May 2023 Email Update

PARTNERSHIP ATTENDS ALLIANCE FOR EARLY SUCCESS CONVENING

Earlier this month, representatives from the Virginia Promise Partnership traveled to Southern University at New Orleans for a three-day Child Care NEXT Summer Convening hosted by the Alliance for Early Success (AES) and Geaux Far Louisiana.

The convening brought together representatives from six states selected to participate in Child Care NEXT, a competitive grant program established in 2021 to support transformational change in a state’s child care system. Using resources from the grant, each of the six teams are leading a statewide movement to strengthen their early learning system.

Over the course of the three-day convening, state teams heard the perspectives of parents and child care providers involved in their state's advocacy efforts, discussed various approaches to coalition management and coordination, and shared lessons learned from their campaigns.

The Virginia team left the conference feeling inspired, energized, and excited to double-down on our important work toward achieving quality, affordable child care for all Virginia families by 2030.

As we look forward to the 2023 General Assembly elections and 2024 legislative session, be on the lookout for opportunities to build on this momentum and get involved in Virginia Promise Partnership efforts!

Virginia Organizing Executive Director and VPP Grassroots Committee Chair Brian Johns joined a panel discussion on base building and community organizing.

PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION

VPP Parent Advisory Vice Chair Tomashia Cornitcher and member Jess Kujala participated in a parent voice panel discussion during the May 23-25 Child Care NEXT Convening in New Orleans, LA.

DID YOU KNOW?

Virginia voters agree that policymakers must do more to #InvestInChildCare! Read more on the Partnership's December 2022 poll through our website here.

NEW DATA BRIEFS CONFIRM ONGOING ECE STAFFING CHALLENGES, TURNOVER IN VIRGINIA

New data briefs published last month by the University of Virginia's Study of Early Education Through Partnerships (SEE-Partnerships) confirmed ongoing staffing challenges and high turnover among early childhood educators in Virginia.

Based on results from the Fall 2022 Virginia Child Care Provider Survey, the research team found that child care centers across the commonwealth are struggling to hire teachers. Most centers have vacant positions, and many reported that these staffing challenges are leading them to turn families away and ask staff to take on additional duties and hours. These staffing challenges are particularly pronounced in centers that accept public dollars under the child care subsidy program.

Read the full data brief on child care staffing challenges in Virginia here.

Along with insights into widespread staffing challenges, the SEE-Partnerships team used statewide information from the LinkB5 data system to study staff turnover rates in Virginia's child care sector. The team found that over one-third (37%) of early educators tracked through the data system left their child care sites between Fall 2021 and Fall 2022. These high turnover rates are a major barrier to early education quality improvement and ultimately destabilize care for children, families, providers, and the economy.

Read the full data brief on child care staffing turnover in Virginia here.

ICYMI: VPP CELEBRATES PROVIDER APPRECIATION DAY

May 12 marked Child Care Provider Appreciation Day, a day to recognize and celebrate child care providers, teachers, and early educators everywhere.

The Virginia Promise Partnership took the opportunity to thank Virginia’s child care providers whose dedication to young children enables a brighter future for everyone! Find notes of gratitude shared from parents across Virginia below.