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Dear colleagues,


As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic together, our collective questions continue to evolve: How do we reopen safely? What lessons are we using to guide policy and practice now and as we rebuild early care and education systems? How can we enact policies that best meet families’ needs now and in the future? The Ounce National Policy Team hopes the resources shared here can be useful as we collectively work to advance beneficial policies during the recovery and rebuilding of early childhood programs and systems.


We remain committed to exploring these and other questions with you and are eager to hear from you about the challenges you’re facing and the innovative work happening in your states and communities as you continue to support children and families. Please join your colleagues on
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the Early Childhood Connector , a space for anyone in the early childhood field to share resources, pose questions, and collaborate to respond to urgent needs and build a more efficient early childhood system across the U.S. Want to see the Early Childhood Connector in action?
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Sign up for our next demo webinar on Thursday, June 11 2-3 p.m. CST to learn more!




A path to high-quality child care through Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships

The Ounce is the backbone of the Educare Learning Network, comprised of 24 Educare schools serving children from birth to age 5 across the country. Together, we have launched an
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8-part article series highlighting the importance of Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships to improve our nation’s supply of quality infant toddler child care. The article series highlights the impact of COVID-19 on Partnership grantees, their child care partners, and the families they serve, and offers policy recommendations for strengthening these programs as we recover and rebuild in the context of the current crisis. New articles will be posted weekly through June, featuring stories from Partnerships in Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Miami, Tulsa, Central Maine, Denver, Milwaukee and the District of Columbia.
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Read the first two articles here and share the series with others.

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Please contact Margie Wallen , senior vice president of national policy, to share your feedback and ideas for leveraging the Partnerships as conversations ramp up about re-envisioning policy, financing and business models to strengthen child care and broaden early care and education systems.




Tools for connecting with peers to maximize opportunities across funding streams

Our National Policy Team has aggregated two new resources for early childhood professionals navigating the COVID-19 crisis.

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A guide and summary of cross-sector resources and partnerships
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Suggested methods for partnering with other early childhood organizations in your local community

Two states offer innovative telehealth approaches for Early Intervention

As a result of the disruptions caused by COVID-19, providers have had to quickly adjust and re-imagine the delivery of early childhood programs and services. This has been especially important for children receiving Early Intervention services, for whom continuity and consistency of care is essential during the first three years of life.

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Read more about how two states, Illinois and Colorado, have adjusted to distance-based IDEA Part C Early Intervention services through virtual settings and innovative methods and approaches.




Prioritizing health in state ESSA plans and statewide report cards to support the whole child

Keeping our youngest learners safe and healthy should always be a priority, and
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this recent study helps our field better understand what aspects of student health have been prioritized by states. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) establishes school health and wellness indicators that states use to identify strategies and initiatives to improve the school health environment. Under ESSA, states are also required to develop and disseminate statewide report cards that include school and student performance and progress metrics. Few studies have examined how states have included health and wellness into their approved plans and report cards. This study explores which health and wellness provisions were prioritized in ESSA State Plans and state report cards.




COVID-19 resources from our partners

The Ounce National Policy Team has compiled some helpful resources for providers and advocates, including webinars, blogs, policy summaries and more.
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Learn more about COVID-19 financial relief resources, rethinking how we finance child care and policy innovations during the pandemic.





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