Below are resources for early childhood professionals and those serving the early childhood community.

Preschool Has Enduring Benefits for Disadvantaged Children—and Their Children, New Research Finds  The potential for preschool to lift multiple generations out of poverty is one of the key findings from a pair of new studies from University of Chicago professor James Heckman, known for his groundbreaking research on the economics of early childhood education. (Chalkbeat)

Study Finds Breaking Cycle of Poverty Could Start in Preschool Classroom  New research from one of the country’s leading experts in childhood development shows high-quality educational interventions in a child’s first few years of life can result in lasting economic, health and social benefits that extend beyond a single generation. (WTOP)

Register for the 2019 Partner Plan Act Conference  This annual conference brings early childhood system stakeholders together to learn, network, and deepen their community systems knowledge and skills. This free conference will take place in Bloomington, Illinois, from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. June 11.

The Early Education Essentials is a recently developed tool to examine program conditions that affect early childhood education instructional and emotional quality. It is patterned after the Five Essentials Framework, which is widely used to measure instructional supports in K-12 schools. A recently published validation study for the Early Education Essentials demonstrates that it is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used to assess early childhood programs to improve teaching and learning outcomes. Learn more about the results of the study and how this tool is useful for measuring organizational conditions.

Building Systems that Work for Families: Webinar Series for Community Systems Leaders  Please join the Ounce of Prevention Fund Illinois Policy Team, in partnership with Illinois Action for Children, the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development, and the Illinois State Board of Education, for a free webinar series for early childhood community systems leaders. Detailed session descriptions and webinar schedule are below. All webinars will be recorded and posted to the Partner Plan Act website for on demand viewing.