Alliance Meeting Q4 2023: Year in Review

On December 19, Alliance members gathered in Fort Worth to reflect on the collaborative work done this year and to plan for what’s ahead in 2024. It is nearly impossible to compile a comprehensive list of “ELA wins” during 2023, but below are some highlights that were celebrated during the Quarterly Meeting.

First Annual North Texas Family Leadership Summit

In April, ELA partnered with Help Me Grow North Texas and the National Center for Families Learning to host the first annual Family Leadership Summit in Hurst. The planning committee, which consisted of both organizational representatives and local parent leaders, decided on a theme of “Connect, Learn, Take Action.” Over 30 families from across the region learned from nine expert speakers during sessions on child development, inclusive programming, parental advocacy, quality child care, and more. Summit attendees reported overwhelmingly positive experiences, particularly regarding the translation of all materials in both English and Spanish, as well as live interpretation during the entirety of the event. Planning for the 2024 Summit is well underway, with the addition of new community partners Bachman Lake Together and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.

Save the Date for the 2024 Family Leadership Summit! March 4, 2024 at Hurst Convention Center.

Early Learning Advocacy

In 2023, ELA grew in early learning policy expertise and repute. Four Alliance members attended the NAEYC Public Policy Forum in Washington, D.C. to gain advocacy skills and promote the importance of public funding for early education. For the time first time in ELA history, the Alliance published our positions and priorities for the Texas Legislative Session. ELA and our member organizations met with local, state, and national policymakers, as well as signed onto letters, testimonies, and reports regarding early childhood public policy. The ELA Leadership Team received advocacy training and support from education policy experts at Raise Your Hand Texas, and we were proud to partner with state partners such as CHILDREN AT RISK to co-host Early Childhood Education Rally Day and Equity Rally Day at the Texas Capitol.

Professional Learning Sponsorships

ELA was a primary sponsor of the 11th Annual Pathway to Quality Provider Conference in April. In the words of Connie Presley, Program Administrator for Child Care Regulation,

“The 11th Annual Pathway to Quality Provider Conference was held on April 1st, 2023. The theme was aptly named Childcare Ain’t No Joke. We hosted approximately 600 child care providers and advocates from across Northeast Texas for 6 hours of free training. 96 sessions were provided by 41 trainers. A variety of topics were offered including Child Development, Guidance and Discipline, Age-Appropriate Curriculum, Teacher-Child Interaction, Child Health, Safety, Risk Management, Professional Development, Cultural Diversity, Observation and Assessment, Management Techniques, Leadership and Staff Supervision, among others. The day also included a free box lunch, over 100 door prizes, a keynote presentation by Sean Brown and music for all to enjoy. The evaluations from attendees and presenters were overwhelmingly positive. We are only able toprovide this due to the generosity of sponsors like you. As you know, high-quality, relevant training increases caregivers’ knowledge and skills, which equates topositive outcomes for children. Our goal to improve the quality of childcare in our communities, by encouraging and celebrating early childhood educators for the valuable work they do in Northeast Texas, was a great success.”

Additionally, ELA joined with the Health Equity Alliance of Tarrant County and other community partners to host “Ensuring Equity in Perinatal and Infant Health: A Summit for Action” in September. More than 100 attendees learned from 11 speakers, 6 community vendors, and 11 poster presentations. You can read more about the HEAL Summit on its own blog post!

Child Care Navigation Pilot

This year saw the groundwork for the Tarrant County Child Care Navigation Pilot Project. ELA and My Health My Resources of Tarrant County received grant funding to use existing and new data to inform the launch of a child care navigation system across the county. We conducted 17 focus groups and/or interviews with over 120 community stakeholders to learn how navigators could ease undue burdens placed on families and care providers alike. Two navigators have been hired by MHMR and are going through a period of onboarding and training. At least two more navigators will be hired within the next year. We are hopeful that the navigators will assist families in identifying the child care option best suited for their needs, as well as support early educators in providing the best possible care.

Research findings and recommendations from data collection will be released at the next Quarterly Alliance meeting (Quarter 1, 2024). Register here!

Website, Blog, and Member Highlights

Not only did we revamp our website with updated resources and data, but we launched the ELA blog! The blog provides a way for anyone to easily access announcements, meeting summaries, data releases, and other early learning content. We rolled out Member Highlights — a new avenue for the community to learn about organizations and resources in Tarrant County. Check out the posts on the Center for Transforming Lives, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro affiliate of the National Black Child Development Institute (BCDI-DFW), and the Fort Worth Public Library.

Continued Collaboration

Last but certainly not least, what ELA does best: we brought together organizations, philanthropists, public officials, businesses, educators, parents, and researchers seeking a county in which all children have the foundation they need to succeed in school and in life. In 2023, we hosted more than 100 meetings with two or more community partners. ELA represented its members at dozens of local, state, and national meetings. As we wrap up this eventful year, six ELA committees are working toward early learning goals:

• Child Care Provider Support

• Child Care Workforce Sustainability

• Child Care Navigation

• Early Educator Apprenticeship Program Advisory

• NTX Family Leadership Summit Planning

• Racial Equity Guidance Council

If you would like to learn more about any of our committees, email ELA@earlylearningntx.org!

The meeting ended with both small and full group discussions on how to move each of our work areas forward and additional emphases for the year ahead. In true ELA form, we brainstormed innovate ways in which organizations and individuals can collaborate to strengthen all parts of the Tarrant County early learning system. More to come in 2024!