Cabinet for Health Services

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KIDS NOWEarly Childhood Development Initiative
Governors Office of Early Childhood Development
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Who?ChampionsGovernor Paul Patton

• Traditional
• Legislators
• Cabinet Secretaries/Staff
• Early Childhood Professionals (KAECE, KYA)
• County Extension
• Libraries
• Head Start
• Child Care Resource Referral Agencies
• YMCA/YWCA
• Early Interventionists
• Department of Education
• Child Care Programs/Staff
• Parents
• United Way
• Family Resource/Youth Services Centers

• Non-Traditional
• Legislators
• Workforce Development Cabinet
• Higher Education
• Business (Bell-South, Fidelity, Toyota, UPS)
• Chamber of Commerce
• Foundations
• Kentucky Medical Association
• AFL-CIO
• Associated Industries of KY.
• KY. Association of School Boards
• KY. Association of School Administrators
• Parents
• Catholic Conference
• KY. Rural Health Association
• KY. Hospital Association
• KY. Psychological Association

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What?

• House Bill 706
• Comprehensive, multi-faceted bill designed to get
  us started toward our goal that all young
  children in Kentucky

• Are healthy and safe
• Possess the foundation that will enable school
  and personal success
• Live in strong families that are supported and
  strengthened within their communities.

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KIDS NOW
I. Assuring Maternal and Child Health II.
Supporting Families III. Enhancing Early Care
and Education IV. Establishing the Support
Structure
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Where?

• Across the state of Kentucky
• Professional Meetings (PTA, KY Assoc. of County
  Judge Executives, KY Maternal and Child Health
  Conf.)
• Public Forums (10 Task Force Report, 8 Quality
  Rating System, 7 Professional Development, 7
  Community Early Childhood Councils)
• Civic Organizations (Chamber of Commerce, Rotary)
• Regional Meetings (Area Development Districts)
• Local Meetings

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When?

• KIDS NOW History
• April 1998 Governor Patton announces creation of
  Governors Office of Early Childhood Development.
• November 1998 Executive Director hired after
  conducting a nationwide search.
• March 1999 Governor Patton appoints Governors
  Early Childhood Task Force.
• November 1999 Task Force delivers KIDS NOW
  20-year comprehensive plan to Governor Patton.
• February 15, 2000 HB 706 Introduced.
• March 28, 2000 Passed both Chambers without one
  dissenting vote.
• April 4, 2000 Governor Patton signed HB 706 into
  law.
• July 1, 2000 KIDS NOW Implementation.

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Why?

• Current Brain Research
• 90 of the architectural structure of the brain
  is developed by age 3.
• Critical periods of brain development happen in
  the first 3 years of life.
• Economic Development
• Every child must reach their full potential and
  grow in to adults who are taxpayers not tax
  users.
• Education Reform
• The next logical step in education reform is to
  address early childhood.
• State of Kentuckys Children
• Kentucky ranks near the bottom of states in a
  number of critical areas. Our children deserve
  better.

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WHY KIDS NOW

• KENTUCKY HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF
• infant mortality from birth defects.
• neural tube defects (spina bifida) in the
  nation.
• KENTUCKY HAS
• Had 28,500 cases of substantiated child
  abuse/neglect in FY98, 46 involved children
  under the age of four.
• KENTUCKY RANKS
• 42nd with 34 of children under 5 living in
  poverty.
• 35th with the percentage of low birth weight
  babies born in the last 30 not improving.
• 42nd with 33 of children living with parents
  without full-time, year-round employment.
• 49th with 14 of teens who dropout of high
  school.
• 43rd with 12 of teens not in school or working.

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How? CoordinatedEffort
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Broad RepresentationofTraditional and
Non-TraditionalEntities
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Collaboration Among Stakeholders
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Prenatal Work Group
Prenatal Work Group focused on the time period
from pre-conception to hospital discharge
post-partum.
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In-Home Work Group
In-Home Work Group focused on providing support
to families as they raise their children, birth
to age eight, in the home environment.
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Early Care EducationBirth to Five Work Group

• This work group addressed early care and
  education issues of children ages birth to age
  five who are in out-of-home settings.
• These settings included child care programs,
  Head Start, public preschool programs and kith
  and kin care.

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Early Care and Education School-Age Work Group
This work group examined the needs for before and
after school child care.
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Professional Development Work Group

• This work group focused on
• Personnel serving children birth to age 5
• Personnel working across all early care and
  education settings (e.g., Head Start, Early
  Intervention, Preschool, Child Care)
• Personnel at all levels of education and training

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Public Awareness Work Group

• This work group addressed issues related to all
  other work groups.
• Objectives
• Inventory - what are we doing now?
• Needs Assessment - what are the communication
  challenges?
• Recommendations - what is the best vehicle for
  the message?

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Grass RootsDriven
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Location of TenCommunity Forums

• Covington
• Somerset
• Lexington
• Owensboro
• Bowling Green

• Paducah
• Madisonville
• Louisville
• Prestonsburg
• Morehead

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Advocate Activities

• Early Childhood Task Force (March July 1999)
• Prenatal Workgroup
• In-Home Workgroup
• Early Care and Education (birth five)
  Workgroup
• Early Care and Education (school-age) Workgroup
• Professional Development Workgroup
• Public Awareness Workgroup 
• 10 Community Forums

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Advocate Activities (Continued)

• HB 706 KIDS NOW Legislation (February April
  2000)
• Postcards To Legislators
• Early Childhood Display in Tunnel
• On-site Visitation With Legislators
• Phone Call To Legislators
• KAECE/Child Care Resource and Referral Email
  Alerts
• Weekly Meeting With Advocates

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Advocate Activities (Continued)

• Implementation (July 2000 Present)
• Quality Rating System Workgroup (July September
  2000)
• 6 Community Forums
• Professional Development Council
• Core Content Workgroup (August 2000 February
  2001)
• Training Workgroup (August 2000 February 2001)
• Credentials Workgroup (August 2000- February
  2001)
• Articulation Workgroup (August 2000 February
  2001)
• Scholarship Workgroup (July 2000 Present)
• 10 Community Forums

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Advocate Activities (Continued)

• Child Indicators Project
• Birth to Three Workgroup (June 2001- February
  2002)
• Three to Five Workgroup (March 2001- February
  2002)
• K-4 Workgroup (Fall of 2001- February 2000 
• State Conferences
• KAECE/Head Start Collaborative Annual Conference
• Infant Toddler Annual Conference
• Early Childhood Annual Conference
• School-Age Annual Conference
• Working With The Media
• Newspaper Articles in Major Papers

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Advocate Activities (Continued)

• Working With The Media
• Newspaper Articles in Major Papers
• Appearance on Radio and TV Issue Programs
• Press Conferences
• Op Ed Pieces by Unusual Suspects

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Governors Office of Early Childhood
Development 700 Capitol Avenue, Room
133 Frankfort, KY 40601 502-564-2611 Dr. Kim
F. Townley, Executive Director Teri Mehler, M.S.,
Executive Assistant
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Challenges

• Budget/Economy
• Political Climate