Expanding Horizons & Resources, Part 4: Collaborating w/ Economists and Buisnesses

This week, while exploring the ZERO TO THREE website, I was drawn to the State Based Resources link under the Finding Resources & Services section. This tool allowed me to discover more information, by state, in regards to statistics on infant & toddlers, as well as provide articles about policies and initiatives that support children and their families. This information is important for my professional development because it helps to increase my local awareness of the needs within my community.

While browsing that site, I also explored the Policy & Advocacy section and found under the Advocacy link an article about ZERO TO THREE's Think Babies campaign. This campaign focuses on advocating "to make the potential of every baby our nations priority." This campaign brings awareness to the nation, and it's policymakers, the importance of quality, affordable child care; healthy emotional development, strong physical health and nutrition; and parent bonding to the successful future of children and families. Think Babies is accomplishing this through a collaboration with several leading early childhood organizations in 6 different states. This article led me to information on the Strolling Thunder march on Washington, D.C. in May. As their 2nd annual march, Think Babies bring children and families from across the country together to meet with Congress and share with them what children and families need to thrive.

--> This seems like a wonderful thing to march for. There have been many marches throughout this past year, and I have not marched for a single one because I personally have not been affected by any of the issues. I get a lot of crap (excuse my language) for not partaking, however, it's ultimately my choice. I agree with some of the issues brought to light, however, I feel like I'd be marching under false pretenses by not directly being affected or experiencing those issues. HOWEVER, with regards to the children and families I serve on a DAILY basis, this is most definitely something I would march for. I hold knowledge, experience, and a passion for the early childhood field, and I believe I could help advocate for this cause more readily than any other issue in the past year. <--

ZERO TO THREE offered a couple of articles, sadly slightly older than I would like, on the role economists and businesses can play in investing in ECE. In the article "Partnering with the Business Community & Economists to Advance a Birth to Five Policy Agenda" by Dugger et al (2007), the authors focused in the importance of collaborating with economists and the business community and offered several tips on how to do so. Such collaborations helped form the Partnership for America's Economic Success (the Partnership), a group of business leaders, policy experts, economists and advocates which has helped "[t]o lay the groundwork for making very young children the nation's top economic priority (p.1)." The second article, "A Proven Return in Investment: Economists and the Business Community Advance a Birth to Five Policy" by Pearson (2009) seemed, to me, to be a follow up article in response to the first one I mentioned. The article summed up information on the why economists are pushing to invest in ECE and then offered an example of how this issues has been implemented in Minnesota. After summing up the achievements accomplished by the Minnesota Learning Foundation, the author them offers tips on how to establish a partnership in your state or community.

You can read the articles here: 
A Proven Return in Investment: Economists and the Business Community Advance a Birth to Five Policy: https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/493-how-economists-and-the-business-community-advance-a-birth-to-five-agenda
Partnering with the Business Community & Economists to Advance a Birth to Five Policy Agenda: https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/492-partnering-with-the-business-community-and-economists-to-advance-a-birth-to-five-policy-agenda

References

Dugger, R. & Rappaport, D.M. (2007). Partnering with the business community & economists to advance a birth to five policy agenda. Zero to Three Policy Center. Retrieved from https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/492-partnering-with-the-business-community-and-economists-to-advance-a-birth-to-five-policy-agenda

Pearson, K. (2009). A proven return on investment: Economists and the business community advance a birth to five policy agenda. Zero to Three. Retrieved from https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/493-how-economists-and-the-business-community-advance-a-birth-to-five-agenda