Starting Early:
Attitudes on Early Childhood Issues in
Connecticut
October 2006
1
William Caspar Graustein
Memorial Fund
1993 Public Opinion Research
Understand the environment
Opinions and values
Educators and parents
Legislators
Other publics
2
William Caspar Graustein
Memorial Fund
Improving educational
outcomes
Increased focus on early
childhood education
DISCOVERY INITIATIVE
3
William Caspar Graustein
Memorial Fund
Improving educational outcomes
Increased focus on early childhood
education
Discovery Initiative - 2001
49 Communities in Connecticut
40 + statewide organizations -
All members of the Early Childhood
Alliance
4
Discovery Initiative
Workgroup members
Workgroup members
Sandy Baxter, Mansfield Discovery
Lisa Cooney, LEARN and New London
Discovery
Merrill Gay, Connecticut Early Childhood
Alliance and New Britain Discovery
Donna Osuch, United Way of West Central CT
and Bristol Discovery
Jessica Sager, All Our Kin and New Haven
School Readiness Council/Discovery
5
Discovery Initiative
Statewide community partners:
Jessica Bonafine, CT Early Childhood
Alliance
Ann Pratt, CT Parent Power
Memorial Fund partners:
Nancy Leonard
David Nee
Laura Downs, TA Broker
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OPINION RESEARCH
Scientific approach to
understanding public attitudes
Voters – statistical survey
Focus groups
Policymakers interviews
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OPINION RESEARCH
603+ likely voters
Over-samples
300 parents of children-birth to 8
143 Latino voters
147 African-American voters
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OPINION RESEARCH
Focus groups
Two groups - Parents of young
children
Two groups - Other target groups
Policymaker Interviews
Mayors, legislators, staff
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OPINION RESEARCH
Bipartisan Research Team
Peter D. Hart Research
Associates, Inc.
American Viewpoint
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OPINION RESEARCH
CT Voters & Policymakers feel…
Early education is important
See clear role for state funding
Parents need access to early education
programs
Proposals such as Universal Kindergarten
& funding increases for preschool get
support
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Create a sense of urgency
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RATIONALE
Voters have little sense that early childhood
issues are pressing.
While most see at least some role for the
state in this area, many feel that the state
already fulfills its obligation.
13
RATIONALE
Voters are split
31% - state already does the right amount
12% - state does too much
37% - state does too little
20% are unsure of the state’s level of
involvement
14
RATIONALE
Parents’ biggest concern is
affordability
36% say that finding an affordable program
was or will be a major problem—
32% of parents are nearly as likely to say
that this was or will not be a problem
15
RATIONALE
Early childhood issues are not a top priority for
most voters or policymakers.
When given a choice of ―important goals‖ for
the state, early childhood programs come
further down the list than several other goals.
16
RATIONALE
Important Goals for Connecticut
68% Making health care more affordable and
accessible for all CT families
64% Promoting the economy and creating
jobs
64 % Improving the quality of CT’s public
schools
17
RATIONALE
Important Goals for Connecticut
55% Reducing the tax burden on Connecticut
families
47% Expanding access to high-quality
full-day kindergarten, preschool education,
infant and toddler care, and children’s health
programs
36 % Improving roads, highways, and
transportation infrastructure
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What stories can you tell about a family’s
struggle with finding high quality early
learning opportunities?
Who in your community needs to know about
these stories and data?
Is this part of your Discovery communications
plan?
19
RECOMMENDATION
Get parents of young
children politically involved
in this issue
20
RATIONALE
Policymakers emphasize that they rarely hear
from their constituents about early childhood
policies or difficulties in finding needed early
childhood services.
They only heard from those who are in the
field or who they say are ―activists.‖
21
RATIONALE
Parents need to be told and then reminded
that their voice is important and can make a
difference.
Involving parents in this process, in fact
making them advocates, is one of the critical
steps in this campaign
22
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What do parents know about how local and
state policy decisions are made and
implemented?
How can you keep parents informed and get
them involved in advocating for accessible,
affordable and quality early childhood
education?
23
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Are there forums you can sponsor or take part
in where you can appropriately share
information about the benefits of early
education and care?
Are there easy ways parents can participate
that don’t take a lot of time or energy but
speak loudly in support of quality early
education?
24
RECOMMENDATION
Actively engage fathers of
young children & Women
over 50.
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RATIONALE
Fathers are a natural constituency for this
issue, as there is obviously a lot at stake for
them
Women over age 50 are less natural allies
— most have little to gain personally from the
state spending more money on young
children. Yet they show signs of being
―reachable.‖
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RATIONALE
Mothers Of Young Children Vs.
Fathers Of Young Children
Expanding early childhood programs is an
important goal
Mothers 59%
Fathers 43%
State should have a large role in providing
programs
Mothers 56%
Fathers 47%
27
RATIONALE
Mothers Of Young Children Vs.
Fathers Of Young Children
State is currently doing too little to fund
programs
Mothers 43%
Fathers 33%
Education funding a higher priority than
holding the line on taxes
Mothers 72%
Fathers 43%
28
RATIONALE
Mothers Of Young Children Vs.
Fathers Of Young Children
Access to affordable preschool extremely
important
Mothers 55%
Fathers 41%
Support increase in preschool funding, even if
it means a tax increase
Mothers 53%
Fathers 42%
29
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How are fathers currently involved in the
Discovery work?
Do you keep track of how many fathers attend
events or participate in programs?
What do the results mean for parent
engagement strategies?
30
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How do you support fathers’ involvement in
the lives of their children?
Is there a grandparent or senior mentoring
program in your community?
Are there other ways for older adults to get
involved in the lives of young children?
31
RECOMMENDATION
Acknowledge—and promote—
parental responsibility
32
RATIONALE
Hot button issue
Parents can feel guilty about balancing home
and work
Public can feel resentful about how families
have changed over generations
33
RATIONALE
In focus group discussions…
Hard to reach audiences e.g. women over 50
felt placing a child in child care is a choice, not
a necessity.
Many said they or their parents made
sacrifices to stay at home with young children
Some made suggestions that any increased
funding should go to parenting classes
34
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How are you demonstrating that parental
responsibility and early learning
opportunities go hand-in-hand?
How are parent leaders demonstrating how
they balance home and work?
35
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Is parent leadership recognized publicly and
celebrated?
Because this is such a hot-button issue -
Whatever strategies you decided to implement,
as always be conscious and respectful of
cultural differences and issues.
36
RECOMMENDATION
Begin with growing programs
targeted to at-risk populations
with an eye toward expanding
to universal access later.
37
RATIONALE
Voters, parents, and most importantly
policymakers are inclined to support increased
funding for ECE targeted at low-income and at-
risk children.
This does not mean programs need to be
restricted to at-risk children alone
Research proves all children benefit from ECE
and learning with children of mixed abilities
and backgrounds
38
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How do you help the public to understand the
range of needs of young children and their
families?
How do you communicate to the public that
children who need programs the most are on
waiting lists or still in need?
39
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What data do you need about the children
most at-risk in your community?
How do you communicate the benefits of
early childhood programs for those at-risk?
What specific data and studies support your
case?
40
RECOMMENDATION
Make accountability and quality
measures centerpieces of any
policy proposal.
41
RATIONALE
Most legislators are only willing to commit
additional funds to early education if they
know that they will see results.
Proposals that include assessment of state
funded programs and outcome measurement
would satisfy policymakers
Policymakers want to know taxpayers money
is being used efficiently
42
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What information is your community tracking
to show the benefits of early learning
programs? Is the data appropriate? Is it
sufficient?
Do educators and parents agree on what data
is important and how to use it?
Have community members had an
opportunity to talk about what ―quality‖
features of an early childhood program are
most important for young children’s success?
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What information would be useful from the
state? From others?
Are there models for how assessments can be
used to support a child’s development, or, the
improvement of programs?
How are they used in your community?
44
RECOMMENDATION
Have hard data—with credible
citations—to back up claims of
the value and benefits of early
childhood education.
45
RATIONALE
Policymakers want to know that there are
going to be real benefits to a significant
investment in early childhood programs over
the long-term.
Documentation of long-term cost savings is
compelling to legislators
46
RATIONALE
Policymakers are aware of studies that show
the benefit of early care and education
ECE advocates need to expand the reach of
these studies to all legislators – especially
those who vote on the budget.
47
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What information about cost benefits does
your community have to demonstrate the
effectiveness of investing in early childhood
programs?
What information from other communities
can you use?
What national research can you use?
48
RECOMMENDATIONS
Create a sense of urgency
Get parents of young children
politically involved in this issue
Actively engage fathers of
young children & Women over
50
Acknowledge – and promote –
parental responsibility
49
RECOMMENDATIONS
Begin with growing programs
targeted to at-risk populations with
an eye toward expanding to universal
access later
Make accountability and quality
measures centerpieces of any policy
proposal
Have hard data-with credible
citations-to back up claims of the
value and benefits of early childhood
education
50
Working with Statewide Initiatives
The CT Early Childhood Alliance is a statewide
coalition that supports a public goal that all children
shall enter kindergarten healthy, eager to learn and
ready for school success.
Connecticut Parent Power defines priority issues necessary for children's
well-being and a plan for action to implement or protect those priorities.
To do this, CT Parent Power distributes an annual survey to communities
across the state as well as holds 4-6 statewide meetings every year where
Parent Delegates come together to make decisions that reflect local needs
on state issues.
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Working with Statewide Initiatives
Tools for Implementing the Recommendations:
- Ready Set Grow website
www.readysetgrowctkids.org
- Early Years Advocacy Groups
- Listening Campaign
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Ready Set Grow CT Kids
We now have
4392 Friends
On-line grassroots organizing website
- Issue Policy Alerts
- Calls to Action
Organizes People by Community
Ready Rabbit in your Community
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Early Years Advocacy Groups
Early Years Advocacy what ?
Tool kit for communities that includes:
Study and Action Guides on ECE Issues
Tips for managing Early Years Advocacy Group
Tips on Communicating with the Media and policymakers.
Legislative Surveys
Legislative Scorecards
Toolkits will be available to the communities early this winter.
There will be a roll out event. Info regarding the event will be
shared with Discovery network.
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Listening Campaign
One on One Interviews :
The power of organized people operating in their own Self
Interest—seeking parent stories & interests one by one
CT Parent Power Regional Trainings on Conducting
Effective Listening Campaigns
-November
-January
CT Parent Power will link with Discovery Communities throughout
2006-2007 in assisting with engaging parents to this initiative
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Starting Early:
Attitudes on Early Childhood
Issues in Connecticut
56