Preschool Development Grant
2020 B-5 Accomplishments
Comprehensive Early Childhood Statewide Needs Assessment (NA)
Wyoming conducted a statewide NA between January and August 2020 to identify strengths and gaps in the state’s B-5 system. The NA was completed in August 2020 and accepted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in September 2020. WY worked with a NA contractor to collect additional data pertaining to child and family access to programs and services, the quality of those services, and the level of coordination in the EC system.
Strategic Plan
The results of the Needs Assessment directly informed Strategic Planning activities. Three strategic planning Work Groups were formed to review key results from the Needs Assessment and develop plans for addressing identified needs and opportunities organized by topic area: Family Empowerment, Knowledge, and Choice; ECE Quality and Workforce; and Governance and Systems. The Strategic Plan was submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in December 2020.
Maximizing Parent and Family Choice and Knowledge
Wyoming is committed to ensuring that the state is listening to families and providing them with better information. Through the family surveys and listening sessions as part of the PDG B-5 Initial Grant, Wyoming learned areas where gaps of information existed (i.e. child care subsidies, transitions, access) and incorporated responsive strategies (i.e. Parent Education Campaign) to increase family and parent knowledge. A series of resources were developed including guides for Early Childhood Transitions and Domains of Development.
Improving Overall Early Childhood Care and Education Programs
Wyoming saw the PDG B-5 initial grant as a critical opportunity to boldly state that effective decision-making about successful child outcomes relies on a well-communicated path to quality. The state articulated that path to quality by developing the Coherent Path to Quality (CP2Q) resource – with the input of more than 30 early childhood educators who participated in a facilitated Quality Learning Network with Leading for Children. The CP2Q asserts that to achieve high-quality results, every level of the early childhood system must define the path to quality using three dimensions: relationships and interactions, emotional and physical environment, and learning experiences.