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Insights, Ideas, and Resources for Early Learning

Welcome to the Think Small Blog, your go-to destination for valuable insights, innovative ideas, and inspiring stories in the field of early learning. Dive into a treasure trove of articles crafted by our team of experts, dedicated to empowering child care providers, educators, and families.

Discover practical tips, evidence-based strategies, and the latest research findings to support children aged 0-5 on their journey to kindergarten readiness. From fostering social-emotional development to promoting cognitive skills, our blog covers a wide range of topics, ensuring you stay informed and equipped to make a positive impact on young lives.

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When is it Happening: Early Childhood Infrastructure, Policy Changes, and Reports

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 ...

Child Care, child care policy, early care and learning policy, early childhood education, Early education, Great Start MN, high quality child care, Minnesota Legislature, Quality Child Care

When Is It Happening: Early Learning Scholarships

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 ...

Child Care, Early education, Early Learning, early learning in Minnesota, Early Learning Scholarships, infants and toddlers, Minnesota child care, Minnesota Early Learning, Minnesota Legislature, Quality Child Care

What's in the Budget: Early Care and Education Workforce

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 ...

early childhood education, Early education, early learning in Minnesota, Minnesota child care, Minnesota Legislature

A Unique Experience: Reflections on This Year's Session

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 ...

early childhood education, Early education, early learning in Minnesota, high quality child care, Minnesota child care, Minnesota Legislature

Reflection and Advice: 2023 Todd Otis Public Policy Internship

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. ...

Child Care, early childhood education, Early education, early learning in Minnesota, Minnesota child care, Minnesota Early Learning, Minnesota Legislature, Quality Child Care

2023 Early Care and Education Legislation

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 ...

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Early Care and Education in the Omnibus Bills

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 ...

Child Care, early childhood education, Early education, early learning in Minnesota, Minnesota child care, Minnesota Early Learning, Minnesota Legislature, Quality Child Care

November Highlights and Free Activities and Ideas from Think Small Institute

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, ...

Curriculum resources, Early education, Early Learning, Professional Development, Quality Child Care

Policy Hour - Coronavirus Early Childhood Update

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 ...

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Attend a Precinct Caucus and Submit a Resolution to Support Early Learning

By Marie Huey, Public Policy & Advocacy Coordinator On Tuesday, February 25 at 7:00 pm, Minnesota will hold precinct caucuses around the state. They are the beginning of a process that ...

Early education, Early Education Policies, Early Learning, mn caucus, mnleg

Advocate for Early Learning at the Great MN Get-Together!

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 ...

advocacy, Child Care in Minnesota, early childhood education, Early education, early learning in Minnesota, Family Child Care, Minnesota state fair, mnleg

Think Small Applauds Relaunching the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet

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

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Guest Post: What Do We Know About Minnesota's Early Childhood Workforce?

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 ...

child care deserts, daycare, Early CHildhood, early childhood education, early childhood workforce, Early education, early learning in Minnesota, Family Child Care

Child Care Assistance Makes a Difference: Oliver's Story

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 ...

Child Care, Child Care Assistance Program, early childhood education minnesota, Early education, early learning in Minnesota, mnleg

Guest Post: Elders Reflect on Evaluation of Early Childhood Programs

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 ...

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Guest Post: Elders Provide Historical Context on Minnesota's Early Care and Education Landscape

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Know Your Numbers...

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 ...

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Five Helpful Resources for Advocating for High-Quality Child Care in 2019

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 ...

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Policy Hour: Play, Parents and Policy

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

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Child Care Assistance Makes a Difference: Aaron's Story

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 ...

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Small Talks: True Costs to Families and Early Child Care Educators

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 ...

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U.S. Senator Tina Smith Introduces Bill to Improve Access to Child Care

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 ...

Child Care, early childhood education, Early education, Early Education Policies, early learning in Minnesota, Family Child Care, high quality child care, infants and toddlers, Quality Child Care

Guest Post: Candidates for Governor Speak Out About Early Education Issues

By Ericca Maas, Close Gaps by 5 My 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 ...

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An Encouraging Find: Another Potential Benefit of Parent Aware

“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 ...

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Guest Post: The Equity Summit

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

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Policy Hour: Legislative Wrap-Up

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

Child Care, early childhood education, Early education, Early Learning, early learning in Minnesota, Family Child Care, Governor Mark Dayton, high quality child care, Kindergarten Readiness, Minnesota Legislative Session, Minnesota Legislature, Minnesota's future

Six Lessons from the Todd Otis Public Policy Internship

By: Emma Klingler Greetings! 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 ...

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Say Thanks to a Child Care Provider!

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 ...

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Policy Hour: St. Paul's Citywide 3K Proposal

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

Child Care, early childhood education, Early education, Early Education Policies, Early Learning, early learning in Minnesota, Early Learning Scholarships, Family Child Care, high quality child care, Kindergarten Readiness

Picturing Brighter Futures

By Kristie Thorson At 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 ...

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Small Talks - Elevating the Early Childhood Profession

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 ...

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Early Education Spotlight: Big Red House

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 ...

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Policy Hour - Early Childhood Data

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

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Policies in Play: Child Care Assistance Program Changes

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 ...

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Early Education Spotlight: People Serving People

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Policy Hour - Improving the Early Childhood Workforce

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

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Early Sprouts: Growing Great Gardeners

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

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Policy Hour: Early Education Policy and Funding Changes

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

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West Central Minnesota Child Care Providers Benefit from Forgivable Loans

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 ...

Child Care, Child Care Shortage, DEED, Early education, Early Education Policies, early learning in Minnesota, Economic Development, high quality child care, infants and toddlers, Minnesota child care, Minnesota Legislature, Parent Aware

Policy Hour: Parent Aware Changes & Legislative Update

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. ...

Child Care, early childhood education, Early education, Early Education Policies, Early Learning, Family Child Care, high quality child care, Minnesota child care, Minnesota Early Learning

Legislative Wrap-Up: How did Early Learning Fare?

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 ...

Early education, Early Education Policies, Early Learning, Early Learning Scholarships, Family Child Care, high quality child care, Minnesota child care, Minnesota Early Learning, Minnesota Legislative Session

A Legislative Update: Early Learning a Policy Priority for State

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, ...

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Policy Hour: Federal Updates on Early Learning

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 ...

Child Care, Child Care Development Block Grant, early childhood education, Early education, federal funding, US Senator Al Franken

Policy Hour: Power to the Profession Initiative

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 ...

Early education, Early Learning, early learning in Minnesota, high quality child care, Policy Hour, Quality Child Care

Using LENA to Help Close the Word Gap

By: Gerri Fisher 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 ...

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Happy Birthday, Blog!

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. ...

0-3, Early education, early learning in Minnesota, infants and toddlers, Minnesota, Minnesota child care

Early Education Spotlight: Bloom Early Learning and Child Care

By: Marie Huey Early 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 ...

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Early Education Spotlight: Little Learners

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Closing Opportunity Gaps to Shrink Achievement Gaps

By: Maya Fanjul-Debnam The 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: ...

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Voters Agree: Early Education is a Top Priority

By: Maya Fanjul-Debnam In 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 ...

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Policy Hour Breaks Down End of Legislative Session

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 ...

Early education, Early Education Policies, early learning in Minnesota, Minnesota Legislature, Minnesota's future

White Earth's Story: Building an Early Learning Landscape for Kids and Families

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 ...

Early education, Early Learning, Minnesota, White Earth

What are People Saying About Parent Aware?

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). ...

Early education, Minnesota Legislature, Parent Aware

The Wisest Choices Minnesota Can Make for Early Learning

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

Barbara Yates, Early education, Early Learning, Early Learning Scholarships, Minnesota Legislature, Minnesota politics, Parent Aware