS used this book to have children make their own museum!
2021 Budget Oversight Season: Register to Testify on Friday, March 19 - Email Malcolm Cameron or call him at 202-341-4425 to RSVP if you plan to give testimony to the Committee on Health Hearing. In the email please provide your name, title/organization, email address, phone number, and name the program you're testifying about [Healthy steps/Help Me Grow/Lactation Certifications/Home Visiting] operated by the Department of Health.
April is Month of the Young Child - Mark your calendars. We have a lot in the works for the entire month - more details coming soon! One thing we're particularly excited about is joining NAEYC in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Week of the Young Child, which will be April 10th - 16th!
Upcoming Events
Click the above image to access the pdf with links. Click here for a version in Spanish.
Cracking the Code: DC Family Voice Summit

Thursday, March 18, 2021
10:00 am-7:30pm
On Thursday, March 18, 2021, DC SEED in conjunction with DC Families United will be hosting a Virtual Family Voice Summit titled Cracking the Code: DC Family Voice Summit - #My Voice Matters. This a virtual summit for families, caregivers, youth and peers. We will explore topics such as Life in our “New Normal”, Parenting Pre, during and Post Covid-19 and Connecting the dots: Mental Health, Racism, & Advocacy.

The Summit’s morning sessions are from 10 am – 1:30 pm and then we reconvene for evening sessions from 4 pm – 7:30 pm. We will have diverse dynamic presenters including parents, youth, peers, advocates, behavioral health specialists & mindfulness experts. See attachment for full summit details.

DBH Certified Peer Specialists CEUs available. Contact Imani Walker at myra.walker@dc.gov.

Click here to register. Review the day's full schedule here.
WTU and DCAEYC ECE Task Force Meeting

Thursday, March 18, 2021
6:00 pm-7:00pm
Have you read NAEYC’s new, fourth edition of the Developmental Appropriate Practice (DAP) position statement? Be sure to check it out! Join us to discuss what it is and how it can help educators advance equity. Our special guest will be Sue Bredekamp, Ph.D.

Sue Bredekamp, Ph.D. is a consultant on developmentally appropriate practice, curriculum, teaching, and professional development for organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Head Start, state departments of education, and universities. She is the editor of NAEYC’s best-selling, highly influential publications on Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs, and she developed and directed NAEYC’s accreditation system for early childhood programs. She is the author of an introductory teacher preparation textbook, Effective Practices in Early Childhood Education: Building a Foundation, 4th Ed.

Click here to register.
Vaccines and the ECE Field

Thursday, March 18, 2021
8:00 pm-9:00pm
Join 14 national organizations (including NAEYC) representing educators across states and settings, for a shared, joint webinar on 'Vaccines and the ECE Field.' There will be a discussion on how the vaccines were developed and tested, as well as answers to common questions about the vaccines including how to access them and what to expect. You will hear from child care providers who will share their experiences with the COVID vaccines, as well as a pediatrician who will share more about how the vaccines work. 

To register and submit a question ahead of the webinar, click here.
Featuring Keynote Speaker Councilmember Janeese Lewis George
Virtual Education Town Hall with DC Councilmembers

Wednesday, March 31, 2021
7:00 pm-8:00pm
Join Under 3 DC for an hour with DC Councilmembers, parents, community members and early educators to discuss the District's upcoming FY22 Budget Season. This is a great opportunity to share your story, ask questions, and connect with policymakers.

Click here to RSVP. Help promote this event with our flyers in English and Spanish.
2021 DC Early Educator Experience

Friday, April 30, 2021
Join us for a day to celebrate some of the most valuable professionals in our city. To conclude Month of the Young Child in April, DCAEYC and other hosts and sponsors are bringing you the 2021 DC Early Educator Experience. This exciting new event ― to be held virtually this year ― connects early childhood educators who work in the District of Columbia for a full day of learning, networking, advocacy and celebration.
Click here today to register.


Member
Spotlight On...


AQuia Bratcher
Pre-K 3 Educator,
 KIPP DC Public Charter School
"I have dedicated my life to being a life-long learner, and it is through this dedication that I will be able to sharpen my craft to best benefit the children that I serve. "
*If you or someone you know would like to be featured in a future member spotlight, please let us know by emailing info@dcaeyc.org.
Principle of Practice:
Being an Educator Means Being a Visionary and Advocate
"Teacher activism is a time-honored tradition that is still effective in improving the conditions in which children learn."
After seeing the effectiveness of the kindergarten model while traveling through Germany, Susan Blow advocated for and ultimately opened America's first public kindergarten. Although it was unheard of at the time, Edna Noble White promoted an interdisciplinary, whole-child approach to early childhood. And when she saw a need for professionals who work with young children and families to better understand child development, Barbara T. Bowman co-founded the Erickson Institute.
While from different backgrounds, these women were unified by two things: the ability to envision a better early childhood education system and the drive to advocate for it. This tradition of teacher activism is foundational to the early childhood education field, and continues to live on through the work of NAEYC and DCAEYC members like you. This past month, DCAEYC had the privilege to attend the 2021 NAEYC Virtual Public Policy Forum. This virtual event brought NAEYC members from around the country together for a chance to hear from national and state policy leaders, as well as fellow advocates. It also afforded us the opportunity to pick up new tools in advocating for the early childhood education field, which we then used while meeting with members of the DC Council to inform them of the needs of our profession.

Were you unable to attend this year's public policy forum but want to learn more about how to advocate for young children and early childhood education professionals? NAEYC's America for Early Ed has many resources to pull from. For more on how this year's public policy forum went, check out DCAEYC member Makai Kellogg's blog.
Policy Beat:
Mayor Bowser Announces Over $16 Million in Financial Assistance to Sustain DC’s Child Care Sector
On Tuesday, March 9th, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced over $16 million in new emergency funding to support licensed child care providers in Washington, DC and help them stay in business through the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency.

The District is allocating $10.7 million for a new grant program to deliver financial relief to licensed child care facilities and creating a $3 million fund for targeted assistance to providers affected by the public health emergency. In addition, the previously announced DC Road to Recovery Fund has been expanded from $2.8 million to $5.8 million, enabling that program to fund grants to all eligible applicants. Combined with the $5 million in DC Child Care Relief Fund grants made to 90% of child care providers in the fall of 2020, these programs will result in more than $24 million in direct financial assistance to District child care providers during the public health emergency.

For additional details, check out the Mayor's press release here.
American Rescue Plan Provides $13 Billion in Child Care and Family Relief Nationwide, $64 Million for the District
Following its approval in Congress, on Thursday, March 11th President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law. The American Rescue Plan’s substantial, meaningful investment, which includes a $24 billion child care stabilization fund and $15 billion in emergency funds for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), as well annual increases for mandatory funding for child care, finally recognizes the sacrifices and strengths of child care providers, and begins to turn the page toward a new chapter. Read NAEYC's statement lauding the contributions of this plan to child care and family relief here.

DCAEYC and NAEYC joins millions of early childhood educators, families, and business owners in applauding the passage of the American Rescue Plan. For more on how this funding will be spread out among the states, including the over $64 million allocated for the District, check out this breakdown from the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP).