Early Childhood Action Network

Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish, New Mexico

Opening Remarks, May 3, 2004

I want to thank everyone for taking time out of their busy schedules to join me today as we work to develop an early childhood agenda for New Mexico's young children and their families. With all of the expertise and the 1,000 combined years of experience in this room, I think we have we have what we need in order to:

1. Improve the well being of all New Mexico's young children and families;
2. Improve the system of early childhood services that touch their lives.

Most of you know that this focus is being driven by my Children's Cabinet; and though I am proud of all the work the eleven Cabinet Secretaries have accomplished I want to focus, this morning, on our early childhood initiative and will answer questions about the Children's Cabinet towards the end.

I have been doing my own homework in order to understand what the issues are and what our next steps need to be. We have built partnerships with the Ohio Network for Child Safety, the Forum for Youth Investment and the Fiscal Policy Studies Institute. We have attempted to pull multiple efforts into alignment, such as the Governor's Progress Agenda, the SPARK initiative, and other community-based programs. I have attended the National Governor's Association gathering on best practices for early learning and preschool; visited Mayor Daley in Chicago to understand his early childhood initiative; and visited the Agua Fria preschool in Santa Fe. I know that public policy can make a difference in the lives of our children.

Research shows that from birth to the first day of kindergarten, the physical, social, cognitive, and emotional growth and development for young children proceeds at a pace far exceeding any other subsequent stage of life. Early childhood is the most critical developmental period in a person's life and sets the stage for the future health and productivity of adulthood. Investing in early childhood is an investment in New Mexico's future.

We know that even children who face serious disadvantages can be supported, prepared and ready to succeed if:

1. Soon after birth their families receive support and education through home visiting and family resource programs;
2. Children and their families have access to a high quality medical home or services;
3. Between infancy and preschool, developmental delays are identified early and addressed through early intervention;
4. Children of working parents receive high quality early care and learning services;
5. All children have access to voluntary, yet quality preschool

With today's launch of the Children's Cabinet's Early Childhood Action Network we have two primary goals:

1. Establish an early childhood legislative agenda for 2005. This agenda will serve as a catalyst for laying the ground work for more long term needs that can't be achieved in one year. We want to ensure that there is wide-spread understanding in the importance of investing in our children's early years.
2. A comprehensive and collaborative "game-plan" for early childhood system strategies and program alignment that extends eight to ten years out. I want New Mexico to take a national lead in this arena.

We will be using planning resources from a received Maternal and Child Health grant in the Department of Health in order to develop, create and implement this early childhood action agenda. In addition, we are pulling in national expertise with the I Am Your Child Foundation to launch a media messaging campaign around our efforts and are building partnerships with the philanthropic community to ensure the initiative is funded through its eight to ten year effort.

In light of all of this, you have been invited to participate in this journey with me. Networking meetings, similar to today, will:

1. Assure better communication among the various early childhood initiatives that are currently underway so we don't duplicate efforts;
2. Pull in and inform non-traditional champions;
3. Develop mechanisms to align efforts and to create a comprehensive early childhood agenda;
4. Deepen the work started by the Children's Cabinet by utilizing the same planning process and pushing into action;
5. Build momentum and a broad constituency to promote and achieve a shared legislative and public agenda around early childhood development;
6. Capitalize on the work that is already being done and that has been accomplished.

Therefore, this leaves us with the charge I am giving you:

1. I need you to be ready to provide input to me and the Children's Cabinet as this agenda is created;
2. To advise me and the Children's Cabinet on critical and emerging issues or opportunities;
3. To partner with me and the Children's Cabinet in promoting this effort and building public awareness around early childhood, which includes helping us identify who our public champions can be.

 

Again thank you for your time, commitment, and hard work.