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Early Childhood Services Study

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Early Childhood Services Study EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES STUDY 2017 General Session SB 100 December 31, 2017 WORKFORCE SERVICES CHILD CARE CONTENTS Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 5 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 8 A Framework for Early Childhood in Utah ........................................................................ 12 Early Childhood State Systems......................................................................................... 21 Key Programmatic Components of Family Support and Safety ....................................... 27 Key Programmatic Components of Health and Development ......................................... 38 Key Programmatic Components of Early Learning .......................................................... 48 Key Programmatic Components of Economic Stability .................................................... 58 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 73 Appendices Appendix A. Utah County-level Single Age Population Estimates .............................. 74 Appendix B. Early Childhood State Systems ............................................................... 76 Appendix C. A Methodology for State Early Childhood Systems Gap Analysis .......... 78 Endnotes .......................................................................................................................... 80 2 Bridging Research, Policy, & Practice The Utah Education Policy Center (UEPC) is a research-based center at the University of Utah founded in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy in 1990 and administered through the College of Education since 2007. As an integral part of the College’s commitment to improving educational access and opportunities, the purpose of the UEPC is to improve the quality of educational policies, practices, and leadership in public schools and higher education by informing and influencing educational policy and practice in Utah and the surrounding region through research, evaluation, and technical assistance. The UEPC provides advanced and balanced research and evaluation to facilitate sound and informed decisions about educational policy and practice. We are committed to helping our clients understand whether educational policies, programs, and practices are being implemented as intended, whether they are effective and impactful, and how they might be improved. Please visit our website for more information about the UEPC. http://uepc.utah.edu Andrea K. Rorrer, Ph.D., Director Phone: 801-581-4207 [email protected] 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS he Utah Education Policy Center (UEPC) thanks Tracy Gruber, Director of the Office of Child Care in the Utah Department of Workforce Services, for her leadership in compiling this report. Many additional people contributed by meeting with UEPC staff, providing data, reviewing drafts, discussing programs and services and providing valuable insightsT and state context. UEPC thanks the numerous staff in the Utah Department of Workforce Services Office of Child Care, Head Start Collaboration Office, Eligibility Services Division, Workforce Development Division, and the Utah State University, Care About Childcare Resource and Referral Agency; the Utah Department of Health Office of Home Visiting, Baby Watch Early Intervention Program, Medicaid Program, Maternal and Child Health Division, and the WIC Program; the Utah Department of Human Services Division of Child and Family Services; the Utah State Board of Education Data and Statistics Section, Early Childhood Section, and Early Literacy experts; and the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. Many individuals in Utah’s non-profit community also contributed their time and expertise, including those at Voices for Utah Children, United Way of Salt Lake, and the Utah Head Start Association. Additionally, members of Early Childhood Utah’s Data and Research Subcommittee and the Policy Subcommittee met twice and provided valuable insight and helped formulate the policy opportunities sections. Allison Nicholson, Candace Chow, Andrea Kalvesmaki and Marina Lopez at the UEPC conceptualized the framework and approach, collected, coded, synthesized, and analyzed data, met with numerous stakeholders and early childhood experts, and drafted the language for submission to the Office of Child Care. 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY his report is submitted in accordance with Utah Code §35A-3-208, which requires the Department of Workforce Services, Office of Child Care (DWS, OCC) to prepare a study and analysis of services and resources for children ages 0-5 and their families in Utah. The statute requires a preliminary report by October 31, 2017, and final report before January 1, 2018. AT child’s experiences in the first five years of life are recognized as a cornerstone for lifelong learning, laying a foundation for school and life success. Brain development begins before birth and is most active in the early years. Negative childhood experiences, such as toxic stress and neglect, affect early brain development and become more difficult and costly to overcome as time progresses. High- quality early childhood services and resources can result in academic and intellectual gains, improving both the cognitive and social development of children. These early investments also benefit state economies and budgets, as the state realizes a greater return on investment for addressing needs early in life, realizing a more productive population and spending less on addressing interventions for adults with long-entrenched issues. Policymakers and practitioners in Utah are increasing focus on the state’s youngest residents, with good reason. In fact, Governor Gary R. Herbert identified early learning as a priority in his 2017 education roadmap. Utah’s fertility rate and household size are first in the nation, while its median age is the youngest. These demographics contribute to Utah having the highest number of young children per capita. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 13 percent of Utah children ages 0-5 are living below the federal poverty line. These children will soon enter Utah’s school system, and eventually the state’s future workforce. This report establishes a framework through which Utah improves outcomes for children, 0-5 years by identifying goals and measuring progress toward those goals. The framework provides an examination of early childhood services and programs in the state that encompasses multiple dimensions of a child’s experience. It is important for a young child to have opportunities at home and elsewhere for growth and development, but it is also important for a child to live in a healthy and stable environment. In order to organize and explore the various programs, services, resources, and needs of early childhood in Utah, four domains are identified as being equally important to children and families: family support and safety; health and development; early learning; and economic stability. In each domain, lead indicators are identified to establish a baseline from which to identify gaps and measure progress towards the goal in each domain. In addition, the primary programmatic supports are highlighted in each domain. By 5 considering each of these aspects and the interrelated nature of the four domains’ contribution to the whole child, policymakers and practitioners ensure that each Utah child is not just surviving, but thriving. In order for Utah to achieve the goals established in the framework, there must be a robust and comprehensive early childhood system. The report demonstrates that as a coordinated system, early childhood services and programs in Utah are developing toward a full, robust system; however the system lacks coordination for services and programs that are provided through multiple governmental agencies and non-profit organizations. Additionally, some programs meet a small demand of the potential need of those who might benefit most, and are early in their development, implementation and data collection. Moreover, efforts to make data-informed decisions for the system are in the early stages. Although coordination and alignment of early childhood data systems are progressing, the lack of robust data collection makes data-informed decision making more difficult. Programs that are just beginning may take several years to collect data to show trends and outcomes. In the absence of a formal and comprehensive governance structure for early childhood, gaps and challenges revealed in this report may remain. 6 The following are highlights from each domain, providing an overview of the status of children, 0-5 years old: HOME VISITING PROGRAMS can mitigate negative outcomes for babies and families, yet as few as five percent of low-income families in Family Support Utah who could benefit most from voluntary home visiting services in Utah are estimated to have access to these programs. Additionally, the and Safety state lacks a cohesive and comprehensive approach to informing and supporting parents in the healthy development of their children. Having ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTH CARE is central to child well-being, yet 5 percent of Utah children under age 6 lack health Health and insurance, as compared with 4 percent of children nationwide. In Utah, Development 25 percent of children ages 0-5 in the state receive a developmental
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