Letter from the Leadership - August 2024

This month, I was proud to represent EveryChild California at the BUILD Initiative’s QI Summit 2024: Reimagining Quality in Early Care and Education in Minneapolis. 

The 3-day conference engaged state leaders who are looking for innovative approaches to quality improvement in ECE. California was well represented with Dr. Lupe Jaime-Mileham, Deputy Director of CCDD, Stephen Propheter, Director of EED, CDE, Sarah Neville-Morgan, Deputy Superintendent for the OFAB, CDE and Jackie Wong, Executive Director CA Children and Families Commission/First 5 CA, all presenting at the event. It was a unique opportunity to hear our programs presented in a way that would be of interest to other states, including both successes and struggles, in the hopes to inspire continuous quality improvement.

Across the conference, the speakers were largely visionary leaders who had big ideas around making a significant impact on behalf of the families they serve. With no doubt, there were themes of struggles across the board. Including how do we advocate for quality, with an underpaid, under-supported workforce? How do we do what is right, and eliminate expulsion for children in our early learning environments, while scaling appropriate social-emotional supports for staff and families? And, how do we support the mental health and well-being of our tremendous workforce?

And with each shared struggle, there was light too. The inspiring tenacity of our workforce to do what is right was a present, ongoing theme that brought us together. These are some of my favorite examples shared during the conference of how other states are supporting quality in ECE. I hope you find your own inspiration for your community in them:

• The Minnesota Story Collective: State leaders shared this collective is used to ensure that quality standards are examined through the lens of the family: https://mn.gov/mmb/mnstorycollective/

• The Healthy Social Behaviors Initiative of North Carolina: A network of specialists that offer services designed to identify, prevent and modify challenging behaviors in children with the goal of reducing expulsion rates: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Provider-Resources/Behavior-Management

• Neighborhood Villages of Massachusetts Apprenticeship Program: Helping elevate emerging leaders into leadership roles with support for foundational administrative skills: https://www.neighborhoodvillages.org/apprenticeships

The opportunity to brainstorm with leaders from other states was a very rewarding experience, I continue to reflect on our shared experiences, inspiring solutions and the new relationships built at this event. It was a tremendous reminder that we have so much to share and learn from one another, whether it be across state lines or across the street, it is important to seek and find those who are as passionate about delivering high-quality ECE and build our own community to truly find success. 

Warmly,