The vision of the New York State Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five initiative is for every child in New York to be supported by a mixed-delivery system that is informed by parent voice and provides access to high quality, equitable and comprehensive early care and learning environments and services essential for healthy development and lifelong success. Grant activities include the following:

• Activity 1: Statewide Needs Assessment
• Activity 2: Strategic Plan
• Activity 3: Maximizing Parent Choice and Knowledge
• Activity 4: Sharing Best Practices
• Activity 5: Improving Quality

Learn more about these activities here: Preschool Development Birth Through Five (NYSB5)

Grant partners include the NYS Council of Children and Families, New York State Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC), the NYS Office of Children and Family Services, the NYS Department of Health, the NYS Office of Mental Health, the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, the NYS Education Department, and the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute, City University of New York.

Needs Assessment

As part of this initiative, the Center for Human Services Research (CHSR) is conducting and updating a statewide birth through five needs assessment to better understand the strengths and needs of New York State’s mixed delivery early childhood system. Activities include conducting focus groups with families and providers (with a focus on vulnerable populations); administering an electronic survey for families, direct care staff, and administrators; and reviewing reports, briefings, and published statistics.

Performance Evaluation

The CHSR will be providing ongoing evaluation and feedback to project stakeholders throughout the project to continuously monitor and improve grant activities. The goal of evaluation activities will be to establish a valid and reliable system of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), so that program administrators can make timely and informed decisions regarding mid-course corrections or resource allocations.

Pyramid Model

The CHSR is developing, testing, and launching an application interface to allow New York State Pyramid Model sites to enter and report on their data. Ongoing training and support to use the application will be provided as additional sites begin to use the application

Additionally, the CHSR will be providing ongoing evaluation and feedback to project stakeholders through data analysis and monitoring activities.

For more information, contact Rose Greene.