CA Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education Final Report

The CA Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education (BRC) was initiated by Speaker Rendon in February 2017 to identify and develop solutions to create a sustainable early learning system that supports children and families in the early stages of development. Over a 2-year period the Commission held eight hearings, conducted several parent focus groups, engaged stakeholders through in-person meeting and conference calls and surveyed key organizations. From all the information and data that was gathered the BRC developed a set of detailed recommendations, aimed at improving outcomes for young children and families, set forth in the Final Report (April 2019).

The Report focusses on several areas including; Governance and Administration, Family Engagement, Access for Children and Families, Workforce, Quality Improvement, Systems and Infrastructure, Facilities and Supply, Coordination and Alignment, Financing and Parent Focus Group Recommendation Summary. Some of the key findings specific to children with disabilities include:

• The need to ensure early identification and intervention for all young children
• ECE degree programs should develop expertise including children with disabilities and special health care needs
• First 5 will be a key partner on the Task Force to reform our bifurcated funding and administrative system serving children with disabilities and special health care needs.
• Funding Children with Disabilities and Special Health Care needs: Establish a Task Force with strong parental and provider representation to reform our bifurcated funding and administrative system building on the work of the State’s 2015 Special Education Task Force
• Long-term goal: Fully fund ECE and other services for children with disabilities so universal screening is accompanied by access to service.
• Establish a Task Force including CDE, ECE stakeholders, TK-12, DDS, DSS, DPH, First 5s, MHSD, SELPA, Disability Rights CA, Regional Centers, legal advocates, Pediatricians and Head Start, with strong parental and provider representation to reform our bifurcated funding and administrative system.
• Expand training and support for children with disabilities and connections to early identification and intervention, including to comprehensive services.

Last Tuesday the Assembly Select Committee on Early Childhood Development held an informational hearing providing an Overview of Early Childhood Intervention Services for Children with Special Health Care Needs. Recommendations from the BRC were presented at the hearing with an emphasis on the need to build a comprehensive system of supports for families that begins with a “No Wrong Door” approach. Consistent throughout the hearing was the message that there are too many silos that result in a fragmented system of services. One of the most alarming statistics presented during the hearing was that fact that only 43% of children with special needs get the assistance they need. Many of the recommendations in the BRC report would go a long way in addressing this serious unmet need. The BRC report can be found here: https://speaker.asmdc.org/sites/speaker.asmdc.org/files/pdf/BRC-Final-Report.pdf