Blog, News & Events

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 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. ...

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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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What’s in the Budget: Early Learning Scholarships

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 ...

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

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

Two Public Policy Interns Join Think Small in 2021

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 ...

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Early Education Spotlight: Buttons & Bows Child Care

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 ...

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How to Write or Email Your Elected Officials

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 ...

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How to Use Social Media for Early Education Advocacy

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 ...

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How to Call Your Elected Officials

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 ...

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How to Write a Letter to the Editor

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 ...

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Wake Up Everybody.

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 ...

covid-19, early childhood education minnesota, early learning in Minnesota, Equity in Minnesota, George Floyd, implicit bias, justice, mnleg, Pandemic, systemic racism

From the Front Lines of Child Care: Hopkins Early Learning Center

“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 ...

Child Care in Minnesota, child care providers, covid-19, daycare, early childhood education, early learning in Minnesota, Pandemic

How to Connect with Your Minnesota Legislators

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 ...

early learning in Minnesota, Minnesota Legislative Session, Minnesota Legislature, Minnesota politics

Policy Hour - State Level Coordination Efforts

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 ...

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New Public Policy Intern Joins Think Small Team

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 ...

early childhood education, Early Education Policies, early learning in Minnesota, mnleg, public policy intern

Tell Your Early Learning Story: Why It's Important

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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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Early Education Spotlight - My Friends Christian Child Care and Preschool

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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 ...

early childhood education, Early education, early learning in Minnesota, Kindergarten Readiness, Minnesota child care, Minnesota Early Learning, Minnesota Legislature

New Public Policy Intern

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 ...

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

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Early Learning Council Submits Recommendations to Governor

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 ...

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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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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 ...

Child Care, Child Care Assistance Program, early childhood education, Early education, early learning in Minnesota, high quality child care, Kindergarten Readiness, Minnesota child care, Minnesota Early Learning, Parent Aware, Quality Child Care

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

Learning from the Data We Seek

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 ...

Child Care, early childhood education, Early Education Policies, early learning in Minnesota, Early Learning Scholarships, Equity in Minnesota, Family Child Care, high quality child care, infants and toddlers, Minnesota Early Learning, Minnesota Legislature, Nonprofit, Parent Aware, Quality Child Care

Early Learning Scholarships Change Lives

“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.” ...

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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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How Do 2018 Candidates Interact with Early Education?

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

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Be an Advocate: What to Do When Candidates Come Knocking

“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 ...

Child Care, early childhood education, Early Education Policies, Early Learning, early learning in Minnesota, Economic Development, high quality child care, Minnesota Education, Minnesota Legislative Session, Minnesota politics, Minnesota's future, Nonprofit, Quality Child Care

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

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

Early Learning Scholarships Help Children & Families

“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 ...

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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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Guest Post: Creating Equitable Early Learning Policies

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 ...

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Policy Hour: Previewing the 2018 Legislative Session

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator Facts 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, ...

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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 ...

Child Care, early childhood education, Early education, Early Education Spotlight, Early Learning, early learning in Minnesota, Family Child Care, high quality child care, Parent Aware, Quality Child Care

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

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

Early Education Policies, Early Learning, early learning in Minnesota, Minnesota child care, Minnesota Early Learning, Minnesota Legislature, Minnesota politics, Quality Child Care

Small Talks - Don't Expel Me: Social Emotional Strategies for a More Inclusive Child Care Program

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 Specialist The third Small ...

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

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 ...

Child Care, Early education, Early Education Policies, early learning in Minnesota, Family Child Care, high quality child care, Kindergarten Readiness, Minnesota child care, Minnesota Legislature, Policy Hour, Quality Child Care

Early Childhood Advocates Partner to Provide Parent Trainings

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, ...

advocacy, early childhood education, early learning in Minnesota, infants and toddlers, Parents

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. ...

early childhood education, Early education, Early Learning, early learning in Minnesota, Family Child Care, Minnesota child care, Minnesota Early Learning, Minnesota's future, Quality Child Care

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 ...

Cargill, Early education, early learning in Minnesota, Early Sprouts, Gardening, high quality child care, Minnesota child care, Minnesota Early Learning, Parent Aware

Early Education Spotlight - Here We Grow

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

Child Care, early learning in Minnesota, high quality child care, Kindergarten Readiness, Minnesota child care, Minnesota Early Learning, Parent Aware

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

Seven Reasons to be Optimistic About Early Learning in Minnesota

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 ...

early learning in Minnesota, high quality child care, Kindergarten Readiness, Minnesota Early Learning, Minnesota Legislature

Early Learning Investment - Turn Up the Volume!

By Todd Otis The 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 ...

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Early Education Spotlight: Little Wonders Daycare

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

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

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

Policy Hour: Updates, Challenges and Bright Spots

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 ...

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Revised Standards Provide Guidance for Early Childhood Field

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 ...

Child Care, child care providers, early ed minnesota, early learning in Minnesota, ECIPs, high quality child care, Infants, infants and toddlers, Minnesota child care, Minnesota Department of Education, Toddlers

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: Little Learners

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 ...

Ada, Child Care, Early education, Early Learning, early learning in Minnesota, Early Learning Scholarships, high-quality, Little Learners, Minnesota, Parent Aware

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

Army Generals Urge Minnesota Legislature to Support Parent Aware

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 ...

Early Education Policies, early learning in Minnesota, Minnesota Legislature, Parent Aware

April Policy Hour Focuses on Compliance with Federal Requirements

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 ...

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Federal Education Policy Trends Examined at Policy Hour

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 ...

early learning in Minnesota, Education Policy, Minnesota Policy Hour

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

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 ...

early learning in Minnesota, Minnesota Precinct Caucus

Early Learning Key Component to Closing Gaps in AAPI Community

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 ...

AAPI Community, early learning in Minnesota, Equity in Minnesota, Minncann Report

Think Small Announces 2016 Legislative Agenda

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 ...

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Pheng's Story: Spreading the Impact of Parent Empowerment

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 ...

early learning in Minnesota, Minnesota Hmong Community, Minnesota Legislature

MN DHS Dives into New Federal Guidelines at Policy Hour

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 ...

Child Care, Child Care Development Block Grant, early learning in Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Human Services

Partnership Brings Reading Corps into Child Care Settings

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 ...

Early Learning, early learning in Minnesota, Minnesota child care, Minnesota Education, Minnesota Reading Corps

Blog, News & Events

Insights, Ideas, and Resources for Early Learning

When Is It Happening: Early Learning Scholarships

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

A Unique Experience: Reflections on This Year's Session

Reflection and Advice: 2023 Todd Otis Public Policy Internship

2023 Early Care and Education Legislation

What’s in the Budget: Early Learning Scholarships

Early Care and Education in the Omnibus Bills

Two Public Policy Interns Join Think Small in 2021

Early Education Spotlight: Buttons & Bows Child Care

How to Write or Email Your Elected Officials

How to Use Social Media for Early Education Advocacy

How to Call Your Elected Officials

How to Write a Letter to the Editor

Wake Up Everybody.

From the Front Lines of Child Care: Hopkins Early Learning Center

How to Connect with Your Minnesota Legislators

Policy Hour - State Level Coordination Efforts

New Public Policy Intern Joins Think Small Team

Tell Your Early Learning Story: Why It's Important

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

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

Child Care Assistance Makes a Difference: Oliver's Story

Early Education Spotlight - My Friends Christian Child Care and Preschool

Guest Post: Elders Reflect on Evaluation of Early Childhood Programs

New Public Policy Intern

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

Early Learning Council Submits Recommendations to Governor

Know Your Numbers...

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

Child Care Assistance Makes a Difference: Aaron's Story

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

Learning from the Data We Seek

Early Learning Scholarships Change Lives

An Encouraging Find: Another Potential Benefit of Parent Aware

How Do 2018 Candidates Interact with Early Education?

Be an Advocate: What to Do When Candidates Come Knocking

Policy Hour: Legislative Wrap-Up

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

Early Learning Scholarships Help Children & Families

Picturing Brighter Futures

Small Talks - Elevating the Early Childhood Profession

Guest Post: Creating Equitable Early Learning Policies

Policy Hour: Previewing the 2018 Legislative Session

Early Education Spotlight: Big Red House

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

Small Talks - Don't Expel Me: Social Emotional Strategies for a More Inclusive Child Care Program

Policy Hour - Early Childhood Data

Early Childhood Advocates Partner to Provide Parent Trainings

Policy Hour - Improving the Early Childhood Workforce

Early Sprouts: Growing Great Gardeners

Early Education Spotlight - Here We Grow

West Central Minnesota Child Care Providers Benefit from Forgivable Loans

Seven Reasons to be Optimistic About Early Learning in Minnesota

Early Learning Investment - Turn Up the Volume!

Early Education Spotlight: Little Wonders Daycare

Policy Hour: Power to the Profession Initiative

Policy Hour: Updates, Challenges and Bright Spots

Revised Standards Provide Guidance for Early Childhood Field

Happy Birthday, Blog!

Early Education Spotlight: Little Learners

Policy Hour Breaks Down End of Legislative Session

Army Generals Urge Minnesota Legislature to Support Parent Aware

April Policy Hour Focuses on Compliance with Federal Requirements

Federal Education Policy Trends Examined at Policy Hour

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

Early Learning Key Component to Closing Gaps in AAPI Community

Think Small Announces 2016 Legislative Agenda

Pheng's Story: Spreading the Impact of Parent Empowerment

MN DHS Dives into New Federal Guidelines at Policy Hour

Partnership Brings Reading Corps into Child Care Settings

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