ED417027 PS026337
Title: Not by Chance: Creating an Early Care and Education System
for America's Children. Abridged Report. The Quality 2000 Initiative.
Author(s): Kagan, Sharon L.; Cohen, Nancy E.
Author Affiliation: Yale Univ., New Haven, CT. Bush Center in Child
Development and Social Policy.(BBB17139)
Pages: 83
Publication Date: 1997
Available from: EDRS Price MF01/PC04 Plus Postage.
Availability: Bush Center in Child Development and Social Policy at
Yale University, 310 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511.
Language: English
Document Type: Opinion papers (120); Reports--Descriptive (141)
Geographic Source: U.S.; Connecticut
Journal Announcement: RIEJUL1998
This report
of the Quality 2000 Initiative documents the quality crisis in early
care and education in the United States, discussing the reasons
for this crisis and suggesting a plan for improvement. Part 1 of
the report: describes the mediocre quality of care cited in the
Cost, Quality, and Child Outcomes Study, the erosion of quality
since 1980, and problems in staff training and educational levels;
details the roots of the quality crisis; and maintains that the
knowledge and political will to develop an effective early care
and education system are in place. Part 2 discusses eight recommendations
for developing this system: (1) use a wide range of approaches to
achieve quality; (2) focus on goals and results for children; (3)
place parents and families at the core of early care and education
programs; (4) require staff to be licensed; (5) expand the content
of training and education; (6) eliminate exemptions and streamline
and enforce facility licensing; (7) raise new funds and set aside
ten percent for quality and infrastructure; and (8) create local
and state early care and education boards. Part 3 of the report,
"Realizing the Vision," examines a range of existing initiatives
or programs that can be built upon. This part also identifies three
key strategies--conceptual exploration, comprehensive demonstration,
and broad based mobilization--and concludes with a call to action,
suggesting who should do what to carry out the vision. The report's
four appendices list task force and related meeting participants,
consultant-partners, and commissioned working papers. Each part
contains references. (Author/KB)
Descriptors: *Change Agents; *Change Strategies; Child Caregivers;
*Day Care; *Day Care Effects; Early Childhood Education; Infant
Care; Infants; Parent Participation; Public Policy; Young Children
Identifiers: Caregiver Qualifications; Caregiver Training; Day Care
Licensing; *Day Care Quality; Day Care Registration; Day Care Regulations;
Quality 2000 Initiative
