The Strong Start Kentucky coalition unites Kentucky’s early childhood advocates through shared goals to strengthen early care and education for Kentucky children from birth through third grade. The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence serves as convener to the coalition, which meets quarterly and adopts annual policy priorities.
Strong Start’s policy priorities include the following:
- Encouraging partnerships among school districts, child care, and other community partners to build high-quality, full-day preschool
- Supporting voluntary, evidence-based home visiting for families of infants and toddlers
- Building systems to improve the quality of early learning environments, including strengthening the early childhood workforce
Contact us to learn more about the coalition.
UPCOMING MEETING
Strong Start Day – Tuesday, March 5, 2024 – Kentucky State Capitol Annex, 702 Capital Avenue, Frankfort KY
- 11:15 AM Lunch and Community Conversations, Capitol Annex Cafe
- 12:30 PM Strong Start Meeting, Capitol Annex Room 129
Our 2024 first quarter coalition meeting will feature Sen. Danny Carroll, author of SB 203, the Horizon Act, as guest of honor and speaker. Brigitte Blom, President and CEO of the Prichard Committee will provide a Big Bold Ask update, and the Prichard legislative and policy teams will provide updates and answer questions. Finally, we will cast a look-ahead to what’s in store for Strong Start beyond the 2024 Legislative session. Lunch and community conversations will be from 11:15-12:15 at the Capitol Annex Cafe. We will then transition to Annex Room 129 for the full Strong Start meeting beginning at 12:30. You are also encouraged to meet with your legislators either before 11 am or after 2 pm EST. We will offer talking points and resources once you let us know that you have set up legislator meetings.
Meeting Documents and Resources
JANUARY 2021
- Zoom Meeting Recording – Passcode: ?60R3BfU
- Strong Start Update Slides
- 2021 SOC Call for Presenters
- Pre-K Resolution
- COVID-19 Child Care Surveys
- Building Blocks: The Kentucky Early Childhood Cost of Quality Study
- Staffed Family Child Care Networks: An Opportunity to Reimagine the Kentucky Child Care Landscape
- Kentucky Family Child Care Cost Model
- 2016 Policy Priorities
- 2017 Policy Priorities
- 2018 Policy Priorities
- 2019 Policy Priorities
- 2020 Policy Priorities
- 2021 Policy Priorities
Strong Start Kentucky Coalition Members
Appalachian Early Childhood Network
AVOL
Berea College
Bluegrass Community and Technical College
Boone County Schools
Breckinridge-Grayson Programs, Inc.
Bright Beginnings Childcare, LLC
Brighton Center, Inc.
Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Division of Child Care
Capital Link Consultants
Center for Nonprofit Excellence
Child Care Aware of Kentucky
Christian County Literacy Council, Inc.
Clark County Health Department
Community Action Council
Community Coordinated Child Care
Cornerstone Child Development Center
Council for a Strong America
Culver Family Learning Center
Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities
Department for Public Health
Eastern Kentucky University
Erlanger-Elsmere School District
Family and Children’s Place
Fayette County Public Schools
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids
Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky
Frankfort Independent
Gates Foundation
Generations United
Government Strategies
Governor’s Office of Early Childhood
Great Kids Inc
Green River Regional Education Coorperative
Ground Truth
Hager Education Foundation
Hardin County Schools
Head Start of Kentucky
Heart of Kentucky United Way
Homeless Housing Coalition of Kentucky
Human Devlopment Institute, UK
Interdisciplinary Human Development
Jefferson Community College
Jefferson County Public Schools
Karen’s Day Care
Katies Kiddie Kastle
KEDC and NKY Cooperatives
Kentucky Center for Economic Policy
Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Kentucky Department of Education
Kentucky Head Start Association
Kentucky PTA
Kentucky School Boards Association
Kentucky Youth Advocates
KET
KY Council on Postsecondary Education
KY Early Childhood Dev. Authority
KY SEED
Lakeshore Learning
Learning Grove
Lexington Fayette County Health Department
Lexington Hearing & Speech Center
LFUCG-Family Care Center
Madison County Schools
Magnolia Montessori
March of Dimes
Metro United Way
Northern Kentucky University
Northern KY Community Action Council
Ohio Valley Educational Co-Op
Partners for Education, Berea College
Pendleton County Schools
Preschool Programming Scott County
Public Life Foundation
R.C. Durr YMCA
Read Ready Covington Early Literacy Initiative
Rockcastle County Schools
Save the Children
SOAR – Muhlenberg County
St. Benedict Center
Susan’s Children’s House
The Collaborative Center for Literacy Development
The Foundry
Top Shelf Lobby
United Way of Greater Cincinnati
United Way of Kentucky
United Way of the Bluegrass
University of Kentucky
University of Louisville
UWGC Success by 6
Visually Impaired Preschool Services
Western Kentucky Community & Technical College
YMCA of Greater Cincinnati (RC Durr Branch)
ZERO TO THREE