November 13-15, 2019 | Charleston, SC
The NGA Early Care and Education and Human Services Teams hosted six states as part of the Prenatal to Age 3 Policy Academy in Charleston, South Carolina, for a few days filled with state policy planning, cross-connections and learning opportunities from national experts. The states in attendance were Alabama, Colorado, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland and Missouri. The convening featured best practices and lessons learned on topics such as home visiting, early intervention, child welfare, the science of brain development and engaging key stakeholders, most importantly parents and families. As the midway point of the policy academy, the convening served as an opportunity to note progress and look ahead to outcomes and possibilities.
Agenda | Resources | Day 2 Slides | Day 3 Slides
Day 1: Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Dinner and Federal Update
Speaker: Dr. Deborah Bergeron, Director, Office of Head Start and Early Childhood Development, Administration for Children and Families
Day 2: Thursday, November 14, 2019
Overview of the Prenatal to Three Policy Impact Center
Session Description: Dr. Cynthia Osborne will provide participants an overview of the newly established Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at The University of Texas at Austin. She will also share how the Impact Center will help translate the research on what policies are effective in strengthening outcomes for infants and toddlers and also provide a policy roadmap for each state.
Speaker: Dr. Cynthia Osborne, Director, Prenatal-to-Three Policy Impact Center, University of Texas, Austin
Making State Connections
Session Description: This session features two states outside of the NGA cohort whose governors have set a prenatal to age three policy agenda. Both state leaders will present their work in the PN3 space and the outcomes they hope to achieve for the families and children in their state.
Speakers:
- David Mandell, Oregon Early Learning Division, Department of Education
- Gena Berger, Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources, Commonwealth of Virginia
Special Presentation
Update from Pritzker: Brandy Jones Lawrence
State Team Time
Session Description: This time will serve as the first of two opportunities for state teams to work on their NGA grant action plans and next steps in the policy academy.
Affinity Groups Lunch
Session Description: During lunch, the NGA team will organize informal discussions in each sector of the prenatal to age three work: health, human services and early learning. Please join your colleagues from other states who are also engaged in your sector to make cross-state connections!
Hot Topics Presentations
Session Description: This session will begin with hot topic presentations on early intervention, child welfare and home visiting followed by breakout sessions on each topic for a more in depth understanding.
Speakers:
- Ron Benham, Retired Massachusetts Department of Public Health (Early Intervention)
- Elizabeth Jordan, Director of Policy Communications and Outreach, Child Trends (Child Welfare)
- Monique Fountain Hanna, Chief Medical Officer/CQI and Innovation Advisor, U.S. Public Health Service (Home Visiting)
Deep Dives with Hot Topic Experts
Session Description: Participants will have a chance to dive deeper with experts and engage in cross-state discussions on each topic.
Speakers:
- Ron Benham, Retired Massachusetts Department of Public Health (Early Intervention)
- Elizabeth Jordan, Director of Policy Communications and Outreach, Child Trends (Child Welfare)
- Monique Fountain Hanna, Chief Medical Officer/CQI and Innovation Advisor, U.S. Public Health Service (Home Visiting)
Understanding the Science of Serving Children and Families
Session Description: Dr. Stacy Drury from Tulane University will discuss the importance of prenatal and early experiences in shaping a child’s life trajectory, and how family support is closely related to that trajectory. Dr. Drury will provide this information from the medical lens.
Speaker: Dr. Stacy Drury, Tulane University
Leveraging your Advocacy and State Partners
Session Description: This session will highlight how states are leveraging their advocacy and state partners to move prenatal to age three policy alignment in their states.
Presenters:
- Libbie Sonnier-Netto, Executive Director, Louisiana Policy Institute for Children
- Jennifer Stedron, Executive Director, Early Milestones Colorado
- Pamela Harris, President and CEO, Mile High Early Learning
Day 3: Friday, November 15, 2019
Parent Voices Session
Session Description: The second day of the convening will open with the stories of two parents who are navigating policies and services for their families and young children. We will have perspectives from both a mother and father.
Speakers:
- Allysa Ware, Family Voices, Maryland
- Hayward Mclain, The National Parent Leadership Institute, Connecticut
Longitudinal and Governance Data Connections Session
Session Description: The Data Connections session will provide an overview of integrated early childhood data, the state of data profiles and a new policymakers guide from the Early Childhood Data Collaborative (ECDC). Additionally, participants will hear about strategies for integrating home visiting data through an early childhood integrated data system.
Speakers:
- Carlise King, Executive Director of the Early Childhood Data Collaborative, Child Trends
- Tony Ruggiero, State Longitudinal Data System, SLDS State Support Team, AEM
State Team Time
Session Description: This time will serve as the second opportunity for state teams to work on their NGA grant action plans and next steps in the policy academy.
State Level Lessons
Session Description: Kristin Bernhard from The Ounce of Prevention Fund will close the convening by sharing lessons learned from the state level on stakeholder engagement, collaboration/coordination, two generation approaches. She will also outline the Ounce of Prevention’s work, particularly on home visiting and the Family First Act.
Speaker: Kristin Bernhard, Senior Vice President Advocacy & Policy, The Ounce of Prevention Fund
