An elementary school in central Ohio partnered with Columbus Metropolitan Libraries to provide extra literacy support to students. 

This is Tuned In’s last edition for 2023; see you in the new year!

Quotable & Notable

“Respondents really identified low compensation and the entrenched inequities in the field as very clear obstacles that needed to be attended to before trying to engage early childhood educators in meeting the requirements of another national certification ....

“There’s a history in this field whereby obtaining increased credentials, training and education doesn’t guarantee increased compensation as a result ... so, there’s a sense that, ‘Here’s yet another, yes, opportunity, but as a professional, I should be compensated as well for increasing my qualifications and my credentialing,’ and that’s not a guarantee in early childhood education at all.”

Who:

Dr. Ola Friday, director of the Early Educator Investment Collaborative

Where: “ECE Workers Identify Issues Barriers to National Certification, Study Finds,” published in Early Learning Nation

Fact of the Week

New survey results from the U.S. Census Bureau offer a snapshot of how parents are managing care for their children. According to the data, 1 in 5 (22%) respondents reported that during the previous week, child care was provided by a relative other than a parent. Cleveland.com notes that alternative routes of child care occur across all income levels.

Policy Radar

The Ohio Department of Children and Youth announced $15 million in grant funds for licensed child care programs to expand infant/toddler care — an area of high need and higher cost given the low adult-child ratios. According to a DCY press release, “These grants may be used to provide workforce supports, reopen an infant/toddler classroom, convert a closed classroom to an infant/toddler classroom or expand programs for infant/toddler space, open new programs, technical assistance, facilities improvement, and classroom supplies.” Cleveland.com also published a brief story about the program.

Crane in the News

Crane Faculty Associate Dr. Shayne Piasta discusses teaching Alphabet Knowledge on the Learning Without Tears podcast.

Beyond the Buckeye State

The Prenatal-to-Three Impact Policy Center (PN3) recently published a snapshot outlining states’ differences in child care subsidy policies. Their key recommendations to states include: 1) Expanding access to subsidy programs so that families are eligible at or above 85% of the state median income; 2) Improving affordability by limiting copayments to 7% of a family’s income; and 3) Ensuring equal access to providers by setting the provider reimbursement rate at or above 75% of the state market rate. (Read here for a quick explainer on child care reimbursement rates.)

According to PN3’s snapshot, seven states have met all three of these key policy recommendations in providing families access to child care subsidies: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia. 

What We’re Reading

Early Learning Nation summarizes three impactful economic studies related to the child care sector. The first was a study examining universal preschool in Boston, which demonstrated that public preschool can have long-term positive effects for children. Next was a study on financial incentives in Virginia — showing that boosts in teacher pay supported teacher retention. Finally, a study on minimum wage and quality showed that increasing minimum wage can help child care quality, but when costs of child care increase, access and participation decrease.

The Columbus Dispatch describes the impact of the Franklin County RISE scholarships, which provide funds to enable families to afford child care. 

Research Round-Up

Researchers are continuing to investigate the impacts of early childhood education on children’s learning and development — especially amid disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. A new study published in the Journal of Early Education Research looked at 171 children in the UK who were between 5 and 23 months old during 2020 and how their involvement in early childhood education settings impacted their school readiness during COVID-19 disruptions. Using parent-reported data taken at several time points, researchers measured household socioeconomic status; children’s development in language ability; executive function; communication, problem-solving and personal-social skills; and participation in early childhood education settings. The results of the study showed that children who attended early childhood education settings still saw gains in their language learning — even when attendance was disrupted due to the pandemic.

This edition written by: Jamie O'Leary and Janelle Williamson

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