Early Childhood Education

Though children are not generally able to access public educational services before Pre-Kindergarten at the age of four, there are some exceptions. For a child with whom there is a suspected developmental delay the Early Intervention Program, administered by the Department of Health, is a vital program to access. Any child from birth to age three who has a developmental delay, or has a physical or mental condition with a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay, is eligible to receive Early Intervention services. AFC publishes an Early Intervention Brochure, which provides detailed information on EI and how to go about obtaining services for your child. For more information about EI, the NYS Department of Health has an Early Intervention page, which includes a helpful Parents' Guide For Children With Special Needs - Birth to Age Three.

Many parents also want to make sure that their child is learning and growing while accessing child care services. The New York State Office of Children and Family Services has a page on child care, which provides a A Parent's Guide to Child Care Options. A useful guide on choosing quality child care can also be found from Zero to Three.

AFC is a member of the Emergency Coalition to Save Universal PreKindergarten, a coalition of more than 50 organizations across New York State committed to quality early child care and education. The Emergency Coalition's site features "Take Action Now," in which you can write a letter to advocate for Universal PreKindergarten in your area.

The National Child Care Information Center provides a host of information about child care all over the nation, including state profiles. For those interested in the public policy debate surrounding child care issues, additional information concerning child care policy can be found on the National Association for the Education of Young Children's page on public policy issues, as well as at the Child Care Action Campaign. The Childrens Defense Fund's Child Care Now page details the need for quality affordable child care, and provides resources for how to take action. For information on legal issues surrounding child care, the Child Care Law Center is helpful.

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