Last Updated on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 8:22 PM
The Governors Office of Early Childhood under the leadership of Executive Director Terry Tolan, is now located at State Office Building, 125 Holmes Street, Suite 3, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601. To contact the Early Childhood office please call 502-782-0200. Early Childhood has oversight of the KIDS NOW initiative (Kentucky Invests in Developing Success NOW!) and the Head Start Collaboration Office and direct responsibility for the administration of the Community Early Childhood Councils.
Our Mission
The future strength of the Commonwealth of Kentucky depends upon the healthy development of our youngest citizens. Therefore, this initiative will build upon existing resources, foster public-private partnerships, insure collaborative planning and implementation, and mobilize communities to: support and strengthen families, assure that all children grow and develop to their full potential, provide high quality, accessible, affordable early care and education options, and promote public awareness of the importance of the first years for the well-being of all Kentucky's citizens.
The Vision For Kentucky
All young children in Kentucky are healthy and safe, possess the foundation that will enable school and personal success, and live in strong families that are supported and strengthened within their communities.
Building a Strong Foundation for School Success SeriesThe Kentucky Early Childhood Standards represent specific learning standards for children through 4 years of age. These standards are designed as a framework to assist parents, early care and education professionals, administrators and others in understanding what children are able to know and do from birth through 4 years of age. ...
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Community Early Childhood CouncilsA Community Early Childhood Council (CECC) addresses the unique needs and strengths of local communities related to early childhood. The Community Early Childhood Council is a vehicle for bringing together many community members to support issues of importance to children and families. KIDS NOW has designated a CECC service area as ...
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Kentucky Head Start State Collaboration OfficeThe mission of the Kentucky Head Start State Collaboration Office is to increase the accessibility of quality services to low-income children ages 0-5 and their families by supporting the development of partnerships on a state and local level among Head Start programs and services and Kentucky agencies organizations, business and families. ...
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KIDS NOW/KHEAA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMThe Early Childhood Development Scholarship provides a seamless system to upgrade the professional development of child-care workers and trainers. The scholarship provides financial assistance, to the extent of available funds, in the form of non repayable tuition scholarships for Kentucky students. The Governors Office of Early Childhood under the leadership of ...
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Professional DevelopmentEarly childhood professionals understand that the education and training of early childhood caregivers/educators is strongly correlated with favorable outcomes for young children in early care and education programs. The Governors Office of Early Childhood under the leadership of Executive Director Terry Tolan, is now located at State Office Building, 125 Holmes ...
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School Readiness DefinitionSchool Readiness Definition Ready to Grow…Ready to Learn…Ready to Succeed Taken from Governor’s Task Force on Early Childhood Development and Education The Task Force recommends that in Kentucky: School readiness means each child enters school ready to engage in and benefit from early learning experiences that best promote the child’s success. ...
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STARS for KIDS NOW (Quality Rating System)STARS for KIDS NOW, Kentucky's voluntary quality rating system for licensed Type I and Type II child care centers and Certified family child care homes, is now available statewide. This system uses a scale of 1 through 4 STARS to identify levels of quality. All STAR levels surpass the minimum licensing ...
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