Blog, News & Events

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Reduce Licensing Micromanagement in Service Quality: Minnesota should ensure children’s safety while freeing child care providers to meet industry standards. At Think Small, our mission is clear — to advance ...

“It literally changed my life,” shares Corinne Martin on the impact of an Early Learning Scholarship for her family. These scholarships help families pay for quality early care and education ...

March is Music in Our Schools month! Music is also a vital part of early childhood, at home and in early care and education. There is so much joy in ...

Any way you look at it, the early care and education (ECE) space is on the cusp of significant transformation. As Marica Cox Mitchell of the Bainum Family Foundation recently ...

Join us on Friday, March 28th for this 90-minute virtual webinar! A panel of leaders will be exploring the WeVision EarlyEd initiative’s approach to transforming early care and education (ECE) ...

Think Small has been working with Minnesota lawmakers to introduce legislation that keeps Early Learning Scholarships funded at their current rate for the next two years. Funding is set to ...

In honor of Black History Month, we are highlighting collections of books for children and adults that celebrate and support Black identity, beauty, and achievement for raising young children. Children ...

Expulsions, suspensions, and exclusions in early childhood education have far-reaching consequences for young children. Historically used for older students, these disciplinary measures are increasingly implemented in child care programs and ...

In celebration of National Native American Heritage Month, we’re featuring several winners of the 2024 American Indian Youth Literature Awards and 3 newly published titles and 1 classic for adults ...

What is early childhood suspension and expulsion?  Suspension or expulsion happens when a child is removed from their early childhood classroom. In practice, this can look a few different ways. The ...

Small Talks: A Think Small Speaker Series is Back! Come to learn about and discuss: Key findings on the impact of trauma and stress on child development Specific care efforts ...

“I fell in love with teaching children,” shares Sally Boyd, director of Personality Childcare Learning Center in North Minneapolis. Boyd has served more than 600 children in the 20 years ...

Today’s list of book recommendations highlights ten great children’s titles that celebrate families and many of the different people and roles they might include!Pro-tip: Track the books you & your ...

Campaign season is in full swing, and candidates at the local, state, and national level will be knocking on doors in hopes of winning your vote. You can use this ...

After you zip down the giant slide and in between your fair food checklist, take a moment to engage with policymakers about early childhood. The Minnesota State Fair is a ...

The library has had a glow up! Stop by during Think Small’s open hours (Monday – Friday, 9:00 – 5:00pm) to enjoy the new soft seating area and other features, ...

Think Small is proud to announce that the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) has accredited Think Small Institute’s professional development in early childhood care and education. This ...

The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed on July 26, 1990, and that same year, Boston became the first city to host a Disability Pride Day honoring Americans with disabilities. ...

Young children aren’t old enough to vote, but they are old enough to learn about democracy and voting! Principles like fairness, listening, and cooperation are key to strong communities in ...

Learn more about the history of Juneteenth with these new titles for children from preschool to the early elementary years, and celebrate with your community at one of the many ...

On Monday, the 20th of May we saw the Minnesota Legislature session come to a close, and with that comes the end of my time as this year’s Todd Otis ...

Ready to celebrate Pride Month 2024? There’s something for everyone from babies to grownup in this booklist from the Debra Fish Library.Pro-tip: Track the books you & your children are ...

As the 2024 legislative session winds down, the pile of ideas on the cutting room floor is growing and, unfortunately, it includes early literacy. It was a bumper biennium with nearly ...

  Small Talks Slides White Paper  About the EventJoin us for the third and final event in our Small Talks early literacy series. This entire in-person, hour-long event will be ...

Last year we shared a blog post and timeline for early care and education projects underway in Minnesota. In this post we’re checking in on the Child Care Regulation Modernization ...

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and serves as a poignant reminder of the critical role mental health and well-being play in our lives. Promoting and supporting mental health is ...

May is here and so is Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Below, you’ll find 10 fresh titles to explore all month long and for years to come.May ...

Are you intrigued by advocacy but not sure how to start? This guide is for you!  As an early childhood professional and/or parent, you have invaluable first-hand experience and knowledge ...

Inviting elected officials to tour your child care program is one of the most advocacy effective strategies. It’s an opportunity to both build a relationship with your elected official and ...

Every year, the early childhood community celebrates the Week of the Young Child®. This special week, organized by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) since 1971, ...

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month is an annual campaign that raises awareness of the inclusion and contributions of people with developmental disabilities (DD) in all aspects of community life. It highlights ...

We’re celebrating women who advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion all month long. Check out the reads below! Children’s titles Fall Down Seven Times, Stand Up Eight: Patsy Takemoto Mink ...

Women’s History Month is coming up in March, but before we get there, check out these picture book titles that honor women during National Women Inventor’s Month (February), National Girls ...

CISA KELLER NAMED NEW CEO AT THINK SMALLRespected Early Childhood Leader and Expert Chosen to Succeed Retiring CEO Barb YatesSt. Paul, MN – Today, the Board of Directors of the ...

In Minnesota and around the country, many children are not on track to read proficiently. The latest Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) results show just 48% of 3rd graders met or ...

If you’ve learned about efforts to make quality child care available and affordable for Minnesota parents and are wondering what it would take to make the results you see on ...

Black History Month 2024 is just around the corner, and one way to celebrate is diving into newly published titles and returning to old favorites. Check out the list of ...

If you’ve used the Child Care Cost Calculator and you’re left wondering:  How the heck would all of this work?  This blog post is for you!    Think Small created the ...

 Recording Small Talks Slides White PaperAbout the EventOnly 30% of Minnesota 8th graders were deemed proficient in reading in a recent national assessment (NCES 2022).Addressing this troubling statistic begins with ...

If 2023 was the year of legislative activity for child care in Minnesota, 2024 is the year of reports! As projects from the 2023 session get underway and existing projects ...

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day honors the great Civil Rights leader and has the distinction of being the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service. On this ...

  About the EventOnly 30% of Minnesota 8th graders were deemed proficient in reading in a recent national assessment (NCES 2022). Addressing this troubling statistic begins with babies. There is much ...

There is broad agreement that Minnesota’s current early care and education system is not working well for parents, children, or providers. Costs for parents are too high to bear. The Great ...

Children’s brains in the first five years of life are rapidly forming new connections and building the foundation for future learning. Caregivers in a child’s life play a crucial role ...

A great way to stay connected with early childhood policy is by making sure you’re signed up to newsletters from organizations and projects you care about. It can also keep ...

It’s no secret that Minnesota is in the midst of a child care crisis. Quality child care in Minnesota has become hard to find, hard to secure, and even harder ...

 CCAP helps families pay for child care costs while parents go to work or school. It is a complex program that receives federal and state funding.  Minnesota counties administer the ...

CCAP helps families pay for child care costs while parents go to work or school. It is a complex program that receives federal and state funding.  Minnesota counties administer the ...

 CCAP helps families pay for child care costs while parents go to work or school. It is a complex program that receives federal and state funding.  Minnesota counties administer the ...

 In the summary of what passed this legislative session, one of the important items was changes and funding for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).CCAP helps families pay for child ...

  Many changes to early care and education policy passed this legislative session. In an attempt to organize and track the milestones ahead, we’ve created this blog post and accompanying ...

  Early Learning Scholarships will see significant changes in the months and years ahead. Early Learning Scholarships give low-income families financial support to help pay for quality early care and ...

  It is no secret to those who work in or rely on child care that the field struggled even before the pandemic. The challenge of covering the actual costs ...

  My interest in this internship was fueled by my love for early childhood education and deeply held belief that we have a civic duty to support young children and ...

  The events that occur early on in life can alter its future. Because of this, it is vital that every child in every community has a pathway to success. ...

  There’s now a clearer picture of what will become law in 2023. When it comes to early care and education, there is a lot! We’re still digesting, but here’s ...

  House File 2292, the early education omnibus bill, passed both the House and Senate and was signed into law by Governor Walz. This bill contains new investments and policy ...

  State legislators are on Spring Break, and omnibus budget bills are available. An omnibus bill is made up of many other bills centered on a specific topic. State legislators ...

  A fun way to add excitement to any week is by adding a theme that everyone can celebrate together!  The National Association for the Education of Young Children celebrates ...

  The 2023 State Legislative Session is officially underway. Legislators are meeting with constituents, bills are being drafted and introduced, and committees are holding hearings!  Legislative leaders and Governor Walz ...

  November has arrived and with it encouragement to celebrate Native American heritage, voting, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving, and more. Here at Think Small Institute, ...

Chokma! Chickasha saya.   Hello! I am Chickasaw. I am one of just over 5 million Native Americans living in the United States. That’s just over 1% of the entire country’s ...

  Add some of these wonderful titles by and about Filipinos & Filipino Americans to your celebration of Filipino American History Month! October 18, 1587, marks the first known arrival ...

Fall is in the air, and apples and pumpkins are everywhere. In October, we encourage you to intentionally support children?s mental health and wellbeing and encourage fantasy play.

The Hispanic Heritage Month celebration is turning 54 years old!  California Congressman George E. Brown first introduced this tremendous festival in June 1968.  The soul of this celebration is to ...

Ramsey County, like all communities across Minnesota and the country, is currently facing significant shortages in childcare options for young families. This is not a new issue families are experiencing, ...

The Minnesota State Fair is a unique opportunity to connect with elected officials because so many of them have a presence on the fairgrounds.??Here's how you can connect with them!

"Just like all other types of diversity, disabilities offer us the opportunity to appreciate others for their uniqueness and celebrate the things that make us different."

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed. Although the proclamation outlawed slavery in all Confederate states and had been signed nearly three years earlier, the news was kept from Black Texans until occupying Union forces arrived in Galveston at the end of the Civil War. [Note: Black Americans were still enslaved in Union states up until the 13th amendment was ratified on December 6, 1865.]?

The 2022 legislative session is officially over, which means so too is our time working with Think Small as public policy interns. It?s a bittersweet goodbye. On one hand, both of us have cherished the valuable connections we?ve made at Think Small, but on the other hand we?re excited to apply what we?ve learned about early childhood advocacy to our careers.??

Building wellness and respect for children in their gender identify from an early age can lead to a more healthy and robust child. In celebration of Pride Month, the Debra S. Fish librarian, Jennie Walker Knoot, has compiled a list of helpful resources to help facilitate dialog that can help conversation go 'Beyond the Binary.'

Summer Spark is the Saint Paul Public Library's summer reading and learning program, open to kids ages 0-18. Families and individuals are welcome to join, and we also love working with groups - summer school classes, family child care programs, care centers, and camps! Our goal is to get kids reading for fun and feeling excited about stories and books.

?Our hearts go out to the families and all those affected by this tragic event. Everywhere that children gather or visit should be a safe place without fear of gun violence. Especially now more than ever, we need to be a voice for our children working together to protect schools and to prevent all forms of violence ? including gun violence ? in our schools.? - Barbara Yates, President and CEO of Think Small ?

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month ? a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. At Think Small, we recognize and celebrate AAPI month.

The importance of Community Solutions Fund, one grantee speaks out on their experience and the impacts it has on their community.

Children need representation, inclusion, & diversity in the books they are enjoying. It is a simple enough statement; one we can all agree on. But if asked to talk about why, what is our answer? How do we know if we are doing it right? Or wrong?

Think Small is proud to host two Todd Otis Public Policy interns in 2022. The internship welcomes Eidan Silver and Quynh Nhu Dao to learn firsthand about early learning policy in the state.??

April is Month of the Military Child which honors the experiences of the 1.6 million American children with family members serving in the armed forces. Check out the titles and ...

My goal is to support the ongoing growth and development of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment for all Think Small Leaders.

Dive into these 10 brand-new children?s titles to celebrate the history, present, and future of the Black Diaspora and discover notable Black activists, musicians, inventors, athletes, and poets.

“This is the biggest challenge we face: Can we build an equitable system that prepares all children for kindergarten, or will we continue to shortchange those experiencing opportunity gaps? We ...

Early childhood educators spoke and we listened. We started Think Small Institute to provide high-quality, affordable, mobile-first professional development putting the tools you need to spark new ideas in your ...

For over 25 years, Think Small has offered an annual Family Child Care Business Seminar in the fall focused on increasing providers’ knowledge and skills on topics to support their business.   In 2020 the Think Small Institute (a ...

By: Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator at Think Small It’s election season! While there aren’t any Presidential or Congressional candidates on the tickets this year, there is still plenty to ...

Guest Blog by Angèle Sancho Passe In the book Mama’s Gloves, by Mike Huber, (Redleaf Press, 2014), four-year-old Esteban learns that mama “always comes back with two kisses and hug.” This routine ...

By: Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator Lately I’ve had been feeling extra-inspired by my state and national colleagues about where we’re at when it comes to early care and education policy. It feels ...

As a parent, you are likely eligible to receive the Child Tax Credit.?If you are not yet receiving this credit, you may be missing an opportunity?to receive?up to $300 per child if you?qualify...

Image of building blocks symbolizing building equity in families through mixed delivery.

Pride occurs year-round; here are three ways early educators can support community members beyond the calendar month.

On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed legislation making Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday in the United States. The Juneteenth holiday celebrates when the last enslaved African Americans were notified of their freedom on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas...

By Jacqueline Zhang, Todd Otis Public Policy Intern For many years, Barb Fabre has recognized the need for advocating for and empowering parents in the family and child care sectors. Throughout her ...

By: Helen Sabrowsky and Jacqueline Zhang, Todd Otis Public Policy Interns Hello from the 2021 Todd Otis Public Policy Interns, Helen and Jacqueline! It’s hard to believe that the 2021 legislative session is almost over, and with that, our time ...

Access to technology is important to those working in the early childhood field. Laptops and tablets help small business owners, like child care providers, improve their skills, grow their business, ...

By Kristie Thorson, Communications Specialist You’ve heard the phrase “the more the merrier”? This legislative session, Think Small made the decision to host two Todd Otis Public Policy interns. The internship ...

By Christa Anders, Coordinator, Transforming Minnesota’s Early Childhood Workforce I am so looking forward to 2021!! Despite a rough start to the year, I am hoping that science will help bring ...

Update: As you will see from the video and photos below, we first met with Creative Kids to do this story on a warm September day. While the situation remains ...

It’s always a pleasant surprise when healthy and money-saving treats show up on your doorstep. The ‘You Matter’ snack packs come from Health Fair 11, a non-profit dedicated to improving ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy & Advocacy CoordinatorVideo by Kristie Thorson, Communications Specialist Early Education Spotlight is an ongoing series that showcases great work happening in high-quality child care and ...

There’s the saying, “it’s all about who you know.”  When it comes to gaining support for your issue, meeting in person with your legislator is one of the most effective ...

Parts of our pandemic life are becoming familiar. Video calls, online ordering, different health and safety protocols. We adapt and create as we go. Elected officials have had to adapt ...

Are you familiar with the world of likes, shares, and retweets? Want to use your social media savvy to make a difference in the early childhood education field? Whether you’re ...

Writing a message to your legislator on paper or via email is a good tool to have in your advocacy toolbox. A written message allows you to craft your words ...

Calling elected officials is a great way to communicate with them. Effective, yet time-efficient, a phone call allows you to connect for any number of reasons. If you already know ...

Are you feeling passionate? Frustrated? Angry? Inspired? Consider channeling that energy toward advocacy. A letter to the editor is a great way to share your thoughts. Here are some situations ...

Lori Williams started offering child care from her home when her son was about a year old. He’s 30 now. “I had planned to go back to work as an ...

Erin Echternach is back at the office now… her 14-month old son, Aiden is once again attending his much-loved family child care program. But it wasn’t always smooth sailing. “It ...

Annie Dunham is a Center Supervisor at Radiant Montessori, an early childhood program that typically provides care and education to more than 100 students in the Maple Grove area. Due ...

By Dianne Haulcy, Senior Vice President of Family Engagement, Think Small WAKE UP! This morning I woke up with that Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes song that became popular ...

By Kieu My Phi, Public Policy Intern Hello there! You may remember me from the blog post introducing me in February. My name is Kieu My Phi, and I am ...

“I’m exhausted. But I love my job and my families. I’m blessed to be an educator and care provider for the youngest Minnesotans.” Wendy Dewall used to have eight to ...

“I’m doing everything I can to ensure the families in my child care program have the financial stability they need right now and to keep everyone enrolled for the future.” ...

“I just ask that you realize we are essential business owners ALL the time, not just during the pandemic.” When Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued the stay-at-home order, Jean Mathison ...

“I am happy that I am able to help out where I am needed. Although it may be a struggle, we will all get through it together.” Jamie Brown has ...

“The virus has thrown everything off so bad, and I’m worried that all the progress we’ve made with the kids will be gone, and that it’s going to be hard ...

“I wanted to remain available to all of my families so that even if they are working from home, they could have their children maintain routines, and the parents could ...

“I love my job. I provide an important service to the community, but to be able to stay open much longer will be a challenge.  We need financial help desperately.” ...

“Invest in early childhood education and care, for it is now, and will continue to be, an essential service for communities and our economy.” Founded in 1981, Hopkins Early Learning ...

“Do you close and risk losing families, or do you stay open and risk yourself and your own family’s health? Child care providers deserve a big pat on the back ...

“The mental toll caused by the risk that an infection poses is a daily preoccupation.” With so many uncertainties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Maria ‘Elisa’ Vega is worried about ...

“I don’t think child care providers were taken very seriously before,” White said. “I think people are seeing how important we are, and the Governor sees that too.  We are ...

“Family child care is a small business that depends on parents bringing their children to survive. If we all close down, then there will be nowhere for children to get ...

Nearly 300 child care providers in the metro area picked up hand sanitizer & bleach beginning in April. The hard-to-find products were made available to child care programs at no ...

By Cisa Keller, Senior Vice President of Early Childhood Quality Development The April Policy Hour focused on Coronavirus Early Childhood Updates.  Children’s Cabinet Update Stephanie Hogenson, Policy Director for the ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy & Advocacy Coordinator and Kieu My Phi, Public Policy Intern Talking to your legislators is great way to advocate for young children. Whether your goal ...

You are no doubt aware of reports concerning a new respiratory virus that health officials have termed novel coronavirus (COVID-19). You can find the most up-to-date information about what is ...

March’s PolicyHour provided an update on the state budget forecast, and the importance of participatingin the upcoming census. State Budget Forecast Betsy Hammer, fromthe MN Budget Project, gave an update ...

By Barbara Yates, Think Small President & CEO In the coming months you’ll see more from Think Small about the 2020 Census. We will share Census facts and resources on ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy & Advocacy Coordinator On Tuesday, February 25 at 7:00 pm, Minnesota will holdprecinct caucuses around the state. They are the beginning of a process thatMinnesota’s major ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy & Advocacy Coordinator February’s Ann Kaner-Roth Policy hour provided an opportunity to hear from state agencies about their current early childhood projects. Governor’s Children’s Cabinet ...

By Kristie Thorson, Communications Specialist Ever since she was a little girl, Kieu My Phi knew she wanted to grow up and help other children. Her enthusiasm for advocacy, especially ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator Every year, we gaze into the crystal ball to predict what might be ahead for the legislative session. Nobody ever gets it ...

By Kristie Thorson, Communications Specialist Whether you’re a family child care provider who wants to share a program success or a parent who is struggling to find high-quality care, your ...

This month’s Ann Kaner-Roth Policy Hour was focused on recent and upcoming work at the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) with presenters from the Child Care Assistance Program and Child Development ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator Two interconnected crises continue in Minnesota:   worst-in-the-nation achievement gaps and  a severe child care shortage in many parts of the state Last ...

By Voices and Choices for Children Coalition “This is the time for us to not just dream about what could be, but also start to build alternatives that we want ...

By Barbara Yates, President and CEO of Think Small As another school year begins, we have another opportunity to reflect on children’s readiness for the learning ahead. Think Small’s strategic ...

By Viktoria Bjerke from Belle Plaine, MinnesotaMy name is Viktoria Bjerke. I am 24 years old, married, and I have two children, ages one and two. We are a working ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator The Minnesota State Fair is a great time to put your advocacy skills to work! With so many organizations and resources, you don’t have ...

By Barbara Yates, President and CEO of Think Small Today marks the re-launch of the Minnesota Children’sCabinet, and I am excited about the possibilities it presents for our youngestchildren in ...

Pathways to Quality (P2Q), launched in 2016 by Think Small and Generation Next, aims to improve the quality of early care and education (ECE) programs and outcomes for children younger ...

By Christa Anders, Coordinator, B8 Early Childhood Workforce Team Minnesota’s early childhood educators are “the workforce behind the workforce.”  These women, and a few men, who care for young children so ...

By Kristie Thorson, Communications Specialist The first of its kind in Minnesota, a new study examines how families transition their children from an early childhood education provider to kindergarten. The ...

By Kristie Thorson, Communications Specialist St. Paul mother Stephanie Henderson knows her son Oliver has benefited from high-quality early care and education.  “It was just so great for him,” said ...

By Katie Burke, Public Policy Intern Hello there! You may remember me from the blog post introducing me earlier this year. My name is Katie Burke and I am in ...

By Marie Huey, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator Katy Smith, Licensed Parent Educator and 2011 MN Teacher of the Year, and Dr. Monica Potter, Supervisor of Early Childhood and Family Education ...

This study is intended to help Think Small and Generation Next understand how families gather information, weigh factors, and make an Early Care and Education (ECE) and Kindergarten enrollment decisions ...

The availability of and access to quality child care has reached crisis levels throughout Minnesota, including the Twin Cities. Between 2005 and 2015, the state lost about 30% (over 3,000) ...

In recent years, we’ve seen a disturbing number of children suspended or expelled from child care programs as a result of disruptive behaviors and social-emotional challenges, and children of color ...

Think Small, in partnership with ParentPowered, implemented a text-based program in Minnesota in 2017. This program is based on the research of Benjamin York and Susanna Loeb (One Step at ...

LENA Start is a program for parents and their young children that supports positive interactions and promotes development of early language. Based on more than 20 years of research, starting ...

One of the promising results from the Year 2 report of Think Small’s Pathways to Quality (P2Q) project stemmed from a small pilot measuring children’s executive functions using the Minnesota ...

Think Small’s experience working with early learning providers demonstrates that many benefit from additional, targeted support both prior to and during the Parent Aware rating process. Through Learning Communities, Think ...

Parent Aware, Minnesota’s early learning quality framework, allows all types of early care and education programs to voluntarily receive a quality rating based on the extent to which they adhere ...

Family and Community Engagement Tools (FaCET) provide a vehicle for parents and staff from diverse cultures to better understand each other and to create an environment where all children thrive. ...

Part of the Pathway to Quality intervention strategy was to target providers that serve low-income and ethnically-diverse families. As Think Small began to implement these interventions, we recognized when adaptations ...

Supporting family child care providers to stay in business and sustain quality business practices. Pilot of website training, where providers create a business website. Click to View Full Report

The purpose of this report is to highlight key findings from a survey of former licensed family child care (LFCC) providers in Minnesota. The survey was part of Think Small ...

Think Small and Generation Next implemented the Parent Aware Retention Incentive program in early 2017. The purpose of the incentive is to retain and reward Parent Aware–rated licensed family child ...

Minnesota has one of the worst achievement gaps in the nation, which research shows starting in children as young as 18 months old. Improving the kindergarten readiness best practices in ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy & Advocacy CoordinatorVideo by Kristie Thorson, Communications Specialist Early Education Spotlight is an ongoing series that showcases great work happening in high-quality child care and ...

By Kathy Benjamin from Moorhead, MinnesotaI am a single parent of three children. All three were in daycare at one point.  I was already receiving child care assistance from the ...

By Marie Huey, Think Small Policy and Advocacy Coordinator While the state legislative session is heating up in Minnesota, there’s also plenty to discuss about what is going on with ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator The March edition of Ann Kaner-Roth Policy Hour covered the state budget forecast and the Governor’s budget proposal. February Budget Forecast Betsy ...

By Marie Huey, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator Staff from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) joined us for February’s Ann Kaner-Roth Policy Hour to provide updates on child care.  ...

Submitted by Jane Kretzmann, on behalf of Elders for Infants (Glenace Edwall, Dave Ellis, Sandy Heidemann, Jim Nicholie, Glen Palm, and Katie Williams). Elders for Infants is comprised of professionals ...

By Kristie Thorson, Communications Specialist When Katie Burke arrived at the Minnesota State Capitol several minutes before the doors opened on a frigid January morning, she had to find a ...

Submitted by Jane Kretzmann, on behalf of Elders for Infants (Glenace Edwall, Dave Ellis, Sandy Heidemann, Jim Nicholie, Glen Palm, and Katie Williams). Elders for Infants is comprised of professionals ...

 Early Learning Council members are responsible for providing recommendations to the Governor and Legislature on how to create a high-quality, early childhood system in Minnesota that will help improve outcomes ...

What are your numbers?6, 43A, 2, 7?5, 12B, 4, 1? By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator Several elected officials represent you at different levels, and their districts often ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator Are you motivated to advocate for children this year? If you’re looking to support high-quality child care in Minnesota, below are some ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator Mixed delivery is a hot topic in early care and education. Even with an extra half hour, December’s Ann Kaner-Roth Policy Hour ...

By Ambar Cristina Hanson, M.P.A., Chief External Relations Officer at Hiawatha Academies and a Steering Committee member of the Voices and Choices for Children Coalition. Over the past several years, ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy CoordinatorThe November Ann Kaner-Roth Policy Hour focused on play, parents and policy.One of the presenters was Katy Smith, a Parent Educator who spent 31 ...

Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) helps make child care affordable for income-eligible families.  This can often be life-changing for children and parents, as it was for the Santamaria Mendez family.Four-year-old Aaron Santamaria Mendez ...

Small Talks features leaders who share key insights on early childhood education and discuss innovative solutions to early learning issues in Minnesota.Inadequate investment, scholarship caps, complicated funding streams, and low ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy CoordinatorKids were on vacation this summer, but many adults didn’t have time for a break. October’s Ann Kaner-Roth Policy Hour got us up ...

U.S. Senator Tina Smith introduced a new bill aimed at reducing the child care shortage in Minnesota and across the nation. The Child Care Supply Improvement Act proposes supports for ...

Think Small’s mission as a nonprofit is to advance quality care and education of children in their crucial early years. We do this by preparing providers, strengthening families and catalyzing ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy CoordinatorThe Minnesota State Fair is a great time to put your advocacy skills to work!With so many organizations and resources, you don’t have ...

“This opportunity wasn’t just good for her, and amazing for her, but it was also amazing for me. And if it’s amazing for me, it’s amazing for our little family.” ...

By Ericca Maas, Close Gaps by 5My organization is focused on closing Minnesota’s worst-in-the-nation achievement gaps, which means closing the early education opportunity gaps facing the 35,000 low-income Minnesota children ...

“The survey results show that Parent Aware-rated programs across all parts of Minnesota were twice as likely to have stayed in business than non-rated programs.” High-quality early learning, as defined ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy CoordinatorEvery eligible Minnesota voter will have the opportunity to make their choice for statewide and federal offices this November. What authority do these ...

By May Esperanza Losloso, Senior Organizer, Children’s Defense Fund-MinnesotaFrom April 11-13, 2018, eight members of the Voices and Choices for Children Steering Committee attended the PolicyLink 2018 Equity Summit in ...

“Knock knock. Who’s there? Candidates.Candidates who? Candidates for Governor, Senator, Attorney General, State House of Representatives….” Campaign season is in full swing, and candidates around the state are knocking on doors in hopes ...

We ask the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to stop family separations at the border. Dear Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen, On behalf of Think Small, I ask you ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy CoordinatorThe 2018 legislative session ended on May 22. To explain the implications for the early care and education field, two experts joined us: ...

By: Emma KlinglerGreetings! You may remember me from the blog post introducing me back in March. My tenure as the Todd Otis Public Policy Intern for Think Small is nearly over, ...

Happy Child Care Provider Appreciation Day! Today, we recognize the millions of child care providers across the nation who give their time, experience, concern, and skills to our littlest learners ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy CoordinatorSaint Paul is planning for a citywide 3K program, and Council Member Rebecca Noecker joined May’s Ann Kaner-Roth Policy Hour to explain the ...

“Please continue funding programs such as early childhood scholarships.  It definitely makes a difference.  It allows kids to get that extra boost in the beginning so they stay on track ...

By Kristie ThorsonAt Think Small, we picture a brighter future for Minnesota’s kids.  We picture a day when ALL young children have access to high-quality early care and education so ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator The Minnesota State Legislature was off for Easter/Passover Break this week, so Ann Kaner-Roth Policy Hour turned its focus to national issues. ...

Small Talks features leaders who share key insights on early childhood education and discuss innovative solutions to early learning issues in Minnesota. By Kristie Thorson“If this is going to be ...

Think Small’s first Todd Otis Public Policy Internship is underway. The internship is a unique opportunity to learn firsthand about Minnesota’s early learning policy and advocacy landscape.Todd Otis’ lifelong advocacy ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy CoordinatorMarch Ann Kaner-Roth Policy Hour focused on coordination and collaboration projects in the early learning field.Early Learning CouncilDianne Haulcy, Senior Vice President of ...

Many organizations and individuals are seeking equitable policies and solutions to address persistent inequality. We can no longer support systems that created inequity and maintain inequity. By Voices and Choices ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy CoordinatorFacts and speculation both made appearances at February’s Ann Kaner-Roth Policy Hour at Think Small in Minneapolis, and Sara(h)s abounded.Sarah Orange, Policy Advocate ...

Early Education Spotlight is an ongoing series that showcases great work happening in high-quality child care and preschool settings across Minnesota. From innovative early learning programs to parent perspectives on ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy CoordinatorOn Tuesday, February 6 at 7:00 p.m., Minnesota will hold precinct caucuses around the state. They are the beginning of a process that Minnesota’s ...

Small Talks features leaders who share key insights on early childhood education and discuss innovative solutions to early learning issues in Minnesota. By Kristie Thorson, Communications SpecialistThe third Small Talks ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy CoordinatorJanuary Policy Hour started with a special announcement: the event is now named the Ann Kaner-Roth Policy Hour. Ann served as the Executive ...

The Policies in Play series takes a closer look at the recently passed state legislative policies that affect early care and education. We work with partners to find out what ...

Todd Otis’ lifelong advocacy career in Minnesota, and his work as a change-agent in early childhood, has had a significant and long-term positive impact on early childhood public policies, systems, ...

Early Education Spotlight is an ongoing series that showcases great work happening in high-quality child care and preschool settings across Minnesota. From innovative early learning programs to parent perspectives on ...

By Megan McLaughlin, Way to Grow Several organizations that serve children and families recently worked together to provide trainings for Minneapolis parents. As part of a grant from Minnesota Comeback, ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy CoordinatorDecember Policy Hour presenters shared information about state and national initiatives that are working to enhance and improve the early childhood workforce.Power to ...

Early Education Spotlight is an ongoing series that showcases great work happening in high-quality child care and preschool settings across Minnesota. From innovative early learning programs to parent perspectives on ...

“Our mission is to advance quality care and education of children in their crucial early years.” The theme of our 2017 Report to the Community is ‘Picturing Brighter Futures’ for ...

  Staff from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) presented at November Policy Hour about the changes to child care in Minnesota. During the 2017 legislative session, many changes ...

By Susan SchaffhausenIn 2017, Think Small undertook new efforts to increase the number of child care providers who devote their care to ensuring children’s health, safety, and best practices for ...

Early Learning Scholarships allow children ages 3-5 from low-income families to attend high-quality early learning programs. During the 2017 legislative session, lawmakers made a change to allow children 0-5 from ...

By Kristie Thorson, Communications SpecialistThere is much more ‘being planted’ in this backyard then simple seeds and seedlings.  These Minnesota children, along with their family child care provider, are also ...

Small Talks features leaders who share key insights on early childhood education and discuss innovative solutions to early learning issues in Minnesota. By Kristie Thorson, Communications SpecialistText Me: Turning Everyday ...

The Policies in Play series takes a closer look at the recently passed state legislative policies that affect early care and education. We work with partners to find out what ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy CoordinatorRepresentatives from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) presented at the first Policy Hour of the season. June Reineke and Amanda Varley shared ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy & Advocacy CoordinatorVideo by Kristie Thorson, Communications SpecialistEarly Education Spotlight is an ongoing series that showcases great work happening in high-quality child care and preschool ...

The Policies in Play series takes a closer look at the recently passed state legislative policies that affect early care and education. We work with partners to find out what ...

Pathways to Quality (P2Q), launched in 2016 by Think Small and Generation Next, aims to improve the quality of early care and education (ECE) programs and outcomes for children younger ...

Small Talks features leaders who will share key insights on early childhood education and discuss innovative solutions to early learning issues in Minnesota. By Kristie ThorsonTalk to Me: How Early ...

The Policies in Play series takes a closer look at the recently passed state legislative policies that affect early care and education. We work with partners to find out what ...

By: Marie HueyEarly Education Spotlight is an ongoing series that showcases great work happening in high-quality child care and preschool settings across Minnesota. From innovative early learning programs to parent ...

The Policies in Play series takes a closer look at the recently passed state legislative policies that affect early care and education. We work with partners to find out what ...

The Policies in Play series takes a closer look at the recently passed state legislative policies that affect early care and education. We work with partners to find out what ...

Join us on the playground as we explore Policies in Play! Think Small believes that placing a priority on children and their families through access to high quality early childhood ...

Child Care Providers Can Meet Parent Aware Requirement by Encouraging Families to Sign Up When Woodbury parent Amy Raleigh heads to the store with her 4-year old daughter Fiona, she ...

By Todd Otis The benefits of giving children access to high-quality early learning have been proven beyond a doubt. Nobody has been able to dispute that targeted investment in quality ...

By Todd OtisThe early childhood movement has come a long way in the past twenty years, and has a long way to go.The public now understands the importance of early ...

The final Policy Hour of the season was a double dose of early education information! We heard about changes to Parent Aware and received an end of legislative session update.Parent ...

Minnesota legislators wrapped up the special session last week, and the Governor signed budget bills into law. Read about the new policies and programs that affect early learning throughout the ...

Winners of the Midwest Book Awards Gala were announced May 12, 2017, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Think Small’s publishing division, Redleaf Press, took home top honors in three categories: Education/Learning, ...

It is great that early learning is a policy priority for the state, and it’s encouraging to hear it continue to be discussed. In a year of $1.6 billion surplus, ...

Field Representative to Senator Al Franken (D-Minnesota), Dan Solomon, joined Policy Hour in May to provide updates on federal funding and policies that affect the early learning field.Sen. Franken is ...

By Marie Huey, Public Policy & Advocacy CoordinatorVideo by Kristie Thorson, Communications SpecialistEarly Education Spotlight is an ongoing series that showcases great work happening in child care and preschool settings ...

 Did you know Minnesota’s best resources for early childhood professionals are available FREE to you?  April 9 – 15 is National Library Week!  What a great opportunity to explore a ...

Early education is in the spotlight now. That was the message from Kathleen O’Donnnell, Executive Director, and Sara Benzkofer, Director of Policy and Communications, of MnAEYC-MnSACA. The April Policy Hour ...

By: Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy CoordinatorEarly Education Spotlight is an ongoing series that showcases great work happening in child care and preschool settings across Minnesota. From innovative early ...

Jim Koppel, Assistant Commissioner for Children and Family Services for the Minnesota Department of Human Services, spoke to Policy Hour attendees on March 7th.  He talked about the child care ...

Members of two national organizations say high-quality early education is a proactive solution to public safety concerns, and they’ve detailed their support of the issue in recent letters to Minnesota ...

By: Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy CoordinatorEarly Education Spotlight is an ongoing series that showcases great work happening in child care and preschool settings across Minnesota. From innovative early ...

Legislative Task Force on Child Care Access and Affordability Senator Melissa Wiklund, DFL-Bloomington, was one of the presenters at the February Policy Hour organized by Minnesota’s Future and hosted by ...

This month marks one year since the start of the Think Small blog. To celebrate, we’re using January to highlight information and initiatives from Think Small and our partners about ...

This month marks one year since the start of the Think Small blog. To celebrate, we’re using January to highlight information and initiatives from Think Small and our partners about ...

By: Gerri FisherThis month marks one year since the start of the Think Small blog. To celebrate, we’re using January to highlight information and initiatives from Think Small and our ...

The 2017 Minnesota Legislative Session is underway! January Policy Hour brought us up to speed on the policy priorities of the organizations in the Minnesota’s Future coalition and the Voices and Choices ...

90% of brain development occurs by age 5.80% of the brain is developed by age 3.These eye-catching statements sound impressive but can be confusing and misleading. Learning certainly continues after ...

This month marks one year since the start of the Think Small blog. To celebrate, we’re using January to highlight information and initiatives from Think Small and our partners about ...

We’ve moved up a few diaper sizes, mastered crawling, and are transitioning to solid foods and walking. This month marks one year since the start of the Think Small blog. ...

By: Marie HueyEarly Education Spotlight is an ongoing series that showcases great work happening in child care and preschool settings across Minnesota. From innovative early learning programs to parent perspectives ...

The 2017 Legislative session starts in less than one month. In preparation, Think Small created our policy priorities. The priorities all support our mission of advancing quality care and education ...

December’s Policy Hour featured three early childhood lobbyists: Valerie Dosland and Patrick Lobejko of Ewald Consulting, and Sonnie Elliott of FaegreBD Consulting. We also heard from Ben Horowitz of the Minnesota Budget Project. Many ...

By: Marie HueyEarly Education Spotlight is an ongoing series that showcases great work happening in child care and preschool settings across Minnesota. From innovative early learning programs to parent perspectives ...

Think Small is participating in Give to the Max Day on Nov. 17. The annual event, sponsored by GiveMN, encourages Minnesotans to donate to their favorite nonprofits and charities on ...

New federal policy changes will affect the Minnesota early learning field. November Policy Hour featured staff from the state departments of Education and Human Services sharing updates about the changes.

By: Marie HueyEarly Education Spotlight is an ongoing series that showcases great work happening in child care and preschool settings across Minnesota. From innovative early learning programs to parent perspectives ...

Think Small is hosting an event to help child care directors welcome their newest staff members.During this two-hour, interactive session, participants will explore new employee orientation processes and systems that ...

A new group of early education experts released recommendations for how Minnesota can best improve the early care and education landscape across our state, a key area of focus to ...

Governor Mark Dayton has proclaimed today Think Small Day in Minnesota in honor of our 45th Anniversary. Now that’s something to celebrate!  It all started with a bus. As more women ...

Join families, child care providers, and child care centers to discuss what you think about parent engagement. Tell us what changes you’d make, or what you want to remain the ...

The first Minnesota’s Future Policy Hour of the season focused on legislation passed this spring. The presenters provided updates on implementation of projects.

Think Small, Adults’ & Children’s Alliance, and the Cargill Foundation have partnered to provide free training for Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) participants.

Think Small is celebrating its 45th Anniversary on Thursday, Oct. 13 with a community open house. The event will be hosted in our new office space in the lower level ...

By: Marie HueyEarly Education Spotlight is an ongoing series that showcases great work happening in child care and preschool settings across Minnesota. From innovative early learning programs to parent perspectives ...

The Legislative Task Force on Access to Affordable Child Care discussed licensingrequirements and enforcement at their meeting on September 21st. State and county officials provided insight into their roles and observations, ...

Think Small’s 23rd Annual Family Child Care Business Seminar is coming up! It will be held November 5th at the Ramada Plaza Minneapolis. Use this opportunity to review 2016 tax ...

By: Marie HueyEarly Education Spotlight is an ongoing series that showcases great work going on in child care and preschool settings across Minnesota. From innovative early learning programs to parent ...

By: Maya Fanjul-DebnamThe opportunity gap is one of the biggest obstacles our education system faces today.As highlighted in a Minnpost op-ed written by Think Small President, Barbara Yates: “Our achievement ...

By age three, it’s estimated children from low-income families hear 30 million fewer words than their more well-off peers. This word gap contributes to children from low-income families being less ...

By: Marie HueyEarly Education Spotlight is an ongoing series that showcases the great work happening in quality child care and preschool settings across Minnesota.Kris Larson’s Family Child Care program in ...

By: Maya Fanjul-DebnamMinnesota is heralding in an innovative program to help close the word gap. The word gap–a 30 million word deficit between children from low income families and their ...

By: Maya Fanjul-DebnamIn this current political climate, tensions are running high between parties, and it appears as if there’s nothing we can agree on. Nothing that is, except early care ...

By: Marie HueyEarly Education Spotlight is an ongoing series that showcases the great work happening in high-quality early learning settings across Minnesota. The first installment features Aldrich Memorial Nursery School and its ...

The Minnesota House Select Committee on Affordable Child Care held a hearing on July 19 at the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board office to hear from the community on child ...

There is much to mourn over recent weeks, with terrible acts of violence in Louisiana, Texas, and our very own home Minnesota. Current events expose great rifts in our communities, ...

By: Maya Fanjul-DebnamMore than 16 million children in the United States – 22% of all children – live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level, $23,550 a year ...

By: Maya Fanjul-DebnamFrom the moment they are born, children are learning from their surroundings. Everything from brain growth to approaches to life are shaped by what does—or does not–happen in ...

By: Marie HueyAs a passionate advocate for the importance of early learning, I’m always interested in ways to support the cause. When I heard about an opportunity combining fitness, fun, ...

By Maya Fanjul-DebnamBy age four, children from low-income families hear 30 million fewer words than their more well-off peers, setting them on very different trajectories for early literacy. The disparity ...

By: Maya Fanjul-DebnamCyclists will hit the streets of downtown Minneapolis for a good cause on Saturday July 9. Nice Ride and The Minneapolis Foundation have teamed up with several local ...

Think Small is thrilled to share new, cutting edge approaches to reducing opportunity and achievement gaps at the 2016 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) America meeting in Atlanta this month.It’s an ...

The Minnesota’s Future June Policy Hour reviewed the 2016 legislative session, combing through a list of proposals that passed, did not pass, and some that still may pass if a ...

This is the fourth annual report conducted by Child Trends about the statewide rollout of Parent Aware. Funding is provided by Parent Aware for School Readiness (PASR), the Greater Twin ...

Governor Dayton signed the supplemental budget bill today, allocating $182 million in funding this year and $300 million of funding over the next two years. He is still reviewing the ...

Celebrate International Children’s Day and support Think Small by dining at any metro Granite City location on Wednesday, June 1st. Ten percent of all bills that day will be donated ...

Today is National Child Care Provider Day. Intentionally celebrated on the Friday before Mother’s Day, it is a time to show gratitude for those who take care of children.Child care ...

Kelly Monson, Minnesota’s Children’s Cabinet Program Manager, talked about Help Me Grow at May’s policy hour.The purpose of Help Me Grow is to promote healthy development in children prenatal to ...

Fifteen years ago, families in White Earth, Minnesota didn’t have access to early learning programs. Families were lucky to get a spot in a Head Start program, one of the ...

In print and social media, Parent Aware has been a hot topic in the past couple of weeks. Parent Aware is Minnesota’s early education Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). ...

By: Nancy Jost, Early Childhood Coordinator for West Central InitiativeRemember the last time you bought a car? I’m guessing you started by thinking about what is best for you and your ...

Macy started her child care program at age two, with no previous early learning experience. Since then, she’s blossomed. She is now the star student of her program and completely ...

A group of high ranking military generals residing in Minnesota sent a letter to legislators encouraging them to invest in Parent Aware, Minnesota’s quality rating system for all early learning ...

We must close gaps first by supporting early learning programs already in place to reach our most at risk children. Child Care is an essential and large piece of this ...

The April edition of Minnesota’s Future Policy Hour featured leaders from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) discussing Minnesota’s response to the federal reauthorization of the Child Care and ...

By: Ericca Maas, Executive Director of Parent Aware for School ReadinessWhen it comes to early learning, I’ve never met an early educator who didn’t want the best for the kids they ...

The purpose of this report is to present findings from surveys with ECE providers about Parent Aware. Surveys were administered to gather data from currently-rated Parent Aware providers about their ...

By: Barbara Yates, President and CEO of Think SmallWe’ve heard it before.If everything is your priority, then nothing is your priority.Show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you ...

The Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) celebrating early learning, young children, their teachers and ...

Minnesota is grappling with a tough question: How do we best improve the early learning landscape in our state?It’s important to note that this question presumes an acceptance of the ...

Our March 1, 2016 Policy Hour featured Dan Solomon, Field Representative to Senator Al Franken. While congress has been rather unproductive as of late, Solomon shared some bright spots and ...

On Tuesday, March 1, 2016, at 7:00 pm, Minnesota will hold precinct caucuses around the state. They are the beginning of a process that Minnesota’s major political parties use for ...

Minnesota Management and Budget released Minnesota’s economic forecast this morning, and the state’s surplus has decreased slightly to $900 million for the next budget cycle.The November economic forecast expected a ...

Children attending a Parent Aware rated program are making significant gains in the skills they need to succeed in kindergarten, according to a third party evaluation of the Minnesota programs.

Nationally, Minnesota ranks 46th for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) high school graduation and is home to one of the largest white-AAPI proficiency gaps for fourth-grade reading. A new ...

The 2016 Children and Youth Issues Briefing this week featured an important and inspiring conversation about the future of early learning in Minnesota.

Think Small is dedicated to continue improving the early learning landscape across Minnesota, impacting the lives of children and the future of our state and starting with the children who ...

Preschool age children develop eating habits they will practice for the rest of their lives, so they are at an ideal age to experience and learn about healthy eating.At the ...

Parent Aware is Minnesota’s voluntary Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) for early care and education (ECE) programs. In 2015, Parent Aware became available statewide after a gradual rollout that ...

Meet Lisa Wilson. She is a single mother to a rambunctious 4 year-old. They try hard to make ends meet every month, but sometimes it just didn’t work out. Child ...

Beginning July 1, 2016, MNStreams.org – Child Care Aware of Minnesota’s current online catalog for face-to-face trainings – will no longer be accessible. In its place, early learning and school-age ...

The Minnesota Department of Education delivered an evaluation of Early Learning Scholarships to the Minnesota Legislature this week, which found that children who receive Early Learning Scholarships are making significant ...

This is the third in a series of videos showing the impact high-quality early learning has on children, families and child care providers across Minnesota. Check back here for a new ...

This is the second in a series of videos showing the impact high-quality early learning has on children, families and child care providers across Minnesota. Check back here for a new ...

Every year, Think Small collects valuable information about all licensed child care programs in the metro area on behalf of the Department of Human Services. This provides the most up ...

Healthy eating habits are important, especially for young children in the U.S. Unfortunately; childhood obesity has skyrocketed in recent years, setting many children on an unhealthy path. That’s just one ...

The first Minnesota’s Future Policy Hour of 2016 took place at Think Small’s Minneapolis office featuring leaders from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to discuss the re-authorization of ...

This is the first in a series of videos showing the impact high-quality early learning has on children, families and child care providers across Minnesota. Check back here for a new ...

We are very proud to partner with Minnesota Reading Corps to bring early learning experts into family child care settings to work directly with children and child care providers on ...

A new education law came out of Washington D.C. recently with strong bipartisan support. The new law, the Every Student Succeeds Act, eliminates No Child Left Behind and brings back ...

The purpose of this report is to analyze Parent Aware activities and outcomes from the third year of statewide expansion. The findings in this report include an analysis of the ...

Early childhood is a critical time for determining life success for individuals. It is increasingly clear that a high quality early childhood care and education system is a key competitive ...

The purpose of this report is to present findings from surveys with ECE providers about Parent Aware. Surveys were administered to gather data from currently-rated Parent Aware providers about their ...

The purpose of this report is to analyze activities and outcomes from the second year of statewide expansion. A previous report produced after the first year of expansion focused primarily ...

The purpose of this report is to present findings from surveys with ECE providers about Parent Aware. Surveys were administered to gather data from currently-rated Parent Aware providers about their ...

The purpose of this report is to provide a descriptive portrait of Parent Aware in the first year of statewide expansion. It focuses primarily on features of implementation and serves ...

This is the fourth and final report about the evaluation of the pilot of the Saint Paul Early Childhood Scholarship Program. In this report, data are presented about how the ...

This report is the fourth to be produced from the evaluation of Parent Aware being conducted by Child Trends and funded by the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF). It covers ...

The purpose of the study is to track the progress of children in MELF funded programs as they age to see if their participation in quality early care and education ...

The first portion of the Blueprint provides background on why the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF) formed, and the exciting things it has learned in its pilot projects. But in ...

Every year from 2008 to 2010 the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF) funded a survey of a select group of parents with preschool-aged children receiving primarily licensed childcare in the ...

The evaluation of the pilot of the Saint Paul Early Childhood Scholarship Program includes both process and outcome components. This report is the fourth issue brief and it describes a ...

For the past 3 years, the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF), in partnership with state and local agencies, has funded a number of innovative approaches to early care and education. ...

This is the third annual report on the evaluation of the pilot of the Saint Paul Early Childhood Scholarship Program. The report begins with an overview of the scholarship model ...

This fact sheet summarizes responses to a program survey about how scholarship funds impacted participating programs. Click Here to View the Fact Sheet

This report is the third to be produced from the Evaluation of Parent Aware being conducted by Child Trends and funded by the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF). It covers ...

The evaluation of the pilot of the Saint Paul Early Childhood Scholarship Program includes both process and outcome components. This is the third issue brief; it covers the perspective of ...

This review is focused on center‐based ECE programs serving children who are developing at a typical rate and who may or may not be low‐income. Outside its scope are large ...

This report is the second to be produced from the Evaluation of Parent Aware being conducted by Child Trends and funded by the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF). It covers ...

This is the second annual report on the evaluation of the pilot of the Saint Paul Early Childhood Scholarship Program. The purpose of this annual report is to describe how ...

In the United States non-familial early care and education have become normative experiences for children, birth to age five. Six million children under three and 66 percent of four-year olds ...

The Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF) set out in 2007 to increase the evidence base on which early care and education practices effectively promote the school readiness of children from ...

In this final evaluation report, the implementation and outcomes (numbers of children served, amount of funds dispersed and how funds were used) of the Pre-K Allowances Project are described. Data ...

The evaluation of the pilot of the Saint Paul Early Childhood Scholarship Program includes both process and outcome components. This is the second issue brief; it covers the time period ...

This is the first annual report on the evaluation of the pilot of the Saint Paul Early Childhood Scholarship Program. It covers the period from January to December 2008, the ...

This report is the first to be produced from the Evaluation of Parent Aware being conducted by Child Trends and funded by the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF). It covers ...

This is the first annual report on the evaluation of the pilot of the Saint Paul Early Childhood Scholarship Program. It covers the period from January to December 2008, the ...

This study serves as the baseline of early learning conditions before MELF-funded activities in these counties and could be repeated to examine changes in these early learning measures following MELF-funded ...

For well over 20 years, economic development has been a major preoccupation for most state and local governments. Around the country, billions of public dollars are spent each year to ...

The cover of this Report poses a question in pictures: which pumpkin was colored by a child who was socially and intellectually ready to succeed in school? There is a ...

Early childhood development programs are rarely portrayed as economic development initiatives, and we think that is a mistake. Such programs, if they appear at all, are at the bottom of ...

Minnesota funds and regulates a variety of child care and education-related programs that are targeted to prekindergarten children. We examined three large early childhood education programs—Head Start, Early Childhood Family ...