The Family Independence Agency (FIA) is getting ready to roll out an
aggressive early childhood development strategy that focuses on rewarding
and recognizing the state's best community programs and creating a central
clearinghouse parents can use to find the best places to send their young
children.
Through the groundwork already done by the Child Action Network and the
governor's Children's Cabinet, FIA Director Marianne UDOW said today the
state is looking at rewarding quality in early childhood care through the
licensure process and creating a tiered-rating system so parents know how
one program stacks up with another. The idea here is that parents have a
standard from which they can choose quality.
Also, FIA is working with the Department of Community Health and other
groups in a public-private partnership to create a one-stop shop
arrangement where parents can find pre-schools, licensed day cares and
parenting classes. The vision is to build on community models.
Given the state's tight budget, Udow said she's not looking to squeeze any
more money out of the state budget. The state is approaching foundations
such as the Ready to Succeed Partnership. These initiatives come as part
of the progress the state has already made in this area.
"The biggest change in the state is that you have many of the intermediate
school districts that talk about 'birth through 12' because they
understand how important it is for kids coming to school ready to
succeed," Udow said. "The Ready to Succeed Partnership is a big success.
It brings a lot of people to the table to talk about that issue and that's
important."
According to at least one source, Granholm will at least touch on early
childhood education during her Feb. 8 State of the State address, which
wouldn't be surprising considering she recently served on a National
Governors Association (NGA) task force on the subject.
The spawn of this task force, was a report to assist governors and other
state policymakers in getting early childhood strategies off the ground.
Two years of work from the bipartisan NGA Task Force and more than a
decade's worth of research went into recommendations on how to ensure
children enter the school systems healthy and ready to succeed.
"Children learn more from birth to age three than any other time in life.
During these years, what we do will affect the way they learn, think and
behave forever," Granholm said in the NGA news release. "As parents, child
care providers and concerned citizens, it is our job to ensure that our
youngest and most vulnerable residents are prepared and ready to enter the
classroom."
NGA's task force suggested states develop a plan for school readiness;
supporting schools, families and communities in transitioning young
children into kindergarten; aligning state early learning standards with
K-3 standards and supporting parents in their primary role as their
children's first teachers.
For a complete copy of the Final Report of the NGA Task Force on School
Readiness and for the companion Governor's Guide to School Readiness by
the NGA Center for Best Practices, log on to the NGA Web site at
www.nga.org. The bipartisan NGA Task Force was co-chaired by former
Kentucky Gov. Paul PATTON and Idaho Gov. Dirk KEMPTHORNE and also included
the governors of Arkansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and a former
governor of Missouri.
Udow: No Timeline
Family Independence Agency (FIA) Director Marianne UDOW said today she has
"no timeline" on how long she plans on staying aboard with Gov. Jennifer
GRANHOLM's administration, but she brushed aside rumors that she would be
the next cabinet-level departure by saying she has no immediate plans to
leave.
Remember, Udow was brought aboard a year ago, taking a leave of absence
from her high-level job at Blue Cross/Blue Shield, where her total
compensation package was more than $450,000. Since being brought aboard,
she has impressed officials inside and outside FIA as being among
Granholm's best catches.
