TITLE
Recommendation to receive and file the Citywide Strategic Plan on Early Childhood Education from the Health and Human Services Department. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
In 2016, the City of Long Beach established the Early Childhood Education Program (ECEP), which was housed within the Health and Human Services Department (Health Department). The ECEP works to organize and support existing Citywide efforts to address and improve the City’s capacity for early child care and education, and is staffed by a part-time coordinator, which is structurally funded through the General Fund. Additionally, the Health Department has leveraged staff who are covered by other funding sources to provide expertise across other social and health determinants of success in early childhood.
During the first few years of life, 700 new neural connections form every second, laying the foundation for future learning, behavior, and development. Experiences in the early years are critical in predicting life-long success, where children who have secure attachments, language-rich exposure, and safe, healthy homes are more likely to have lifelong success. Investments in early childhood education (ECE) help reduce the achievement gap, reduce the need for special education, increase the likelihood of healthier lifestyles, lower the crime rate, and reduce overall costs to society. In fact, every dollar invested in high-quality early childhood education produces a 7-10 percent return on the investment.
In 2017, the Health Department set out to develop a new five-year Citywide Strategic Plan for Early Childhood Education, to include young children living in all parts of Long Beach. The Health Department engaged the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD), the Long Beach Early Childhood Education Committee (LBECE Committee), City Council members, parents, ECE professionals, community partners, and young children through 22 focus groups and 19 key informant interviews to develop the goals...
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