First Steps News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 9, 2007
[ link to pdf
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TASK FORCE RELEASES
PRELIMINARY REPORT ON EARLY CHILDHOOD STANDARDS
Initial recommendations sent to
the Governor and the General Assembly
Columbia, S.C. - Today, the South
Carolina Early Childhood Quality Standards Task Force, headed
by S.C. First Steps and the United Way Association of South
Carolina, released its preliminary report to the Governor
and the General Assembly.
Charged by the 2006 General Assembly (in Proviso 1.80) with
developing quality standards for public and private programs
serving children from birth to age 4, the Task Force, comprised
of public and private early childhood providers, parents,
business leaders, and policy makers has been at work since
September. The Task Force spent its first several months developing
a common understanding of the state’s current quality
needs and potential through testimony from national and state
experts, stakeholder focus groups, public opinion survey,
and statewide regional town hall forums. Members have concluded
their first research phase and offered a summary of their
findings, next steps, and initial public policy recommendations
in the report.
“When the 2006 General Assembly directed First Steps
to undertake this task, it became clear that we’ve reached
consensus on the importance of high quality standards for
all programs serving South Carolina’s youngest learners,”
said First Steps Executive Director Susan DeVenny.
The initial Task Force recommendations include:
1) Create a Quality Based Incentive System
(QBIS) for the state’s early care and education providers
and the South Carolina families who access their services.
The QBIS should include incentives to families, providers,
and early childhood educators, beginning with incentives that
support participation and advancement within the state’s
current three level quality program.
2) Provide consumer tools, such as a web-based
system, which would allow South Carolina families to locate
and access quality early childhood services.
3) Integrate existing resources designed to support
increased quality in early childhood settings. Increase recruitment
and training efforts, and the coordination of technical assistance
and monitoring.
“The Task Force is committed to completing its charge,
by developing additional quality benchmarks, and the financial
incentives which will make high quality early childhood experiences
accessible and affordable for all of our children,”
said DeVenny.
The task force has appointed a subcommittee to develop its
initial recommendations, and to identify additional quality
standards for the state’s early childhood programs.
The Task Force will present its final report to Governor Sanford
and the South Carolina General Assembly by November 1, 2007.
The full preliminary report can be found on the S.C. First
Steps website at www.scfirststeps.org/standards.htm.
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