The Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board has championed early childhood education and school readiness efforts since its inception in 1986 through initiatives such as Way to Grow and, more recently 500 under 5 and the Northside Achievement Zone.
On December 6th, 2006, the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board of Directors unanimously passed the following resolution:
WHEREAS the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board (YCB) is a leadership body with elected officials from the five jurisdictions that support Minneapolis children and youth (city, county, schools, parks, libraries);
WHEREAS all YCB member organizations understand that early childhood education and school readiness are crucial to giving all children the opportunity to develop emotionally, physically, socially, and intellectually;
WHEREAS both state and local data document that as many as half of entering kindergartners are not fully ready to learn, and that this gap is even greater for children of color, American Indians, and children living in poverty;
WHEREAS the YCB recognizes that research clearly shows the positive impacts that quality early childhood experiences have on a child’s school readiness and future success, including higher rates of high school graduation, higher rates of self sufficient employment, lower rates of special education and grade retention, and lower rates of juvenile and adult crime;
WHEREAS research indicates that an investment in a high quality early childhood experience for at-risk children prepares them to be successful in school and yields a 16 percent annual rate of return to the children and society;
WHEREAS the YCB has championed early childhood efforts since its inception in 1986 through initiatives such as Way to Grow and, more recently, its School Readiness Initiative;
WHEREAS the YCB’s Minneapolis Children and Youth Agenda 2020, adopted in April 2005, identifies school readiness as a long-term goal essential for improving the comprehensive well-being of children and youth;
WHEREAS the YCB released in June 2006 a second report on Minneapolis children’s school readiness (“So...how are the children”) and identified three priorities for improving early childhood development, which are:
1. Finding more resources and targeting them to programs and services that work
2. Improving outreach to support families and young children in their efforts to boost school readiness
3. Engaging with communities to create a true culture of learning
THEREFORE, be it resolved that the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board embraces its role as a champion for early childhood development and school readiness; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board will lead a planning process to achieve three goals in a targeted, high need area of Minneapolis:
1. Engage parents early and often in their child’s school readiness
2. Retain and expand high quality early childhood settings; and
3. Stabilize children in high quality early childhood settings
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board will vigorously pursue its identified priorities for advancing early childhood efforts for Minneapolis children through policy alignment and collaborative action.
Passed unanimously by the YCB Board on December 6th, 2006