Jewish Early Childhood Collaborative

The Jewish Early Childhood Collaborative is a broad-based coalition of early childhood directors, teachers, researchers and community members working together to increase access to and enrollment in high quality Jewish early childhood education.

What we know:

• High quality early childhood education provides the foundation for helping all children achieve their developmental potential. (source: Harvard Graduate School of Education)
• Jewish early childhood programs are the gateway for long-term involvement in Jewish life.  (source: Jewish Early Childhood Education Initative)
• A majority of parents with one or more children younger than 6 say it is very (29%) or somewhat (33%) hard to find affordable child care in their community. (source: Pew Social Trends)
• In the greater Chicago area nearly 32% of Jewish families either explored both Jewish and secular preschools and chose secular, or didn't even consider Jewish preschools. 
• Despite the evidence that early childhood programs are essential to a child's development, we under appreciate (in terms of pay and professionalism) the early childhood workforce. (source: Early Childhood Workforce Index)

What we strive for: 

• Jewish early childhood experiences that are accessible (financially and geographically) to our families. 
• Early childhood programs that are financially sustainable and provide fair compensation to staff.
• Early childhood programs that aim for excellence and continue to adapt to the needs of our families.

If you are interested in getting involved or learning more, please reach out to katewarach[at]juf.org.