The Other Step in Systems-Building: Going Local
Blog Post
Jan. 24, 2010
It’s like trying to build a plane while flying it too: In every state in the country, leaders are trying to create effective early childhood systems while at the same time improving, reorganizing and aligning existing programs. Here at Early Ed Watch, we have written about an important part of their efforts as they create early childhood advisory councils (ECACs) – the state-level bodies established by governors and mandated by Head Start law. But keep an eye on your own backyard, because there is a lot of work to be done at the local level too.
In November, I wrote about some of the challenges facing states in The Next Step in Systems-Building: Early Childhood Advisory Councils and Federal Efforts to Promote Policy Alignment in Early Childhood. The report featured a survey of each state’s progress in creating their state-level councils, including a tally of how many states appeared to have a “network of local advisory councils.” In 26 states, individuals involved advisory council development reported to me that they could identify a network of local councils – often at the county or school-district level – that does or could support the state council’s work.
Federal regulations and proposed federal legislation do not require the creation of local-level advisory councils, but given the experiences of states that have done so, it may behoove others to do the same. After all, a state-level early childhood advisory council may do a great job coordinating high-level policies and budgets, but it is of little use to families if it does not translate into a better system on the ground, in preschools, child care centers, schools, and doctor’s offices.
For many states with local councils, the model has been Smart Start, North Carolina’s comprehensive early childhood development program. At the core of Smart Start are the local public-private “partnerships” in each of the state’s 100 counties. Each year, these partnerships are responsible for distributing $203.6 million in Smart Start funds for early childhood programs, according to the needs of the community. Smart Start is designed to encourage community investment in early childhood, through local boards comprised of government officials, local educators, health professionals, and community leaders. Each local partnership is also required to match 10 percent of their state funds with donations from private sources.
The question facing Smart Start and other networks of local councils will be how to integrate themselves into evolving state early childhood system, with the state council at their head. While the intuitive answer may be to formally incorporate the councils as the local extension of the state council, this may not always be possible – or even appropriate.
In some cases, such as with California’s 58 county-level First 5 Commissions, the councils are designed serve to support the mission of a specific early childhood program, and the structure of the program’s state-level council may not fulfill the requirements of the ECAC guidelines. In other cases, the network is operated by strong local philanthropic institutions and not an arm of government at all. Such is the case in Tennessee, where state leaders point to the work of the local councils that are part of the state’s United Way Success By 6 program.
But this doesn’t mean that they can’t support the work of the ECAC. In Florida, for example, the state’s Early Learning Advisory Council, comprised primarily of the heads of 31 local Early Learning Coalitions will not be the state’s ECAC because the membership varies too much. Lili Coop, Florida’s Director of Head Start Collaboration, said that the yet-to-be-announced ECAC (which will likely a subcommittee to the state’s Children’s Cabinet) will work closely with the ELC to coordinate work.
Alignment is easier in Iowa, where Gov. Chet Culver has designated the state-level Early Childhood Iowa Council to be the state’s ECAC. Early Childhood Iowa consists of 58 Community empowerment areas – each with a local council – that distribute state funds for the program. Similarly, Kentucky’s Early Childhood Task Force is working to adapt local Task Force Coordinating Committees to support the work of the reformed ECAC.
Whatever the arrangement, local councils have the potential to support overall systems-building efforts in many ways:
- By creating a community-level focal point around early childhood, bringing together advocates, funders and practitioners.
- By identifying local needs and gaps in programming and reporting back to the state councils about these issues.
- By operationalizing the work of the state ECAC by providing a similarly structured council and local infrastructure to support and inform state-level decisions and even implement policy.
- By incorporating the views and resources of unique local partners, including business, philanthropy and community leaders.
The actual work of local councils, of course, will vary. Fortunately, states starting from scratch have several models to choose from. Those states that already have solid networks in place will need to consider how tap into these local resources while at the same time letting them continue to do the work they were intended to do. Even if they are not formally linked to their state’s ECAC, local councils should consider their role in their community, and make sure that – if appropriate – they reflect the work of the diverse programs and individuals represented on their state’s ECAC, especially local Head Start grantees and local school districts. Many may be pleased to find that all the dedicated early childhood specialists are already there; they just need strong leadership to bring them together.
Building and sustaining relationships among multiple local programs will require a good dose of ingenuity and patience. As we look out at local councils today, many of our recommendations for state- and federal-level systems building apply here too – especially the imperative to include PreK-3rd efforts (rather than stopping with 5-year-olds) and cultivating relationships among mid-level managers. Building strong early childhood systems at the local level is critical, and communities and states will likely develop many creative ways to achieve this goal – through the creation of local advisory councils or by other means. As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. How that village is organized will vary wherever you go, but it needs to be there nonetheless.
P.S. I'll be giving a presentation on this topic today at 1 p.m. at the National Head Start Leadership Institute in Crystal City, Va.)