Early Edge’s Parent Advisory Groups Convene for Winter Meetings
In winter 2024, Early Edge California convened its Parent Advisory Group to address ongoing challenges in Early Learning and Care, including those impacting Dual Language Learner (DLL) children, quality child care for infants and toddlers, and the unique needs of student parents. Two Advisory Group meetings were held, one in English and one in Spanish, to ensure inclusive participation. These convenings also served as an opportunity to celebrate the parents’ invaluable contributions to the progress achieved this year.
Supporting DLLs in Transitional Kindergarten
Parent advisory members provided feedback on Assembly Bill 2268, which exempts Transitional Kindergarten (TK) children from taking the English Language Proficiency Assessment for California (ELPAC), a test designed for Kindergarten children that raised concerns about developmental appropriateness, and shared their prior experiences with the assessment. Parents voiced concerns about the need for developmentally-appropriate assessment for DLLs in TK, supporting the pause on the ELPAC, and advocating for alternative screening methods better suited to identifying and addressing the needs of young learners. An advisory member shared their personal experience with the ELPAC designation for their TK child, noting that it failed to deliver the intended language development support or meaningful family engagement.
Access to Affordable Infant and Toddler Child Care
Members emphasized the urgent need for more affordable and accessible child care options, particularly for parents working nontraditional hours, such as graveyard shifts, and for families with children who have special needs and require individualized accommodations. Some advisory members shared their experiences of traveling long distances from their home or workplace in order to find adequate child care that could meet their children’s needs. To improve both accessibility and quality in Early Learning programs, advisory members recommended providing stipends to child care providers, enabling them to hire additional staff and better support the diverse needs of families.
Expanding Supports for Student Parents
Advisory members highlighted the significant challenges faced by student parents with infants and toddlers as they balance the dual responsibilities of parenting and pursuing their education. For those working full-time, evening or virtual classes are often the only viable options, but these schedules create additional challenges in securing child care during nontraditional hours. Advisory members proposed that colleges partner with local resource and referral networks to help connect student parents with child care options and other support services that are not typically provided by colleges.
Hear from Parent Advisory Group member Martha about her experience with being a student parent of an infant.
We thank the parent advisory group members for their contributions in 2024, which guided Early Edge’s work to support young DLLs, address child care needs focused on infants and toddlers, and strengthen supports for college students who are parenting young children.
The Parent Advisory Group meetings provide a dedicated space for parent leaders across California to connect, collaborate, and share insights. These meetings serve as a platform to discuss best practices, offer suggestions, and address concerns related to Early Learning and Care. The valuable input from these discussions directly informs and shapes the work of Early Edge California, ensuring our initiatives are rooted in the real experiences and needs of families.