A Guide to Good Start, Grow Smart In Child Care

Since April 2002, the CCB has supported State progress on GSGS objectives by providing:

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• Regionally-based training for States, Territories and Tribes focused on ELGs, professional development, program coordination, and financing. Since GSGS was launched in 2002, the CCB, its technical assistance providers, and the ACF Regional Offices have joined together to produce two rounds of training for States on GSGS. At regional meetings, State stakeholders from child care, Head Start and education came together to develop a strategic plan for implementing GSGS in their States. The first phase of training focused on developing and disseminating ELGs; the second phase focused on implementation of ELGs across settings and in professional development systems.

• National training for States, Territories, and Tribes in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education and the Head Start Bureau, including a Forum on Child Care and Early Literacy (February 2002) and two State Roundtables on Developing ELGs and Implementing ELGs and Professional Development Systems. The CCB has emphasized early learning in its annual State Child Care Administrators Meetings, facilitating cross-state sharing and momentum for early learning across child care programs.

• Publications and training tools for Parents, Providers, and Policymakers, such as A Guide to Early Literacy in Child Care: Learning to Read & Write Begins at Birth and the Supporting an Early Learning Framework CD-ROM (see the Resources Section for more information and related resources from other Federal programs). In addition, the CCB has distributed What Works Briefs and training modules for early childhood educators describing research-based practices to support young children's social and emotional development and prevent challenging behaviors.

• Individualized technical assistance for many States, including onsite consultation, such as with Alaska on developing ELGs, Oklahoma on implementing ELGs, and West Virginia and Ohio on developing a comprehensive professional development system.

• A requirement for States to document their progress on GSGS goals in their CCDF State Plans. Every State successfully submitted State Plans for GSGS only 1 year after its launch. The FY 2006-2007 CCDF State Plans, which will be submitted in July 2005, will provide a status report on implementation.

• Research and evaluation on the effectiveness of strategies to improve children's early learning; the impact of professional development efforts in changing caregiver skills and practice (including coordination of training efforts across early care and education systems); and the impact of partnerships and collaborations between Head Start, child care, and pre-Kindergarten in promoting child, provider, and family outcomes. In addition, the CCB has funded projects to support research and data capacity efforts at the State level, and these projects are addressing early learning, school readiness, and program coordination issues. Findings will help States make informed early care and education policy decisions.

• An Interagency GSGS workgroup representing early childhood programs at HHS and the Department of Education that coordinates GSGS activities and works together to achieve school readiness goals for young children. This workgroup is focused on: (1) creating and maintaining a shared vision for early childhood education at the Federal level and with State and local constituents, (2) sharing technical assistance tools and professional development opportunities, and (3) identifying new technical assistance resources. Participants from HHS include: the CCB, Head Start Bureau, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Education participants include: the Office of Student Achievement and School Accountability, the Office of Special Education Programs, and the Institute for Education Sciences. Other Federal agencies, such as the National Institute for Literacy, also participate.

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