The term early care and education (ECE) refers to non-parental, supervised care and educational programs that guide the growth and development of children throughout their preschool years, from birth to age five (5) or until the start of kindergarten. High-quality ECE settings support healthy child development and kindergarten readiness, as well as provide other long-term benefits for both the child and the family. Not only does participation in high-quality ECE programming enhance the child’s cognitive and social-emotional development during a critical period of brain development and unparalleled learning, but it also allows parents to engage in the workforce, adult education, or needed treatment services. Research supports the utilization of high-quality ECE as an effective prevention strategy, as well as having both short and long-term positive impacts for the child. These positive impacts include:
- Increased kindergarten readiness;
- Increased academic success;
- Increased proficiency in reading and math;
- More likely to graduate from high school;
- More likely to attend college;
- Higher earning potential in adulthood;
- Decreased rates of child maltreatment; and
- Decreased rates of entry into care.
Studies show that the benefits of ECE are even greater for families living in poverty. (For more information see ACF Summary of Evidence on Benefits of ECE) Additionally, many of these programs offer two-generation support for families and trauma-informed care. All children, but especially those who’ve experienced trauma, benefit from high-quality ECE programs designed to promote and foster development and learning. These programs offer nurturing, caregiving, and learning opportunities to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers to support attachment, communication, physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. These programs are integral to child and family wellbeing, beyond the need for merely supervision.
The array of ECE programs available to families include:
- Early Head Start;
- Head Start;
- Public preschool;
- Private preschool;
- Licensed child care centers; and
- Certified family child care providers.
Many children are eligible for no-cost programs such as Early Head Start, Head Start, or public preschool. The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) may assist families, based on income or other eligibility, to access care if cost is a barrier to enrollment with a licensed or certified child care provider. CCAP may also assist with access to high-quality child care if care is needed to mitigate risk as determined through an assessment, in accordance with SOP C3.4.
Head Start and Early Head Start
Head Start (HS) and Early Head Start (EHS) are federally funded programs that offer comprehensive services to families in partnership with community agencies, including the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS), at no cost to the family. EHS programs serve infants and toddlers under the age of three (3) and pregnant women. EHS programs provide intensive comprehensive child development and family support services to low-income infants and toddlers and their families, and pregnant women and their families. EHS programs are designed to nurture healthy attachments between parent and child (or child and caregiver).
HS promotes school readiness of children between the ages of three (3) and five (5) from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development. HS programs provide a learning environment that supports growth in language, literacy, social, and emotional development. HS emphasizes the role of parents as their child's first and most important teacher. HS builds relationships with families that support family well-being. For both programs, program staff connect families with a wide range of resources that support child and family well-being. These resources include housing, health, education, mental health, employment, and recreation resources.
HS and EHS utilize this two-generation, trauma-informed approach to achieve family well-being outcomes. Although eligibility for both programs is based on income, children in out-of-home care (OOHC) automatically qualify for EHS and HS services pending available slots in the program. Providing ongoing support for families and connecting them to resources can help reduce the likelihood of future child welfare involvement, help families achieve permanency through reunification, and help foster families meet the developmental needs of a child in OOHC.
Programs that have established relationships with DCBS in the local community can provide a variety of supports for children and their families including:
- Stable, ongoing enrollment for children while they are in foster care;
- Additional support for the foster family;
- Staff who can work alongside an SSW with the birth family;
- A neutral and safe place in the program location for an enrolled child to visit with his or her birth parents; and
- Support for both the child and family when the child returns home.
Public Preschool
State-funded preschool is available for all four (4) year-old children whose family income is below one hundred sixty percent (160%) of the federal poverty level, and all children ages three (3) and four (4) with identified disabilities or developmental delays, regardless of income. The program focuses on the child's physical, intellectual, social, and emotional development, including interpersonal, intrapersonal, and socialization skills. Public preschool is operated through the public school system in each school district (except in Wolfe and Lee Counties where the school system contracts with Head Start for these services). Public preschool can be a significant support and resource for children and families living in poverty or for children with developmental delays or disabilities.
High-Quality Child Care (Licensed and Certified)
High-quality child care is another option to meet the developmental needs of young children while providing supervision in a nurturing environment. Licensed child care facilities typically provide care for a larger number of children. They may have different classrooms for different age groups, ensuring adequate staff to keep staff-to-child ratios within regulatory requirements. Certified family child care is provided in the caregiver’s home for no more than six (6) unrelated children at any time. Both of these types of child care are regulated by the Division of Regulated Child Care (DCC) and receive quality ratings through the Kentucky All STARS quality rating program administered by the DCC. Licensed and certified child care is privately paid or subsidized through the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).
Kentucky All STARS
Kentucky All STARS is Kentucky's five (5) star quality rating and improvement system for licensed child care providers, certified family child care homes, Head Start, and public preschools. Kentucky All STARS recognizes programs that have made a commitment to quality improvement and provides programs with additional support, including training and coaching. Child care providers accepting child care subsidy payments (CCAP) must participate in the Kentucky All STARS Program. A child care provider's KY All STARS rating can be viewed in the Public Child Care Search on kynect. When searching child care providers by zip code, the search will display higher-rated centers first. ECE programs participating in Kentucky All STARS rated at level three (3) or above have been verified as high quality. Additionally, DCC hosts a Find Child Care page on their website which provides helpful information to assist in selecting the best child care option for a young child.
Kentucky All STARS standards help to measure program quality in the following areas:
- Family and community engagement;
- Classroom and instructional quality;
- Staff qualifications and professional development;
- Administrative and leadership practices; and
- Child care environment.
Participating programs offer family involvement activities and have access to quality coaching, training materials, and professional development opportunities to help them maintain a high quality of early childhood care.