Research has shown that the first five years play an enormous role in a child’s ongoing development and future success. Since most kids are in a child care or preschool setting while their parents are at work, it’s critical that we invest in a high-quality early education system that provides the experiences kids need for healthy development.
Kids Forward Executive Director Ken Taylor delivered the following remarks at our rebranding launch event, A New Name, A New Look, A Renewed Mission, on July 11, 2017. "One of the keys to our organization’s longevity is that we have been willing and able to look forward and change with the times. Our name change is an indication of our...
A new study: Rating YoungStar – How Wisconsin’s child care quality rating and improvement measures up by the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (WPRI) carefully analyzes the last few years of YoungStar, with many recommendations for improvement. Some key findings: • There are too few 4- and 5-Star high-quality providers in the poorest...
According to the recently released 2016 report on preschool nationwide, Wisconsin is ranked 4th in the nation for the percentage of 4-year-olds in state-funded Pre-Kindergarten programs in the 2015-16 school year. Wisconsin, through its Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Program and its Head Start State Supplement program, enrolled 51,551...
First, the good news. The Joint Committee on Finance unanimously approved the Governor’s proposal for a $3.9 million increase for home visiting in each year of the biennium. The support for home visiting is encouraging. Now, the bad news. Two critical proposals to improve child care were rejected. The implications are serious. No...
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has released a video Play is the Way! to emphasize the importance of play in early learning and development. The short video, starring Sheila Briggs, Assistant State Superintendent, describes how young children learn and develop through interaction and play. Here is the link again Play is the...
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