Minnesota’s Reality

• Nearly 50 percent of kids aren’t ready for kindergarten: Kids that start behind often never catch up.

• Some of the worst achievement gaps in the nation: Achievement gaps begin early, long before kindergarten.

• A statewide problem: Not an urban problem or a rural problem, this is a statewide problem, impacting every community in Minnesota.

• Unprecedented, unnecessary costs: Each unprepared child costs the state of Minnesota $56,000 over their lifetime. Today, that equates to a total of $860 million per year in unnecessary expenditures.

Minnesota is Ready for the Next Step• LEADERSHIP: The state has created the necessary leadership and

infrastructure to advance policy efforts focused on our youngest residents:– Governor’s leadership– Children’s Cabinet– Early Learning Council– Office of Early Learning

• QUALITY: Race to the Top funding and statewide expansion of the Parent Aware quality rating and improvement system

• ACCESS: It is time to address the most critical issue preventing Minnesota kids from being adequately prepared for school : access to quality early care and education programs.

We Know What Works

• We know what quality early learning is and the impact on all children when every child starts school prepared to learn.

• We know that an early investment in ensuring quality has exponential long-term benefits for children’s academic and social success.

• We know that Parent Aware can successfully assess quality and drive continuous improvement.

• We know that financial support incentivizes providers to improve quality and increased family demand for quality programs.

When Minnesota’s kids have the best possible start we’re all better off

Quality early care and education helps:

• All of Minnesota’s kids and families: reducing the burden on taxpayers by ensuring classrooms are filled with kids prepared to learn

• Our K-12 education system: reducing the need for expensive remedial education, disruptive discipline and special education programs. Getting children ready is the first step for improving K-12 education

• The future of Minnesota: when kids start school ready, they are more likely to fill high-demand jobs and contribute to Minnesota’s economic prosperity

MinneMinds Policy Goal

To address Minnesota’s critical need for increased access to high quality

early care and education opportunities to ensure all children are prepared to succeed in school and life.

MinneMinds Policy Agenda

Phase IIncreasing access to quality programs for 3-4 year-old children and their younger siblings living at or below 185% poverty through additional resources

Phase IIAccess to quality care, home visiting and mentoring for families of 0-2 year olds (infants and toddlers)

Phase IIIAdequate funding for quality K-3rd grade education

Phase IVPermanent endowed funding to ensure all Minnesota kids have access to quality early care and education

Eligible children:3- and 4-year-old children living at or below 185% of poverty (plus younger siblings)

Licensed center-based child care

Licensed familychild care

Preschool programs

Publicschool-based programs

Head Start

Early Learning Scholarships: Prepare Kids for School & Lifelong Success

All children enter kindergarten fully

prepared to succeed in school and life

FY2014 FY2015 FY2016 FY2017 FY2018 FY2019

13,640 kids $78,370,000

16,810 kids $106,875,000

19,200 kids $130,580,00

0

20,240 kids $149,500,00

0

20,240 kids $150,000,00

0

20,240 kids $150,000,000

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Eligible programs: Parent Aware rated or on path to quality rating

Policy Proposal & Impact of the Investment

Funding levels based on anticipated maximum participation rate of 70% of 3- and 4-year-olds living at or below 185% of poverty.

Phase I Policy Objectives

Help kids access quality care

Help parents find quality Help providers improve quality

MinneMinds Policy Agenda

• Invest in Minnesota’s most vulnerable kids. 3- and 4-year-olds at or below 185% of poverty, plus siblings if attending the same eligible program qualify.

• Fund based on need and market. The amount of funding per child varies based on eligibility for other funding, quality rating of selected program, and average cost of care by geography. Average scholarship amount is $6,000.

• Build on existing government investments. Scholarships layer, enhance and expand existing public funding to enable families to access quality programs.

• Range of options for parents. Eligible choices for families include Parent Aware rated school-based, Head Start, licensed center-based, or licensed family care programs.

• Grow quality supply statewide. Families not able to identify rated programs in their area can use scholarships to access Parent Aware eligible programs that commit to becoming rated.

Scholarships Statewide

MinneMinds and Providers

• Supporting providers’ efforts to continually improve quality to ensure better outcomes for kids.

• Aligning current and new public investment in early childhood education with Parent Aware.

• The statewide roll out of Parent Aware needs to be supported with strategic new public investments in the system.

• Increased funding for access to high quality early education will pace with the availability of highly rated Parent Aware slots and is accompanied by efforts to expand the supply of quality slots.

MinneMinds: A Statewide CampaignCurrent Campaign supporters include:

The campaign is grounded in years of research by early learning experts at the state and national levels, including Wilder Research, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota.

• 360 Communities• A Chance to Grow• African American Leadership Forum• Child Care Providers Together Local 3400--

AFSCME • Caring for Kids Initiative• Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis• Child Care Works• Children’s Defense Fund• Children, Youth and Family Services Program –

RCTC• City of St. Paul• Committee on the Achievement Gap• Creative Kids Academy• Educators 4 Excellence• FamilyWise• First Children’s Finance• Focus on the Children Conference• Growth and Justice• Hallie Q. Brown Community Center• Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners• Jewish Community Action• Jewish Family and Children’s Service of

Minneapolis

• Minnesota Parent Teacher Association• Minnesota School-Age Care Alliance• Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency (MVNA)• Minnesota State Alliance of YMCA’s• Minnesota Working Family Resource Center• Northside Achievement Zone• Montessori Center of Minnesota• Parents as Teachers• Parent Aware for School Readiness (PASR)• Parents United for Public Schools• Phyllis Wheatley Community Center• Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota• Pillsbury United Communities• Rochester Area Foundation• Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota• Start Early Funders Coalition*• The Family Partnership• Think Small• United Way of Hastings• United Ways of Minnesota• Way to Grow• White Earth Tribal Council • YWCA of Minneapolis

• Joyce Preschool• Lifetrack Resources• Mayflower Early Childhood Center• MinnCAN• Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board• Minnesota Association for Family and Early

Education• Minnesota Association for the Education of

Young Children• Minnesota Business for Early Learning• Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy

of Pediatrics• Chicano Latino Affairs Council• Minnesota Child Care Association• Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral

Network• Minnesota Coalition for Targeted• Home Visiting• Minnesota Community Education Association• Minnesota Council on Black Minnesotans• Minnesota Elementary School Principals

Association• Minnesota Head Start Association, Inc.• Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care

Association

Resources

Our Investment

Our Kids

Our Future