Advocacy for Children
Early Childhood Development and Our Future Prosperity
The path to our country’s future prosperity begins with the well-being of all our children. That’s why it is so important to make smart investments in early childhood development and to lay the foundation for future success in school, career, and life. When we invest wisely in children and families, the next generation will pay that back through a lifetime of productivity and responsible citizenship.
Since 1971, New Horizon Academy has been dedicated to offering the best child care on the planet. To fulfill this mission, New Horizon has expanded its focus beyond the classrooms to include our State’s capitol. This is where I come in; my name is Cisa Keller, and I am the Director of Government and Community Relations for New Horizon Academy. As more and more decisions are made by policymakers about what quality early childhood care and education means for families, it is imperative that New Horizon Academy is a part of this decision-making process. New Horizon Academy has made an investment to not only ensure that the young children and their families who attend our centers are represented at the capitol, but that all young children and their families are represented as well.
Research, business leaders, and philanthropic groups all agree…the first five years of life are critical to children's development and their ability to be successful in life as adults. The following resources provide an opportunity to learn more about early care and education.
James Heckman Equation
James J. Heckman is the Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at The University of Chicago, a Nobel Memorial Prize winner in Economics, and an expert in the economics of human development. His groundbreaking work with a consortium of economists, developmental psychologists, sociologists, statisticians, and neuroscientists has proven that the quality of early childhood development heavily influences health, economic, and social outcomes for individuals and society at large. Heckman has proven that there are great economic gains to be had by investing in early childhood development.
Minnesota School Readiness Funders Coalition
The School Readiness Funders Coalition is a collaboration of philanthropic organizations in Minnesota that believe every child must be ready for kindergarten. The coalition supports a collective policy agenda that strengthens accountability, provides new, focused leadership, and starts the larger conversation on adequately funding early childhood education.
Want to be part of the conversation?
The following are opportunities for you to become more involved in the issue of early care and education both at the state level:
Child Care Aware MN
Parent Aware for School Readiness
Think Small
Minnesota Child Care Association
MinneMinds
MnAEYC
Find Your State Legislators
The following are opportunities for you to become more involved in the issue of early care and education at the federal level:
Early Care and Education Consortium
Find Your US Senator
Find Your US House Representative
National Women's Law Center
Need more help? Please feel free to contact our Director of Government and Community Relations, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Tools for Parents
Parent Aware- MN
When it comes to early care and education programs, the reality is that some are much better than others at preparing children for kindergarten. But for most of us, it can be difficult to spot those differences in school-readiness quality. That’s where the Parent Aware Ratings come in. Parent Aware Ratings is a free service to help you find the early care and education programs best at preparing young children for kindergarten.
Idaho STARS
Idaho STARS’ mission is to assist parents by offering child care referrals and information about quality child care settings. Their mission also includes assistance to child care providers by offering a variety of professional development opportunities and resources through their approved trainers and mentor/coaches.
