State Development Updates:
November 4, 2002

State News:

Massachusetts

On October 23, 2002, the Early Education for All Campaign had an event to kick-off their work and to unveil draft legislation. The legislation, which will be filed in early December, calls for every three-, four-, and five-year-old to have access to pre-kindergarten and full-day kindergarten through a mix of private and public programs and a state commitment to improving the training and salaries of early childhood education workers. The Massachusetts AEYC affiliate has endorsed this campaign, has included updates in its newsletter, and was asked to appoint a representative for the campaign's Advisory Board. Local AEYC chapters have hosted "train-the-trainers" events to help people across the state learn how to spread the word about the campaign. For more information about the Campaign, visit: http://www.strategiesforchildren.org/eea/eea_home.htm.

Pennsylvania

During the week of November 11-15, 2002, the child care programs in the state of Pennsylvania will participate in a Virtual Strike. The Virtual Strike week is coordinated by QUEST (Quality Early Education Through Salaries and Training). QUEST has created a checklist of suggested activities for the week, including:

• Sharing Virtual Strike Week information with staff and parents.

• Asking parents to go to work with a Virtual Strike sticker or balloon on Thursday, November 14.

• Asking staff and parents to sign a QUEST Virtual Strike postcard.

• Placing an ad about QUEST Virtual Strike Week in a local newspaper.

• Suggesting that parents use an e-mail tag line all week, such as "Quality child care keeps Pennsylvania working."

• Posting signs or flyers asking "What if there were no child care today?"

• Posting QUEST Virtual Strike Week information and children's art work in public places - libraries, malls, banks, etc.

• Showing the video "Ready or Not Here We Come" at drop-off and pick-up times.

• Inviting the local TV station to visit your program and interview parents and staff about the need for quality child care.

• Sending a letter to the Chamber of Commerce about the need for quality child care.

• Inviting a community leader to job shadow, concluding with the presentation of a symbolic check for the hourly wage.

To learn more about the Pennsylvania QUEST Virtual Strike Week, visit: www.paQUEST.org or contact Sharon Easterling or Pamela Haines at 215-963-0094 or Gerri DiLisi at 215-368-3435.

STATE LEGISLATION ADOPTED (signed/approved by Governor)

School-age Programs Exempt from Licensing

California - AB 444

This bill makes changes to the existing California Child Day Care Center Act. It has added school-age child care centers to the list of programs that are exempt from the requirements of the Act. It also lowers the number of site visitations to school-age programs by licensing from annually to at least once every three years. It also excludes school-age programs from the requirement that licensing make unannounced visits to 20% of all child care programs annually. Approved by Governor on September 28, 2002.

Quality Education Commission Established

California - HB 2217

This bill establishes the California Quality Education Commission for the purpose of developing, evaluating, validating, and refining a quality education model for pre-kindergarten through grade 12. Approved by Governor on September 28, 2002.

Scholarship Program for Minority Teachers

Illinois - HB 4912

This bill expands the existing Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program to students studying to become preschool teachers. Formerly, only students pursuing careers in elementary and secondary education were eligible. Scholarship recipients must commit to teaching for at least one year in a school, including preschools, where at least 30% of the students are from minority populations. Approved by Governor on August 23, 2002.