Earlier this year, MARC organized a steering committee of early learning educators, providers, business and civic leaders, and other advocates as part of an effort called Connecting the P.I.E.C.E.S. (Plans to Improve the Early Childhood Education System) KC.
After months of meetings, the steering committee organized its first public discussion with the Forum on Early Learning on July 13. The committee – comprised of 32 members, including parents and representatives from 27 local organizations – plans to transform the region’s early learning system through shared planning and collective action. Toni Sturdivant, Ph.D., director of the Mid-America Regional Council’s Early Learning Department, chairs the steering committee.
To provide motivation and inspiration at the forum, event organizers invited a national leader in the early learning community, Michelle Kang, chief executive officer for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), to be the guest speaker. Kang writes and talks about the challenges and opportunities facing the early childhood education workforce.
Kang thanked and congratulated those in attendance for their commitment to addressing the real and growing shortage of providers and spots in early learning programs. According to data from Child Care Aware of Kansas and Child Care Aware of Missouri, the region’s early learning programs only have the capacity to serve half of our young children.
“Today we are a community with a shared vision,” Kang said. “We know what it takes for a well-performing early learning environment. By working together, we can build a future where every child can reach their potential.”
“Child care is not about putting a warm body with a child in a room,” Kang said. “We need to keep focus on quality as we increase quantity. We need both care and education. We can make incremental movement forward.”
Before guests broke out into work groups, Kang and Sturdivant, also a NAEYC governing board member, answered questions submitted by attendees. The questions touched on topics related to early child care funding, wages, training and education for providers and more.
During her stay in the Kansas City region, Kang also visited two NAEYC-accredited agencies.
Individuals and organizations who want to get involved can participate in one of the five strategic planning workgroups:
- Policy and public engagement\
- Services, funding and governance
- Supported teachers and families
- Quality pedagogy
- Data and metrics
Community members interested in joining one of the early learning workgroups can sign up online.
