Last week, Strategies for Children hosted an open house event for the Early Childhood Agenda, our exciting, new initiative to build a consensus on early childhood needs in Massachusetts by connecting organizations, parents, advocates, businesses, educators, providers, and government representatives.

Did you miss it? No problem. Just watch the video above. The slides are available here.

And you can click here to sign up and join this effort along with the hundreds of early childhood advocates, providers, educators, and parents.

Please also join us for a kickoff meeting that will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, October 19, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Everyone who completes the sign-up form will automatically receive the Zoom link and instructions for this meeting.

Now is the time to take action.

As we’ve reported, this year’s state budget includes historic funding for early education and care. Advocates are eager to build on this momentum to achieve a sustainable system and lasting change. To encourage this change the Agenda will address the often interrelated issues of early childhood by taking a holistic view, going beyond child care to include any early childhood systems, programs, and policies that impact young children and families.

Next month, Massachusetts will elect a new Governor, creating an opportunity for the early childhood field to set clear priorities for the next administration. And in January, the Early Childhood Agenda will publish a policy and advocacy roadmap for the next two-year legislative session.

Building this kind of broad consensus is a crucial step toward making progress. 

As Marisa Fear, Strategies’ assistant director for research and policy explains, “Because the system is siloed, and because nobody has the time to look up above the treeline, we don’t always know what is happening in early childhood.”

That’s why it’s crucial to work together to highlight priorities and encourage policy action.

Looking ahead, please save the date for future meetings, which will be held on:

Tuesday, October 25, 2022, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Thursday, November 10, 2022, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Tuesday, November 22, 2022, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Tuesday, December 6, 2022, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Tuesday, December 20, 2022, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

These sessions will be recorded and shared with participants and subscribers.

Stay tuned for additional engagement opportunities during The 9:30 Call. We will also be hosting The 9:30 Call at Night for those who cannot attend morning meetings. And be on the lookout for events hosted by our partners in local communities. 

Strategies for Children hopes to establish a strong Agenda-setting process this fall, one that can be repeated in the future to create a vision for longer-term policy progress.

To learn more, send an email to info@earlychildhoodagenda.org.