September 10, 2020
Since 2018, Early Edge California has regularly hosted meetings with our Early Learning Teacher Advisory Groups in order to hear feedback on policy proposals and recommendations from its members who are Early Learning teachers from childcare centers, family childcare homes, Head Start programs, and Transitional Kindergarten across the state. Given the success and huge value we have seen from those groups, we have expanded the model to recruit and host California parents to provide them with information on current policy proposals and solicit their feedback.
Through our recruitment efforts this summer, which included outreach to partner organizations and social media promotion, we received responses from more than 50 parents. In late August, we held the first meetings of our Early Learning Parent Advisory Groups, offered in both English and Spanish, attended by a total of 22 parents.
Below we share some of the feedback that we received from parents during these meetings. Participants candidly discussed the challenges that they and their families have faced during COVID-19. They also shared about their childcare preferences which were reflected in an interactive sticky note activity the group did together during the Zoom meetings. Early Edge California will use this information in developing our policy proposals and recommendations in the upcoming months. Thank you to all the parents who brought their voices to these discussions and shared their current experiences with us regarding Early Learning.
