Program Reach & Risk Assessment
May 2010
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is committed to providing early childhood services to Pennsylvania’s young children, with special attention to those at risk of school failure. Research consistently shows that children at risk of school failure benefit from quality early learning opportunities, with economic and educational benefits that extend to our families, communities, and the commonwealth. This report provides information on the level of risk of school failure for children throughout the commonwealth and how well the commonwealth is reaching its young children with quality early learning services. The data is provided for each county and Pennsylvania's 27 largest cities.
The report:
- compiles information on the number of children served through OCDEL programs;
- shows the funding levels for early childhood programs supported by state and federal investments;
- includes an analysis of educational and family risk factors; and
- identifies counties and cities most likely to benefit from early childhood investments, based on these risk factors.
This data can be used to: 1) track progress in reaching all children; 2) help communities better understand their early childhood programming needs, particularly in counties where there are high risks; and 3) inform future decisions regarding early care and education investments. This information is also used to inform OCDEL’s policies and practices.
Highlighted for the first time is the reach within the commonwealth for the population of infants and toddlers, ages 2 and 3.
How to use the Reach & Risk Report
The report compiles information from the 2008-2009 fiscal year on the number of children affected by seven risk factors for school failure and the number of children in each county served by federally- and state-funded early childhood programs, such as Keystone STARS, Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, Early Intervention, Head Start, Child Care Works, and Nurse-Family Partnership. The Reach and Risk Report is an excellent way to show policymakers and community leaders that there are young children in every community that can benefit from quality early education opportunities, yet more public investment is needed to reach all children that can benefit.
Here are several tools to help:
Early Childhood County Profile template - This one-page template fact sheet highlight risk factors that children in your community face and how many children in your community participate in quality early education. Specific instructions on where to find each piece of data in the spreadsheet are highlighted in purple. You can provide this profile to legislators, business leaders, and school leadership.
Template local press release - use this press release to send your county/city data to the media. Check out the media tips toolkit for help on how to write and send a press release.
Sample letter to the editor – Use this template to highlight the need in your community through local newspapers.
Sample letter to governor, legislators – You can use this template as a cover letter to the profile sheet or on its own.
Action E-mail to governor, legislators - An action alert has been posted on the PA Promise for Children website that you can customize with local information and email directly to your state senator, state representative, and Governor Rendell.
Template newsletter article – customize this template with local information and publish in your organization’s newsletter, community newsletter, or ask your legislators to publish in their newsletters. This information can be very compelling to our policymakers. Please take time now to share with your community leaders and decision makers in Harrisburg.
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