DEL Celebrates Healthy Breakfast, Healthy Starts

Busy weekday mornings can make it a challenge for families to find time for a healthy breakfast. However, US Department of Agriculture data show that more students are starting their day with a nutritious breakfast in their school cafeterias. 

Even earlier, in child care, Head Start or ECEAP, Preschool-age kids are learning at an amazing rate every day. Preschoolers are just beginning to learn important concepts that lay the foundation for years to come. Eating breakfast improves concentration and mental performance. 

The American Dietetic Association states "that children who eat a healthy, well-balanced breakfast are more likely to meet daily nutrient requirements, concentrate better, have better problem-solving skills, have better hand-eye coordination, be more alert, be more creative, miss fewer days of school and be more physically active."

National School Breakfast Week was launched in 1989 to raise awareness of the availability of the School Breakfast Program to all children and to promote the links between eating a good breakfast, academic achievement and healthy lifestyles. 

A lot of the focus on this initiative is about school-age children, cafeterias and nutrition, but the message rings true for even the littlest learners!

The focus on healthy nutrition for children is a large part of the Healthiest Next Generation initiative, launched in September 2014. The initial goal was to help Washington’s children maintain a healthy weight, enjoy active lives and eat well by creating healthy early learning settings, schools and communities. 

Join the Celebration!

This week only, share a photo of your child or children's healthy breakfast or the breakfast menu at their child care, pre-K, ECEAP or Head Start on DEL's Facebook page or send it to us in a Facebook message, via email (communications@del.wa.gov) or Tweet it at us! We will spread the love on our social media accounts!

Washington Early Learning Ranks in National Standings

For the second year in a row, nonpartisan National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University released data showing that, nationally speaking, the U.S. has increased funding for pre-K. 

Adjusted for inflation, state funding for pre-K increased by nearly $120 million in 2013-2014 across all 50 states and Washington, DC. Enrollment growth also resumed, albeit modestly, with a total increase of 8,335 slots to reach its highest level recorded over the report’s 12-year history.

And program quality standards increased as an unprecedented seven states gained ground on NIEER’s 10 benchmarks for quality standards.

• Washington ranks 33rd for access to pre-K education for 4-year-olds. The program saw only a slight enrollment increase in 2014, with another 350 children enrolled. 
• The state ranks 8th for state spending, though it experienced a slight decrease in per-child spending in 2014 (reduced $76). With the addition of funding from other sources, Washington spends $6,658 per child and is one of the few states spending a sufficient amount to provide a high-quality program, coming in at 8th in the resource rankings. 
• Washington Early Learning achieves 9 of NIEER’s 10 quality standards benchmarks. The nonpartisan Washington State Institute for Public Policy has found that the state’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) leads to strong gains in later achievement, but less than 1 in 10 of the state’s 4-year-olds and only 2 in 100 3-year-olds receive the program.

With access to quality pre-K so limited in the state, Seattle is one of several large cities across the nation that has stepped up to expand early learning opportunities on its own, with a new program to offer quality preschool to all children. In the state legislature, a proposal to increase per-child funding and add 1,350 new slots for Full School Day and Extended Day services was approved for 2014-2015. Governor Inslee has proposed plans to expand preschool access to low-income families with children and develop state funded full-day kindergarten.

“In the coming years, Washington State Department of Early Learning’s goal is to promote high-quality pre-K education for children under the age of five,” said Washington State Department of Early Learning (DEL) Director, Dr. Bette Hyde. “Every pre-K child deserves the resources and tools he or she needs to build a strong foundation for learning and success."

Noven Chiu: Building Confidence and Culture in Children

In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, DEL would like to highlight some of the state’s outstanding teachers from varying programs and areas.

Noven Chiu is originally from Hong Kong, China, and is a Head Start Lead Teacher at the Denise Louie Education Center (DLEC). DLEC provides high-quality multicultural early learning and family support services so that Seattle kids will be ready to succeed in school and life.

Chiu has worked with DLEC for over 10 years.

“She has been a major contributor to DLEC's success,” said Susan Yang, Executive Director of DLEC. “She has extensive knowledge about cultural competency and how to incorporate cultural values in the classroom.”

According to Yang, Noven builds and continues to maintain positive relationships with the families and children she serves. She took leadership in supervising the International District Center in the absence of a director, led a Dual Language workshop with the Center for Linguistic and Cultural Democracy, and is now a certified CLASS Observer. She is a peer mentor to all of the staff and she continues to seek out other opportunity for professional development. 

“Her passion for early education is admirable, and she is the epitome of a great teacher,” said Yang.

Chiu’s curriculum is usually two-years long and incorporates multiple languages and cultures into student work.

“After the kids come to our agency, they are confident in their culture and values. They appreciate learning and enter kindergarten with a willingness to learn new things,” said Chiu. “I really like my program. We can help the children learn about other cultures and learn the basics of other languages, and they also keep the culture and language they were born with.”

Chiu currently has 19 children in her classroom, a majority of which are Chinese speakers. The children in her classroom are encouraged to solve problems on their own, answer open-ended questions, develop critical-thinking skills, and as Chiu puts it, “gain confidence and learn to trust themselves.”

Chiu instructing at DLEC.

Thank you Noven Chiu and DLEC for teaching and encouraging some of Washington’s littlest learners!

Reporting on ECEAP, Head Start programs

DEL published two reports in recent weeks with the results of two important pre-K programs: ECEAP and Head Start.

ECEAP— Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program—helps 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income families prepare for success in school and life. Children who participate receive assistance with learning, nutrition and health and family support services. DEL just celebrated the 25th anniversary of this important program, which is primarily funded with money from the state.

The 2010-11 ECEAP Outcomes Report describes the program’s effect on children’s social-emotional development, learning and family engagement.

A few fast facts from the 2010-11 school year:

• Total funding was $54.4 million; 98.3 percent of it went directly to local programs that serve children.
• ECEAP had enough funding for 8,024 children. The program experienced a 13.9 percent turnover rate and its waiting list held more than 4,000 children.
• DEL administered ECEAP through 40 contracts with educational service districts, school districts, community colleges, local governments and nonprofit organizations; 37 of 39 Washington counties were served at 260 sites.

Related information: ECEAP Making a Difference booklet
 

ECEAP, Head Start and Early Head Start Washington State Profile, 2011

This Profile provides an overview of public early childhood education programs in Washington state, which include:

• ECEAP (described above)
• Head Start: A national, high-quality early learning program for low-income children ages 3 through 5, but not yet eligible for kindergarten, and their families. The federal government provides grants to 30 organizations in Washington for these services.
• Early Head Start: A national, high-quality program to promote healthy prenatal outcomes through services to low-income pregnant women, and promote early learning through services for low-income children from birth to 3 years old and their families. As with Head Start, the federal government provides grants to 27 local organizations in Washington to offer these services.
• Migrant and Seasonal Head Start: A national, high-quality early learning program that serves low-income children birth through 5 years old, but not yet eligible for kindergarten, and their families who are migrant and seasonal farm workers. The federal government provides grants to local organizations to offer these services. There are two grantees in Washington.
• American Indian/Alaska Native Head Start and Early Head Start: A national, high-quality early learning program that serves low-income American Indian and Alaska Native children birth through 5 years old, but not yet eligible for kindergarten, and their families. The federal government provides grants to tribal nations and organizations who provide these services. There are 17 grantees providing American Indian Head Start and eight providing American Indian Early Head Start services in Washington state.

The report describes the programs and they children and families they serve, approximately 25,000 children in the 2010-11 school year. The report includes specific examples from Washington state providers.