Will you contact your Representative to ask them to cosponsor H.R. 3966,
the Early Education Workforce Act?

The Early Education Workforce Act is a bill that would provide grants to states to develop and implement comprehensive professional development and career systems in early education. It is critical that there be focused attention to the quality and compensation of early childhood educators. All children - in family and center-based child care, Head Start, and state prekindergarten programs - should have high quality educators who are compensated and supported so that they can remain in this critical field.   As we know more about the importance of the knowledge and skills of early childhood educators, it is critical that we deal with the fragmented and inadequately funded way in which we support their professional growth and retention.  Learn more... Read the Talking Points and What the bill does sections below.

Please email or call your Representative to ask them to cosponsor
H.R. 3966, the Early Education Workforce Act.

Contact your Representative today!

To find your Members of Congress, visit http://yahoo.capwiz.com/y/dbq/officials/.

This is an effective way to advocate for children and ensure high quality early learning experiences.  If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at kbowes@docsfortots.org. 

Help Docs For Tots document our effectiveness; email kbowes@docsfortots.org if you take part.

Talking points:

• Please cosponsor the Hirono bill, H.R. 3966. In our state, it is critical that there be focused attention to the quality and compensation of early childhood educators. All children - in family and center-based child care, Head Start, and state prekindergarten programs - should have high quality educators and to better compensate and support them so that they can remain in this critical field.
• As we know more about the importance of the knowledge and skills of early childhood educators, it is critical that we deal with the fragmented and inadequately funded way in which we support their professional growth and retention in this critical field.
• Every state will design its own system.

What the bill does:

• Provides competitive grants to states. States would establish task forces of state agencies, all types of providers, professional development and higher education representatives, resource and referral, and others to create a coherent system based on gaps, areas needed to scale up, barriers to helping improve quality of individuals knowledge, and skills and compensation whether they work in child care, Head Start, or other early childhood programs.
• Requires states to address in their systems issues such as core competencies, articulation agreements, assistance in getting higher education and professional development, mentoring/coaching new teachers and directors, linkages in a career lattice between roles, competencies and compensation, improving the quality of higher education degree programs for early childhood education teachers, and quality assurances so that programs know they are paying for high quality professional development.
• Provides the opportunity for public input into the state plan and an evaluation of the efforts and their impact that will give better data on the status of early childhood education professionals, professional development, training, retention, and higher education.