Early Childhood Funding and Partnerships

More than half of all families place their children in formal care or education before their fifth birthday. The quality of that care varies by family income and maternal education.

Structural indicators of quality – such as training for teachers and small ratios of children to adults – are strongly related to cognitive development and predict social development. Stronger evidence that quality causes improved outcomes comes from true experiments using random assignment designs.

Advisory Services

Evan’s in-depth understanding of early childhood initiatives and funding streams, deep network of business relationships and knowledge of key policies propel his clients to success. He specializes in identifying and linking partnerships for national e-learning, publishing, non-profit and for-profit companies as well as brokering relationships for higher education, state governments and private foundations.

High quality early learning and child care improves children’s physical and cognitive development as well as school readiness. However, barriers exist that limit access to quality care and services.

ELCG supports early learning programs in meeting their accreditation standards through Keynote presentations, professional development and practice based coaching/mentoring services. ELCG has also been instrumental in supporting Portland Community College’s NAEYC Associate Degree Accreditation for its program.

Business Development

The success of early education systems requires a wide range of skills and expertise. It involves a coordinated and integrated approach to a variety of services and strategies—including health, nutrition, and child development; economic self-sufficiency and family supports; and a comprehensive system of quality childcare and early learning.

Developing and strengthening local business capacity is an essential step in creating and maintaining high-quality early childhood services. Developing a strong business plan, conducting market research, and analyzing competitors are all part of a comprehensive early learning business strategy.

Business consultants help early education businesses improve their level of understanding and ability to run a successful small business. They offer a combination of industry-specific training and one-on-one mentoring. The result is improved profitability, streamlined operations and implementation of best practices.

Funding Streams

As the demand for high-quality early learning increases, the need for funding streams that allow for investment in pedagogical, technological and other improvements becomes even more important. It’s essential to have a firm understanding of both public and private sources of funding.

While families bear the largest share of costs for ECE, public sector funds from federal, state, and local sources support a substantial proportion as well. These funding mechanisms combine a range of purposes: child development, work supports for parents, preparation for K-12 education, and even financial health for states themselves (Edelman, 2009).

In addition to traditional private foundations, there are a number of emerging strategies for financing ECE. These include leveraging private investments from employers of ECE providers, shared services alliances that provide back-office support for a cluster of privately owned ECE providers, and paid family leave policies. Combined, these can dramatically increase the quality and availability of ECE in many communities.

Strategic Partnerships

We support community organizations in forming partnerships that engage families in their own self-determination. We draw on best practices and the lessons learned from research, such as the importance of relationship building for effective TA, of incorporating family-centered practice into service delivery, and of engaging in democratic decision-making to build the capacity of communities to improve their own systems.

We help communities develop more responsive, culturally responsive strategies for connecting families with home-program partners. This includes leveraging community networks, faith groups, and neighborhood organizations to facilitate pathways to creating home-program partnerships, providing educators with professional development on utilizing culturally responsive approaches to family engagement.

We also work with school districts to identify opportunities for partnering with local businesses, organizations, and philanthropies to support their efforts to reach children and families. We have a wide network of business relationships, an in-depth understanding of federal and state early learning initiatives and funding streams, and tremendous success in developing strategic partnerships and collaborations for our clients.

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Early Childhood Education Degree Options

If you are interested in becoming an early childhood educator, there are several degree options. An associate degree can help prepare you for entry-level jobs or can stand in as the first two years of a bachelor’s program.

Undergraduate programs require coursework, field experiences and student teaching. They also prepare students to teach young children with varying capacities and needs.

Bachelor’s Degree

A bachelor’s degree in early childhood education can give you a wide range of career opportunities. You can choose to work in preschools, elementary schools, or even kindergartens. You can also choose to pursue national certification to get a higher salary.

A typical bachelor’s degree in ECE can take four years to complete, although it may be possible to finish it sooner with an accelerated program. However, this option requires a heavier workload and should be considered carefully.

In many cases, an associate’s degree in ECE can be transferred to a bachelor’s degree, notes PrepScholar. The advantage of this is that it can save you time and money. Moreover, it can help you avoid unnecessary costs associated with taking general education courses. This can be a significant benefit for students with financial constraints. Additionally, an online AA degree can be completed in two years, which is much less than a four-year university program.

Master’s Degree

If you want to further your career in education, a master’s degree is the right option for you. A Master of Arts in Education can give you the skills to develop early childhood educational programs, teach educators, and work in supervisory positions. This program also helps you become a National Board Certified teacher, which can increase your earnings and job opportunities.

Some online schools offer specializations, such as curriculum development or trauma studies. These programs can help you learn about the complexities of teaching children with disabilities and other issues. They can also prepare you to understand the laws governing child development and early childhood education.

You may be able to apply for financial aid through your school’s financial aid office. You can also use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to see if you qualify for federal and/or state grants and loans. You can also check with your employer to see if they offer tuition assistance benefits.

Doctoral Degree

A doctoral degree in early childhood education can give you the skills and knowledge to develop new educational practices. It can also lead to research, policy and leadership positions. Most ECE doctoral programs offer courses on early childhood theory and pedagogy, along with educational leadership and policy. Many of these programs also focus on curriculum and teaching methods. Some even have a specialization in early childhood education, such as Boise State’s affordable online EdD in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education.

A PhD in early childhood education can help you work with young children and their families to create better learning environments. It can also lead to a career in administration, research and policy development, or as a school counselor. A doctorate is not a requirement to become a teacher, but it will help you stand out from the competition. It will also give you a leg up on other occupations that require a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

Associate’s Degree

A two-year associate’s degree in early childhood education can give you a starting point for many roles working with young children. These include child development specialists and assistant teachers in childcare centers, preschools, and elementary schools.

You may also be able to find positions at community organizations that promote early learning and development for all children. A bachelor’s degree provides more opportunities for long-term career success in the field of education, including the possibility to earn full state teaching certification.

This program at Brooklyn College is designed to prepare students for dual certification in both early childhood and teaching students with disabilities. The program provides coursework in research, theory and practice, as well as field experiences that focus on diversity in the classroom. It is a rigorous program that will provide a strong foundation for careers in NYC public school systems.

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