For each recommendation offered in this plan, this report asked the question: WHY? It is now time to restate the question, this time from the standpoint of the children, their families, and their communities. How will their lives and prospects change if this plan is carried out?

INFANTS AND TODDLERS... will have a better start in life and a better chance for later achievement, thanks to the prenatal care available to all expectant mothers and universal access to regular health and developmental assessments. These assessments, as well as consistent care from health care homes, will allow more comprehensive well-baby care, geared to developmental as well as health issues. Health problems and developmental delays will be spotted and addressed more quickly. Babies will also benefit from the expanded range of employment and leave options parents will have as they decide on the best care for their newborns, and from the family support/parent education services available from School Readiness Centers. All of the adults who care for infants--whether relatives, neighbors, family child care providers, or teachers in center-based settings--will have chances to enhance their qualifications, interact with their peers, and improve their working conditions. Caregivers will be well trained and well compensated, and will meet high professional standards. Infants and toddlers will be well cared for in high-quality settings, where every child will have a small group experience under close supervision of a familiar caregiver. Their programs may be set in public schools, early care and education centers, family child care homes; all programs will offer a group setting, giving children (including those with disabilities or other special needs) chances to play and learn with their age-mates. The learning activities they encounter will conform to infant/toddler content standards, including enriching language experiences and respect for California’s diverse cultures. All of these policies, taken together, will allow infants and toddlers to have the secure attachments, responsive care, and early enriching experiences that are crucial to later school success.

PRESCHOOLERS... will also benefit from better health care and from the wide array of services available to their families. They will be able to attend preschool programs free of charge, if their parents choose to enroll them. Their programs may be set in public schools, child care centers, family child care homes; all programs will offer a group setting, giving children (including those with disabilities or other special needs) chances to play and learn with their age-mates. Their preschools will be high-quality settings, where every child will have an individualized learning plan developed in partnership with their parents and teacher and based on a comprehensive child/family assessment. Their teachers will be well trained and well compensated, and will meet high professional standards. The learning activities they encounter at preschool will conform to content standards, stressing rich language experiences and reflecting California’s diverse cultures. As preschoolers approach the age of school entry, their transition to kindergarten will be eased by ongoing, joint efforts by preschools, schools, and families to ensure continuity in children’s learning experiences. Children who are at risk of having trouble adjusting to kindergarten will get additional attention in the year before school entry, including an intensive summer program.

PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN... will be better prepared to benefit from classroom instruction, based on their rich early learning experiences. They will attend schools that are ready to address their strengths and needs—wherever they may be on their own unique pathways through childhood. Meeting their developmental needs and providing continuity will be key considerations of the educators who design their curricula and plan their day-to-day learning experiences. Through School Readiness Centers, their parents will continue to be linked to a wide array of services, and will have access to ongoing information about how to support their children’s school success. Children in the primary grades will continue to receive health and developmental services from health care homes. Based on a strong foundation of rich language experiences, they will get a good start as readers. They will recognize the value of knowing more than one language; most will be well on their way toward functioning well in two languages.

FAMILIES... will be better able to work productively and contribute to the well-being of their families and communities. Parents will be able to choose from a wide variety of flexible, coordinated services for their young children, including health care coverage; regular health and development assessments; high-quality, safe early care and education programs; and other supports geared to the needs of individual children and families. They will have a health and development passport for each child, so that when they move to a new locality, there will be continuity of care. Wherever they go in their communities – in the doctor’s office, at the library, at the local school, or in the welfare office – families will be able to find out about School Readiness Centers. These centers will offer a range of services and activities, based on community preferences and needs. Some may offer parent-to-parent support groups, parent education, or second-language instruction. All will serve as a hub for social services and will be able to make referrals and follow up on them. Parents will also be welcome in their children’s early education settings or schools and will be encouraged to take active part in creating individualized learning plans for their children. Over time, parents will have the satisfaction of knowing that they are better prepared for their parenting roles and that their children are better prepared to succeed in school and beyond.

COMMUNITIES... will take advantage of cross-sector partnerships to envision and implement early childhood services for their residents that reflect local cultures, languages, and preferences. They will have increased control over the design of services created with state funds; at the same time, they will be accountable for the quality of these programs. Communities will also benefit from a range of behind-the-scenes efforts to support and coordinate local programs, including strong governance, finance, and accountability systems. Communities will be able to get help from the county and the state as they strengthen equity and address a wide range of local issues, such as facilities, professional development, or curriculum development. Over time, communities stand to benefit immensely from the economic and civic contributions of residents who have been well prepared to succeed in school and beyond.

Recommendation	Now	In the future
1. For infants and toddlers	Scarce, expensive infant & toddler care No systematic way to know how individual kids are doing, or to gauge the success of public policies and programs	Guaranteed access to subsidized, standards-based child-development services for all low-income (or otherwise eligible) children All children are eligible for comprehensive, regular screenings and assessments
2. For preschoolers	Statewide achievement data reflect inadequate school readiness Insufficient attention to transitions Limited opportunities for early second-language learning	Any family can enroll their 3- or 4-year old in a publicly funded preschool program Staff develop individualized learning plans and transition plans for each child All programs promote dual-language learning
3. For kindergartners	Kindergarten attendance by most but not all CA children Limited access to full-school-day kindergarten Disconnect between preschool and kindergarten guidelines	All children attend kindergarten All districts offer full-school-day kindergarten Kindergarten curriculum is well aligned with preschool and elementary school curricula
4. For primary grade children	Disconnect between preschool and elementary school experiences Insufficient attention to key principles of child development in elementary school curricula	All schools offer standards-based, rich learning experiences and support services to children in the primary grades All schools develop annual “Ready Schools” plans
5. For children with disabilities and other special needs	Limited accountability for appropriate placements Shortage of personnel to work in or provide inclusive settings No clear guidelines for making inclusion work (i.e. child-adult ratios)	Programs are held accountable for effective placements in inclusive and appropriate ECE programs Appropriate child-adult ratios established and funded Professional development related to educating children with disabilities and other special needs mandated for all who work in publicly funded settings
6. Child outcomes and program standards	Inconsistent child learning goals Inconsistent use of individualized learning plans Inconsistent program standards Lack of standards for child-adult ratios in many settings	An assessment system for children ages three to five is in place CDE’s Desired Results are the basis for required learning and developmental goals for all children Individualized learning plans are required for all children CDE has in place a uniform set of program standards, including appropriate child-adult ratios and grouping practices for all subsidized settings
7. Staffing & professional development	A shortage of qualified early educators Low or inconsistent standards for early childhood teachers and caregivers High turnover resulting from poor compensation No minimum training requirement	An integrated statewide professional development system is in place More rigorous education requirements and certification standards have been adopted Compensation and benefits are comparable to those offered to public school teachers All providers working in programs that receive public subsidies receive 48 hours of paid professional development.
8. Accountability	No ongoing funding to create and maintain a data system that holds programs accountable for outcomes No funding for independent program evaluation No statewide child/student data system in place	CDE is required to collect and utilize data for ECE program accountability Accountability data on student outcomes (for 3- and 4-year-olds) are collected every three years in programs that receive public subsidies Statewide ECE and K-12 data collection are integrated, and are used to strengthen policy and practice
9. Governance	Fragmentation in the administration and oversight of ECE Discontinuity between ECE and K-12 ECE governance keeps parents at a distance	A Secretary of Education and Child Development serves in the Governor’s cabinet, and works with a reconstituted State Board of Education CDE consists of two divisions—one for birth to grade 3, and the other for grades 4-12 County superintendents of schools play a strong role in the governance and fiscal oversight of ECE
10. Finance	Not enough revenue to cover the costs of high-quality ECE for all who need it Existing funds need to be better coordinated and more equitably distributed Reliance on categorical funding limits flexibility and does not target local need Capacity-building is not adequately funded Unequal access to essential services and resources	Prop 98 has been expanded, creating a new per-child state allocation that funds universal preschool services Additional funds are allocated for wraparound care and flexible support service for low-income families whose children attend universal preschool A state allocation has been phased in, providing all low-income infants and toddlers with ECE services and flexible support services used at parents’ discretion A state allocation for all children, birth-K, funds local School Readiness Centers Child care funds that once flowed through 3 departments have been consolidated within CDE
11. Facilities	Inadequate supply of facilities Facility design does not consistently support children’s safety and healthy development	Capital outlay formulas have been expanded to include kindergarten and preschool programs, reducing shortages. A wide range of incentives enables many new facilities to be designed and built. Design standards have been instituted, reflecting children’s developmental needs.
12. School Readiness Centers	Parents are isolated and don’t know how to connect to services and resources Home-based providers are isolated with little access to information, training, or resources Parents don’t have information as children move from one program to another, especially when they transition to school. Community services and programs are often hard to access Linguistic and cultural barriers keep many families from getting the services and resources they need	School Readiness Centers in every community will offer one-stop service hubs for parents and home-based child care providers.
13. Health Care Resources	The health care delivery system has gaps, and children often fall through the cracks. Existing care often misses chances to address developmental needs. The multiple risk factors faced by many families require new approaches.	Every child and expectant mother will have access to a health care home, with a primary care provider offering coordinated, culturally competent services. Every child will have a health care passport that is portable and keeps track of assessments and services More children will have health insurance coverage.
14. Work and family engagement	Parents child care options are limited, especially when they have infants or children with disabilities or special needs Working parents may be exhausted and kids’ outcomes often suffer	Working parents will have the option of a paid leave so they can care for their own newborns or newly adopted children Employers will provide a wider array of family-friendly employment policies, designed to give parents the time and flexibility needed to meet their children’s needs

Table of Contents
Summary	Introduction	Improvements	Early Care
Family Support	Epilogue	Appendices	Members