Early Learning Innovation in a Time of Crisis

“Listening is truly one of our values, and it’s so deeply, incredibly important to us, because we would not be here if it wasn’t for the families that we serve. And it’s so important for us always to understand what it is that our families are needing. How can we eliminate and reduce barriers, and really co-create a program that works together and works to the best of our ability for the families that we serve?” – Kenia Pinela, Valley Settlement 

In this GLR Learning Tuesdays webinar Early Learning Innovation in a Time of Crisis, journalist Leigh Giangreco led an inspiring conversation, exploring three different initiatives to address the needs of communities for more accessible child care and early learning.  

First, Kenia Pinela described El Busesito, a mobile program that brings free preschool — high-quality, bilingual education — to children in five neighborhoods in Colorado’s rural Roaring Fork Valley. She also shared how Valley Settlement used authentic, empathetic listening to understand what families need to help shape the growing number of programs offered.  

Jennifer Headley-Nordman of First Steps Kent described how they led a dynamic local effort to secure voter approval of the Ready by Five Early Childhood millage, delivering about $6.5 million a year for programs that serve expectant parents and children birth to age 5 in Kent County, Michigan. Most impressively, she explained the ways in which they were able to overcome the many challenges throughout the process.  

Andrea Serrano of OLÉ spoke about how it took a decade of advocacy, community organizing, electoral work, partnerships and alliances to garner $150 million in annual funding to support child care and early childhood education with New Mexico’s landmark Amendment 1. This passed in 2022 with 70% voter approval, all thanks to dedicated, collective, long-term work.  

“Some legislators who were against this idea kept calling this the ‘rainy day fund, we need to save it for when we really need it.’ And the response on our end was: It’s pouring. Our children absolutely, desperately need this fund, and there is no excuse for a state that has this much wealth to have our children living in this abject poverty. And so, this 10-year journey really was about working and centering and organizing, organizing our communities, and it was also working and organizing our state legislature. And educating legislators about this idea, fostering conditions for our champions to really grow their voice with this issue.” – Andrea Serrano, OLÉ