RESOURCES
Here you will find links to the national organizations that
make our systems change possible and substainable

American Academy of Pediatrics
http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/childcare.cfm

Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
http://www.barbarabushfoundation.com
The mission of the Barbara Bush Foundation is: To establish literacy as a value in every family in America, by helping every family in the nation undertand that the home is the child's first school, that the parent is the child's first teacher, and that reading is the child's first subject;and to break the intergenerational cycle of illiteracy, by supporting the development of family literacy programs where parents and children can learn and read together.

Birth to Five Policy Alliance
http://www.birthtofivepolicy.org/
The goal is to promote innovative and successful policy ideas that support families in their parenting role and ensure positive early childhood development and learning opportunities for at-risk infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families.
Explore “State Policies”.

Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP): Child Care and Early Education
http://www.clasp.org/
CLASP offers policy information and other publication resources for child care and early education. http://www.clasp.org/publications.php?id=3 

Center on the Developing Child
http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu/
By viewing healthy child development as the foundation of community development, economic prosperity, and a secure nation, our mission is to advance that vision by leveraging science to enhance child well-being. The Center is designed to generate, translate, and apply knowledge in the service of closing the gap between what we know and what we do to support positive life outcomes for children, particularly those who are vulnerable, in the United States and throughout the world.

Children’s Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/PageServer
The Children's Defense Fund’s Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.

Child Development Policy Institute
https://www.cdpi.net/cs/cdpi/print/htdocs/home.htm
A non-partisan, independent organization whose mission is to help establish sound public policy that benefits the children of California.

Council for Exceptional Children
http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
Dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides continual professional development, advocates for newly and historically underserved individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.

Council of Chief State School Officers
http://www.ccsso.org/
A nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education that provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. The Council seeks member consensus on major educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public.

Division for Early Childhood
http://www.dec-sped.org/
Promotes policies and advances evidence-based practices that support families and enhance the optimal development of young children who have or are at risk for developmental delays and disabilities.

Docs for Tots
http://www.docsfortots.org/

A nonpartisan advocacy organization formed to encourage more doctors to fulfill their important role as active advocates for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers on the national, state and local level that is committed to making it as simple as possible for doctors to become involved in advocacy or to increase their advocacy activity.

Early Childhood Research Institute on Inclusion (ECRII)
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~ecrii/
ECRII offers a very useful page for anyone with questions about the inclusion of children with disabilities in preschool, childcare, and community settings.  There are multiple links leading to research centers, an administrator’s guide, and effective strategies for caretakers.  PowerPoint presentations and conference slides are also available for perusal.   

Every Child Matters
http://www.everychildmatters.org/
Employs systematic and adequately funded public education campaigns to provide opportunities for focusing public attention on important children's issues including the prevention of child abuse and neglect, improving the health of low-income children, and finding solutions in child care, early childhood education, after-school programs, and responsible decisions on federal budget and tax issues.

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids
http://www.fightcrime.org/
A national, bipartisan, nonprofit anti-crime organization of more than 3,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, other law enforcement leaders and violence survivors that takes a hard nosed look at crime prevention strategies, informs the public and policymakers about those findings, and urges investment in programs proven effective by research.

I Am Your Child
http://www.excel-ability.com/Orgs/iamyourchild.html
A public awareness and engagement campaign, created by the Reiner Foundation, to help people understand the importance of new brain research and its implications for our children's lifelong healthy development. Focus is on the first three years of life.
For publication, explore “Canadian Institute of Child Health” > in English > “Resources and Publications” > “The First Years Last Forever: I Am Your Child” under ‘Healthy Child Development’ then select ‘click here’ to view the booklet online.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
www.naeyc.org
The NAEYC webpage links to accreditation information, training opportunities/conferences, links to US and International job banks, policy information, and helpful research-based information related to early education and childcare as well as guides to assist you in using such research in a childcare-based setting.

    Maine Association for the Education of Young Children (MAEYC)
    http://www.maineaeyc.org/
    MAEYC includes links to organization resources in Maine and neighboring New England affiliates as well links to Maine-based higher education and career resources.

National Center for Children in Poverty
http://www.nccp.org/
The nation’s leading public policy center dedicated to promoting the economic security, health, and well-being of America’s low-income families and children. NCCP uses research to inform policy and practice with the goal of ensuring positive outcomes for the next generation, while promoting family-oriented solutions at the state and national levels.
Explore ‘State Profiles’ for summaries of different states’ efforts in Early Childhood.

National Center for Early Development and Learning
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~ncedl/pages/research.cfm
This website is a great resource database with links to ongoing and complete research projects and articles focusing on early development from birth through age 8. More recent articles focus on PreK throughout the United States.

National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL)
http://www.famlit.org
Family literacy helps parents and children form a learning partnership that ends the cycle of poverty and low literacy. NCFL works to find solutions to the literacy crisis that build on the family to create a new cycle of ongoing learning and mutual support. 

National Center for Rural Early Childhood Learning Initiatives
http://www.ruralec.msstate.edu/
Fosters original and applied research on the quality, accessibility, and replication of early educational intervention services for at-risk young children and families in rural America. Includes many technical reports on indicators in rural early childhood.

National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
http://www.nectac.org/
Supports the national implementation of the early childhood provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) with a mission to strengthen systems at all levels to ensure that children (birth through five) with disabilities and their families receive and benefit from high quality, culturally appropriate and family centered supports and services.

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices
http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.50aeae5ff70b817ae8ebb856a11010a0/
The NGA Center for Best Practices is the nation's only dedicated consulting firm for governors and their key policy staff. The Center's mission is to develop and implement innovative solutions to public policy challenges.

  • NGA Center for Best Practices Bright Futures Newsletter http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0710BRIGHTFUTURESNEWS.pdf
    This quarterly newsletter highlights gubernatorial action and leadership for comprehensive early childhood policy and systems change in the states. The Fall 2007 edition spotlights the Governor’s Summits hosted this year nationwide, including Governor Baldacci’s Economic Summit on Early Childhood.

National Institute for Early Education Research
www.nieer.org
This very useful website links to the latest Preschool research and publications as well as to state-by-state reports on Preschool standards, resources, and improving Preschool.  Research topics cover assessment, economics & financing, accountability, outcomes, quality & curriculum, special education, and many others. 

National Prekindergarten Center
www.fpg.unc.edu/~NPC/index.cfm
Provides a background and framework for how to build quality PreK programs. Links from this website are especially valuable and cover topics ranging from early childhood education advocacy to policy to research and technical assistance in implementing a quality PreK program. 

National School Age Care Alliance
http://www.naaweb.org/
It is our mission to be the leading voice of the afterschool profession dedicated to the development, education and care of children and youth during their out-of-school hours.

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child
www.developingchild.net/about.shtml
This website has a more scientific approach to understanding early childhood development, although it is geared toward the not-so-scientific reader.  From science to classrooms, the NSCDC does its best to make current research translate into early learning contexts.

PreK Now
www.preknow.org
PreK Now is dedicated to high-quality PreK programming.  Aside from a historical look at PreK, this website offers ways of improving existing PreK programs and links to outstanding books, websites, and videos to help improve overall understanding of what it takes to create and sustain a high-quality PreK program.  Information is broken into down into compartments for advocates, policymakers, media, businesses, community leaders, educators, and families, though the compartments are relevant for all.

State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems
http://www.state-eccs.org/
Provides funding from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau to support States to plan, develop and implement collaborations and partnerships to support families and communities in their development of children who are healthy and ready to learn at school entry. In 2003, 48 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Republic of Palau were awarded grants to develop Comprehensive Early Childhood Systems-building plans. Grantees are now in the process of completing plans and beginning implementation activities.
Interested in how this applies to Maine?  Explore “State Plans” > “Maine”.

Voices for America’s Children
http://www.voicesforamericaschildren.org/
A nonprofit organization that coordinates a nationwide network of state and local child advocacy organizations in the United States. 

Zero to Three
http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer
A national nonprofit multidisciplinary organization that advances our mission by informing, educating and supporting adults who influence the lives of infants and toddlers.

Child Care Aware
http://www.childcareaware.org/en/
Committed to helping parents find the best information on locating quality child care and child care resources in their community, we raise visibility for local child care resource and referral agencies nationwide and connect parents with the local agencies best equipped to serve their needs.

Foundation for Child Development
http://www.fcd-us.org/
A national, private philanthropy dedicated to the principle that all families should have the social and material resources to raise their children to be healthy, educated and productive members of their communities.

National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA)
www.naccrra.org

National Child Care Information Center
http://www.nccic.org/index.html
A national clearinghouse and technical assistance center that links parents, providers, policy-makers, researchers, and the public to early care and education information.

Parents as Teachers
http://www.parentsasteachers.org/site/pp.asp?c=ekIRLcMZJxE&b=272091
Provides parents with child development knowledge and parenting support.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Immunizations and Vaccines
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/

Child and Adult Care Food Program
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/care/
Plays a vital role in improving the quality of day care for children and elderly adults by making care more affordable for many low-income families. Through CACFP, 2.9 million children and 86,000 adults receive nutritious meals and snacks each day as part of their day care.

Even Start
http://www.evenstart.org/
The National Even Start Association is committed to supporting sites across the nation in their efforts to provide high quality literacy services for parents and children.

National Accreditation

 

US Consumer Product Safety Commission
http://www.cpsc.gov/

US Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.hhs.gov/
Explore “Families and Children” > “Babies” or “Children”

 

Compiled by Elise Washer, VISTA Project Assistant to the Early Childhood Consultant, Maine Department of Education, Augusta, Maine.  November 14, 2007.