Policy Strategies

Here you can narrow your search according to the criteria that matter most to you, or browse all innovations and policy strategies.

For definitions of key terms, see our Glossary of Terms.

Search for Strategies by Location or Keyword

Sort By

Click on a result for more information.

Strategy &
Location		 Strategy Type(s) Year Funding Amount Funding Source Features at a Glance
Wisconsin Four-Year-Old Kindergarten
In 1898, the Wisconsin State Legislature voted to permit schools to establish 4-year-old kindergarten (4K) alongside 5-year-old kindergarten (5K). 4K is now available to all children who turn 4 years old on or before September 1st of the school year. The program is universal, free, and voluntary for families, and it is offered through a mixed-delivery system. 4K’s delivery model is varied and includes half-day and full-day programs, offered across 97% of the state’s districts and in partner child care, Head Start, and private programs. Wisconsin received a Preschool Development Grant Birth to Five Renewal in 2021, which was used to conduct a needs assessment and development of a strategic plan to further expand access to public programs. Learn More: Wisconsin Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Sources:Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. (n.d.). History of 4K and 5K in Wisconsin.National Institute for Early Education Research. (2023). Wisconsin.National Institute for Early Education Research. (2021). Wisconsin.
Wisconsin
  • Expansion
    • Public Pre-K
      • Universal Pre-K Policy (4-Year-Olds)
      • Targeted Pre-K Policy (3-Year-Olds)
      • More Than 60% of Children Served (4-Year-Olds)
 1898 $167 million in FY22
  • State-Funded Pre-K
  • Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five
Percentage of 4-year-olds enrolled (as of 2022): 61% Percentage of 3-year-olds enrolled (as of 2022): 1% Minimum hours of operation: 2.5 hrs/day
In 1898, the Wisconsin State Legislature voted to permit schools to establish 4-year-old kindergarten (4K) alongside 5-year-old kindergarten (5K). 4K is now available to all children who turn 4 years old on or before September 1st of the school year. The program is universal, free, and voluntary for families, and it is offered through a mixed-delivery system. 4K’s delivery model is varied and includes half-day and full-day programs, offered across 97% of the state’s districts and in partner child care, Head Start, and private programs. Wisconsin received a Preschool Development Grant Birth to Five Renewal in 2021, which was used to conduct a needs assessment and development of a strategic plan to further expand access to public programs. Learn More: Wisconsin Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Sources:Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. (n.d.). History of 4K and 5K in Wisconsin.National Institute for Early Education Research. (2023). Wisconsin.National Institute for Early Education Research. (2021). Wisconsin.
Workforce Pathways LA Stipend Program
Workforce Pathways LA is a workforce development model administered by the Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education in partnership with Quality Start Los Angeles (QSLA), which is a county wide quality improvement initiative. It is funded through a partnership between Los Angeles County and the California Department of Education, the California Department of Social Services, and First 5 California. The Workforce Pathways LA Stipend Program creates financial incentives that help early educators obtain Child Development Permits or college degrees, including both associate and bachelor’s degrees. It aims to increase the skills and knowledge of early educators across the county, increase the number of early childhood professionals with Child Development Permits, and increase the number of professionals with degrees in early childhood. To be eligible, an educator must be working in a program that accepts some form of CA Early Learning subsidy.  Sources: County of Los Angeles Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education. (n.d.). Workforce Pathways LA.
Los Angeles County, CA, California
  • Workforce
    • Professional Learning
Program creates financial incentives that help early educators obtain Child Development Permits or college degrees
Workforce Pathways LA is a workforce development model administered by the Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education in partnership with Quality Start Los Angeles (QSLA), which is a county wide quality improvement initiative. It is funded through a partnership between Los Angeles County and the California Department of Education, the California Department of Social Services, and First 5 California. The Workforce Pathways LA Stipend Program creates financial incentives that help early educators obtain Child Development Permits or college degrees, including both associate and bachelor’s degrees. It aims to increase the skills and knowledge of early educators across the county, increase the number of early childhood professionals with Child Development Permits, and increase the number of professionals with degrees in early childhood. To be eligible, an educator must be working in a program that accepts some form of CA Early Learning subsidy.  Sources: County of Los Angeles Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education. (n.d.). Workforce Pathways LA.
Wyoming Early Childhood State Advisory Council (ECSAC)
Originally created in 1997, Wyoming’s 20-member Early Childhood State Advisory Council (ECSAC) supports collaboration and coordination across the state’s early education agencies and programs. A 2019 executive order outlines the Council’s duties:
  • Conducting a periodic statewide needs assessment, broadly considering the community context and data indicators that reflect the well-being, health and success of young children and their families;
  • Identifying opportunities for, and barriers to, practice and policy coordination and collaboration among federally funded child development, child care, and early childhood education programs and services, including collaboration and coordination among state agencies and partners responsible for administering such programs;
  • Developing recommendations for the governor, state agencies, statewide and local early childhood initiatives, and/or direct services providers who work with young children and families;
  • Working with state agencies to harness the expertise of early childhood providers and stakeholders in implementing state and federal grants, including the development of early childhood policies necessary for the Federal Child Care Development Block Grant Fund, and;
  • Reporting once per year to the governor on the needs of Wyoming’s youngest children and the impact of the state’s early childhood programs, including recommendations and collaborative actions that would increase that impact. Members of the council include state agency administrators, elected officials, governor’s office staff, educators, parents, advocates, and others.
Learn More: Wyoming Early Childhood State Advisory Council Sources: Wyoming Department of Family Services. (1997). Wyoming Early Childhood State Advisory Council (ECSAC). State of Wyoming Executive Department. (2019). Order 2019-4: Wyoming Early Childhood State Advisory Council. Wyoming Department of Family Services. (2019). Wyoming Early Childhood State Advisory Council Roster.
Wyoming
  • Infrastructure to Support Early Childhood Systems
    • Administrative + Governance Models
 1997 $2 million
Federal grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families
20-member advisory council supports collaboration and coordination across state early education agencies and programs
Originally created in 1997, Wyoming’s 20-member Early Childhood State Advisory Council (ECSAC) supports collaboration and coordination across the state’s early education agencies and programs. A 2019 executive order outlines the Council’s duties:
  • Conducting a periodic statewide needs assessment, broadly considering the community context and data indicators that reflect the well-being, health and success of young children and their families;
  • Identifying opportunities for, and barriers to, practice and policy coordination and collaboration among federally funded child development, child care, and early childhood education programs and services, including collaboration and coordination among state agencies and partners responsible for administering such programs;
  • Developing recommendations for the governor, state agencies, statewide and local early childhood initiatives, and/or direct services providers who work with young children and families;
  • Working with state agencies to harness the expertise of early childhood providers and stakeholders in implementing state and federal grants, including the development of early childhood policies necessary for the Federal Child Care Development Block Grant Fund, and;
  • Reporting once per year to the governor on the needs of Wyoming’s youngest children and the impact of the state’s early childhood programs, including recommendations and collaborative actions that would increase that impact. Members of the council include state agency administrators, elected officials, governor’s office staff, educators, parents, advocates, and others.
Learn More: Wyoming Early Childhood State Advisory Council Sources: Wyoming Department of Family Services. (1997). Wyoming Early Childhood State Advisory Council (ECSAC). State of Wyoming Executive Department. (2019). Order 2019-4: Wyoming Early Childhood State Advisory Council. Wyoming Department of Family Services. (2019). Wyoming Early Childhood State Advisory Council Roster.