Since the pandemic there have been countless changes to the way we understand education. Our tried-and-true principles have weathered multiple storms and the forecast for the future is uncertain in some respects. Never has early education garnered such attention and interest on a national level. At its core, national efforts have focused on two fronts: stabilizing childcare so that parents can return to work and creating rich and robust educational experiences for children who are needier than ever due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
The Child Care Stabilization Grants were released as part of the AARP, and each state was given an allocation to distribute to childcare programs that needed financial support because of the Covid-19 pandemic. In New York State alone, $1 billion was allocated to help strengthen childcare programs so that they could continue providing critical care to children.
In addition to this grant, New York City has rapidly expanded its 3-K for All program, enabling most of the City to apply for slots which extend a the UPK full-day model to 3-year-olds. Pre-pandemic, the roll-out of this program was going to be much more gradual. The RFP (Request for Proposals) for the coming year has just closed, and Teach NYS was involved with our member network in reviewing proposals, advising on the application process, and encouraging participation. With federal legislation pending that would dramatically increase funding for early education, we are very well positioned to lead efforts to expand yeshiva and day school involvement in this program.