Over the last several years, a number of public and private organizations and agencies have come together to decide how to improve outcomes for young children in Alaska. All of these groups recognize the early childhood system is very complicated, with many pieces and parts.
These advocates have produced several important documents about Alaska’s early childhood system. They include the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Plan, the Alaska Ready to Read, Ready to Learn Task Force Report & Recommendations, and the Governor’s Summit on Early Learning recommendations.
All three documents identified numerous strategies on how Alaska could improve the system of early childhood. All three included the establishment of a network of local early childhood partnerships, thus building a strong, statewide, locally based, comprehensive, early childhood system. This state-local model is working successfully in many other states.
Building a Statewide Inclusive Comprehensive Early Childhood System
Adapting such a state-local model, Best Beginnings is currently working with nine communities (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Gustavus, Homer, Hoonah, Juneau, Ketchikan, Kodiak, and Mat Su) to develop local early childhood partnerships. Having this network of early childhood partnerships in place is critical for several reasons.
Coordination would improve among early childhood programs and initiatives, resulting in efficient use of resources. In Alaska there are many early childhood programs and initiatives, however, there is generally little coordination. Typically, they operate independently of one another, often in the same community. With greater coordination, services would be more effective, accountable, and better suited to local children and their families.
Partnerships would engage community members from diverse sectors to collaborate, plan, and advocate for young children and their families. Alaska, like other states, has found engagement of people from the early childhood field and beyond makes a difference when it comes to decisions being made around early childhood. These public-private, early childhood partnerships are not a new concept, but they are reemerging as an effective strategy to maximize funding and achieve positive outcomes for young children. This model engages a whole community, not just the early childhood field, as advocates.
Early childhood advocates would be able to communicate more effectively. Being involved in a statewide early childhood network will enable advocates to gather and disseminate up-to-date information about the needs of young children and how those needs are being met. Speaking with one voice, they will be more effective in getting their messages across to policy makers and the general public, thus promoting needed change.
Establishing local partnerships would continue to build the system. This bottom up/top down approach ensures greater communication between policy makers at the state level and families, service providers, and advocates at the local level. Local communities know best the needs of their young children and how to deploy resources in the most effective and accountable ways. These partnerships are part of the ECCS Plan that calls for a network of community and regional organizations that support comprehensive early childhood services.
Providing Grants to Communities
Best Beginnings knows that local communities are best positioned to design solutions to serve young children, because they understand the individual economic, geographic, and cultural differences in their community.
Currently there are nine community partnerships already working with Best Beginnings in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Gustavus, Homer, Hoonah, Juneau, Ketchikan, Kodiak, and Mat Su. Best Beginnings is soliciting communities to apply for grant funding to develop an early childhood partnership and join the already existing network.
The one-year grants are for initial activities such as the formation of a partnership, early childhood community assessment, and development of a two-year strategic plan. Overall goals include the following:
Alaska citizens, communities, leaders, and institutions recognize the importance of early childhood and become involved in supporting policies and investments in all Alaska children.
A culturally responsive, comprehensive, accessible service delivery system is in place that links service providers, empowers families, and engages communities.
Shared goals and priorities for young children created on the local level connect to a unified state plan for young children.
Services and programs are provided in an integrated, collaborative manner that eliminates fragmentation and duplication.
Critical research by scientists, economists, and educators in numerous disciplines is used to connect investing in the early years and its impact on a child’s success later in life.
Investments in the early years are increased to ensure a long-term vital economy in Alaska.
The quality, accessibility, affordability, accountability, and availability of health, mental health, nutrition, family support, early learning, and special needs services and programs for young children are improved.
Early childhood partnerships represent a new way of doing business: local people identifying local priorities around early childhood. Initiated and funded in part by Best Beginnings, nine Alaska communities recently underwent assessments to identify priorities in their areas, and some common themes emerged. View partnerships priorities and next steps >>
