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Dear colleagues,


Over the past several months, both the strengths and shortcomings of the system designed to support the development of young children and their families have been exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The disproportionate impact of this crisis on communities of color – combined with national attention to ongoing systemic racism and police brutality – have contributed to renewed and more urgent calls to action around issues of racial equity.


Together, as we move through this crisis and reflect on our values, the early childhood system must consider lessons learned to determine how we can ensure a stronger, brighter future for all young children and those who care for them. This process must prioritize the voices of those most directly impacted by early childhood systems – families, caregivers and practitioners – to ensure that we rebuild in ways that are responsive to their needs.




Build It Back Better Dialogue Resource Kit

As a first step toward encouraging responsive system evolution, the Ounce has launched the Build It Back Better initiative and created tools for hosting, participating in and encouraging conversations to rebuild a better, more equitable and comprehensive early childhood system. We understand how critical an inclusive collection of experiences and ideas is to ensure we build it back better.


Families, practitioners and leaders from across the country are participating in and hosting virtual Build It Back Better conversations with those involved in and impacted by early childhood systems. Through these dialogues, we hope to together identify key questions and themes from across different perspectives. We invite you to use the
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Build It Back Better Dialogue Resource Kit to engage your communities and networks in generating the critical questions that can inform a stronger, brighter and more equitable future for young children and their families.




Field-Wide Efforts on Recovery and Rebuilding

Many of the Ounce's peer and partner organizations have developed resources to inform the future of early childhood post-COVID-19.

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The National Collaborative for Infants and Toddlers is conducting a scan of public sector leaders, policy analysts and advocates, service providers and other key informants working in states, communities and nationally to 1) understand bright spots of reform during the pandemic, and 2) to capture new ideas to strengthen and build new foundations for systems of care. The focus is on the prenatal-to-age 5 population (young children and families) with a special interest in systems, services and practices for infants and toddlers. Everyone who has ever engaged with the early childhood system has something to offer in this scan.
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You can complete the survey here.
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The Alliance for Early Success’ Open Strong: Working Group released
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a full report , as well as
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a report summary , outlining five crucial issue areas that early childhood advocates and policymakers must consider to promote the reopening of a strong, safe, equitable and well-funded child care sector.
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The Children’s Alliance released a short brief,
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Washington Works on a Foundation , that highlights the need for increased direct supports to early childhood providers. The report articulates the fragility of the state’s early education ecosystem due to decades of underinvestment and how the economic impacts of the pandemic are destabilizing programs and compounding existing issues.
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Rebuilding the Early Care & Education System with Equity at the Center offers a set of recommendations for instituting equitable long-term change as we rebuild the early care and education system. These recommendations are drawn from a white paper recently released by Bank Street College, titled
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Investing in the Birth to Three Workforce: A New Vision to Strengthen the Foundation for All Learning .
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No Decisions Made About Us Without Us: The Impact of Parent Leaders on Early Learning Collaborations details the importance of parents being involved in early childhood policy decision making. A joint effort by Illinois Action for Children (IAFC) and Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI), this report examines the impact of parent engagement in Illinois’ early learning collaborations based on staff documentation of the process and outcomes, focus groups with parents, interviews with collaboration members and two surveys by IAFC of collaboration stakeholders.
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Holding On Until Help Comes summarizes the results from a new survey conducted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children of more than 5,000 child care providers from all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, highlighting that if help doesn’t come soon, in order to save child care, there will be little left of this vital sector to save.

Federal Advocacy Opportunity

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The Child Care Relief campaign is powered by a broad coalition of organizations representing the many needs and perspectives of America’s child care system. This campaign showcases the work and research of our coalition and elevates the voices of providers, practitioners, employers, families and more to secure critical relief from Congress for the industry that keeps America working. Together, we will show the nation that our economic recovery and long-term well-being will depend on child care.
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Click here to learn more and take action.




Additional COVID-19 Policy Resources

The Ounce’s National Policy Team has compiled some
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helpful resources for providers and advocates – from toolkits for home-based providers, guidance on CARES Act provisions for early childhood programs, additional relief funding for providers and much more.





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