Early childhood is a pivotal period of child development that begins before birth through age 8. This is a period of rapid brain and body development. In the first few years of life, more than 1 million new neural connections are formed every second (Center for Developing Child). The experiences and opportunities offered in early childhood lay the foundation for how children grow, learn, build relationships, and prepare for school.
A child does not grow in a silo. The health of their family, their community, the safety of their environment as well as the systems and policy all interact to affect the trajectory and health of a child.
The Consultants at State Support Team 2 collaborate with early childhood educators across the region to support:
- Implementation of developmentally appropriate practices, including curriculum and assessment selection and alignment to the Early Learning and Development Standards.
- Understanding and adherence to special education law, regulations, and best practices, including components of the Preschool IDEA Monitoring process.
- Compliance with Preschool licensing rules and Step Up to Quality requirements.
- Building relationships with community stakeholders through the Interagency Agreements and community collaboratives (Rising Titans, Ready Set Go, and OberlinKids).
- Many other initiatives and topics, both as outlined in the SST Grant Agreement and by request of programs.