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Providers
Early-childhood programs are delivered by a wide range of for-profit and non-profit providers—from individually licensed family child-care providers who care for children in their homes to large school districts that have expanded to include offering preschool as part of their mission.
Other providers include churches, small and large social service agencies, and independent as well as nationwide for-profit child-care centers. Many businesses also offer on-site or nearby centers for their employees’ children. Regardless of who the provider is, experts say that high-quality programs provide not just safe and nurturing care, but also contribute to children's cognitive development.
This diverse mix of providers, however, has often been described as a “non-system,” by experts in the field who argue that without a more organized structure and financial support, providers have little means to improve the quality of their programs and still keep care affordable for families.
In recent years, school districts have assumed a larger role in delivering preschool programs. In fact, some states (Oklahoma, for example) require that their publicly-funded preschool programs only be administered by school districts.
More commonly, however, states (for example, Georgia, N.Y. and N.J.) invite a variety of providers to participate, as long as they meet certain standards of quality.
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Early Ed Watch Blog
The Early Ed Watch Blog provides up-to-the-minute analysis, reporting, and commentary focused on policies that affect children's access to high-quality, aligned PK-3 educational programs for our children from ages 3 through 8.
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National Institute for Early Education Research
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, N.J.
(732) 932-4350
Think tank that collects information andresearch on early-childhood education, making it available to policymakers, journalists, and educators.
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Bruce Fuller
Education Professor
Policy Analysis for California Education
University of California, Berkeley
(510) 642-7223
b_fuller@berkeley.edu
Research has focused on how poor children are faring in child care and preschool programs under new state welfare systems.
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Ellen Galinsky
President
Families and Work Institute
New York, N.Y.
(212) 465-2044
www.familiesandwork.org
An author and speaker on balancing work and family issues, including child care and preschool.
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Marsha H. Moore
Executive Director
Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
(formerly the Office of School Readiness)
Atlanta, GA
(888) 4GA-PREK
Expert on how Georgia has implemented universal prekindergarten.
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National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies
Washington, D.C.
(202) 393-5501
www.naccrra.org
A national network of state and local child care resource and referral agencies, which help families find programs, provide training for providers, and work as advocates for improving child care access and quality.
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National Association for Family Child Care
Salt Lake City, Utah
(801) 269-9338
www.nafcc.org
Association of child-care and early-childhood education providers who operate programs in their homes.
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Marci Young
Director
Center for the Child Care Workforce
A project of the American Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation
Washington, D.C.
(202) 662-8005
ccw@aft.org
Expert on training, working conditions, and salary issues affecting early-childhood teachers.
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National Child Care Information Center
Vienna, VA
(800) 616-2242
www.nccic.org
A project of the federal government's Child Care Bureau, the center provides a clearinghouse and technical assistance for parents, providers,policymakers, and others looking for information on child care and early-childhood education.
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Roger Brown
Chairman and Founder
Bright Horizons Family Solutions
Watertown, MA
(617) 673-8000
www.brighthorizons.com
Founder of company that provides work-place and off-site child care for corporations.
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Lynn White
Executive Director
National Child Care Association
Conyers, GA
(800) 543-7161
www.nccanet.org
Directs organization serving the private, licensed child-care and preschool industry.
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Roger Neugebauer
Child Care Information Exchange
Redmond, WA
(425) 883-9394
www.ccie.com
Publisher of magazine aimed atleaders in the early-childhood education field.
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Children’s Defense Fund
Early Childhood Development Division
Washington, D.C.
(202) 662-3544
www.childrensdefense.org
Advocacy organization with resources and research on early-childhood programs, especially those serving disadvantaged children.
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The Children’s Foundation
Washington, D.C.
(202) 347-3300
www.childrensfoundation.net
Nonprofit organization that conducts studies on state child-care regulations.
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Disparities in Early Learning and Development: Lessons from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort A new Child Trends study commissioned by the Council of Chief State School Officers finds that disparities between poor, at-risk children and more advantaged children are evident as early as nine months of age and grow larger by 24 months of age. June, 2009
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Implementing Policies to Reduce the Likelihood of Preschool Expulsion
This policy brief makes recommendations for solving the issue ofexpulsion from pre-kindergarten. It is a follow-up to the 2005 study "Prekindergartners Left Behind: Expulsion Rates in State Prekindergarten Programs" which reports on expulsion rates by program setting, gender, race/ethnicity, and state and shows that expulsion rates are alarmingly high.
Foundation for Child Development - Walter S. Gilliam, 1/10/2008
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"A Center Piece of the PreK Puzzle: Providing State Prekindergarten in Child Care Centers" pdf
The report finds that by funding diverse types of prekindergarten providers, including child care centers, states can ensure that more children receive the benefits of prekindergarten. The report explores the benefits and challenges that child care centers face in providing state-funded prekindergarten programs.
National Women's Law Center, 12/11/2007
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"All Together Now: State Experiences in Using Community-Based Child Care to Provide Pre-Kindergarten" pdf
The mixed-delivery model of prekindergarten has the potential to meet the needs of children in working families and improve the quality of community-based centers. But some states are missing opportunities to meet these goals, the authors write.
Center for Law and Social Policy, 2/28/2005
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State-Funded Pre-Kindergarten: What the Evidence Shows
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1/1/2003
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FBI reviews spending by Md. nonprofit
By Miranda Spivack
The FBI is looking into the spending practices at Centro Familia, a Wheaton nonprofit group that runs a bilingual preschool, trains day-care providers and receives about $450,000 annually in contracts from Montgomery County, the organization's executive director has acknowledged.
The Washington Post Nov. 2, 2009
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Pre-kindergarten programs focusing on literacy
By Diette Courrege
Charleston County students' reading problems begin at a young age. Schools Superintendent Nancy McGinley thinks many of these students' troubles begin before they enter school. When children grow up in an environment that doesn't support their language development, they aren't going to be ready for kindergarten, she said.
The Post and Courier Sept. 6, 2009
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Daycare, Head Start working together
"We're helping each other," child care coordinator Sharlene Giamalva said. "We feel really good about this." Daycare director Nita Shelden] and Giamalva said it's a unique opportunity for both organizations, and that Kansas Early Head Start usually partners with home day cares rather than community day cares . . . Kansas Early Head Start will pay Community Daycare for the current four spots and eventually six spots for its children, plus other costs on an as-needed basis. Monica Springer, The Garden City Telegram (KS), April 29, 2009
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Pre-k may bring districts closer
Sag Harbor School Superintendent Dr. John Gratto said in the past few months, the two school districts have been analyzing ways to share and economize services by working together. Running a joint pre-k program was one such idea Dr. Gratto discussed with Bridgehampton School's superintendent Dr. Dianne Youngblood and principal Jack Pryor in the beginning of April. Marissa Maier, The Sag Harbor Express (NY) Blog, 5-1-09
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"Head Start strives not to fall behind"
by David Murray
In an era when budgetary increases are hard to come by, Central Montana Head Start has had to find creative ways to maintain the level of services their families have come to rely on.
Lewistown News-Argus, 2/2/2009
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"Putting More School in Bremerton Preschools"
by Marietta Nelson
The district's cooperation with in-home child-care providers is set to expand over the next two years after the district received a $369,838 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Kitsap Sun, 1/14/2009
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"Board members question pre-K partnerships"
by Ashley Northington
School Board members are questioning if they should be mandated to "pay rent" to private child care establishments when the district has under-utilized facilities that can be converted into space for preschool classes.
The Shreveport Times, 12/1/2008
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A Consensus About Day Care: Quality Counts
by Roni Caryn Rabin
The consensus of most child development specialists is that participation in day care and preschool programs is associated with improving children's pre-academic skills, language and memory; preparing them for kindergarten; and giving them an edge that persists through elementary school.
The New York Times, 9/14/2008
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"Head Start partners with school districts"
by John Lowman
A partnership between three Brazoria County school districts and the Head Start program will bring added benefits to pre-kindergarten students both in the classroom and at home.
The Facts, 8/24/2008
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"Preschool programs feel kindergarten squeeze"
by Patti Zarling
Two local programs are ending or on the verge of it, saying they can't afford to maintain preschools, partly because of the launch of public 4-year-old kindergarten.
Green Bay Press-Gazette, 8/18/2008
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Child Care Workers in New York City Vote to Unionize
by Steven Greenhouse
In the largest successful organizing drive in New York City in half a century, 28,000 child care providers will join the city's teachers' union as the result of an overwhelmingly pro-union vote.
The New York Times, 10/24/2007
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The Most Expensive Preschools
by Liz Moyer
Forbes.com hunted down the most expensive preschools in the biggest urban areas across the country using local school guidebooks, Web sites and experts to compare tuitions and programs.
Forbes, 9/19/2007
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Separating Church and State Pre-K Style
by Matt Stewart
The church congregation had many questions about keeping state money separate from the church's other funds.
Gainesville (Ga.) Times, 8/13/2007
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Putting the Focus on Preschoolers: Report Makes State Recommendations
by Brenda J. Buote
The Boston Globe, 3/1/2004
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