August 15th, 2020 | Virtual
Keynote Speaker | Louise Stoney
Co-founder of Opportunities Exchange
Louise Stoney is an independent consultant specializing in early care and education finance and policy, and Co-Founder of both OpportunitiesExchange and the Alliance for Early ChildhoodFinance. Louise has worked with state and local governments, foundations, national policy organizations, early care and education (ECE)providers, industry intermediaries and child advocacy groups in more than40 states and cities.Louise has worked in partnership with a host of national organizations –including theAlliance for Early Success, BUILDInitiative, QRIS National LearningNetwork, Buffett Early ChildhoodFund, Pritzker Children’s Initiative–and many others–to help state policymakers and ECE leaders model program costs, revise subsidy policy and rate-setting strategies, re-visit QRIS standards and procedures, craft new approaches to contracting and voucher management, and more. She also provides strategic leadership to the nationalShared Services movement, which is focused on transforming the business of early care and education to improve outcomes for children.Many public and private organizations have soughtLouise’s expertise to craft new financing strategies and policy options as well as write issue briefs and articles on challenging topics. She was instrumental in creating Louisiana’s innovative School ReadinessTax Credits and has written and spoken extensively on “The Iron Triangle” of ECE Finance as well as financing infant-toddler care. Many of Louise’s publications and presentations may be found at www.opportunities-exchange.org.
Elevate 20 | Sessions
Business Leadership and Technology, a Winning Combination
Sharon Easterling | Opportunities Exchange
Early childhood programs run on the thinnest of financial margins and the key to success is strong financial management practices that maximize every available resource. Today’s software tools make it possible for program leaders to collect, analyze, and use business metrics to make good fiscal decisions. Learn how business automation can address your most pressing challenges and how to choose from awide array of options.
Marketing Tactics for Early Childhood Professionals
Kelly Medwick | Firespring
Learn how to effectively market your child care program with a social media calendar and the support of free/low cost sharing tools.
NECC Family Child Care Network
Emily Aksamit & Michelle Swanson | Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative
The Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative Family Child Care Network exists to support the quality efforts of the Family Childcare Provider. How do we do that? This session provides an overview of the programs that make up the FCC Network and gives the participant the chance to learn about content offered in each.
Family Child Care on the Front Lines–Sustaining through Crisis, Building for the Future
Jessica Sager | All Our Kin
Champions across the country are rallying to reinforce the importance of the sector’s survival. We have the opportunity to build a new child care infrastructure, one that can outlast the present crisis and create a stronger system—one that truly works for children, families, and child care providers. Learn some of the key principles that should form the basis for such a system.
Step Up to Quality Financial Supports, Local Option Funding and Other Resources
Lauri Cimono & Lynne Cook | Nebraska Department of Education
Mike Feeken | First Five Nebraska
Learn more about the benefits and financial supports available for participating Step Up to Quality Programs. Some of these include increased Child Care Subsidy reimbursement, bonus dollars, tax credits and more. Come to this session armed with your questions and leave with knowledge to make an informed decision around enrollment in Step Up to Quality and also learn about other financial resources available to support the business of child care from local, state and federal sources.
Using Innocence to Undermine Implicit Bias and Stereotype Threat in Early Childcare Centers
Julian Condie & Matthew Brandt | Innocent Technologies, LLC
Every child and every family deserve to feel innocent – free of the negative influence of stereotypes and stereotyped expectations – in the time they are with you and in your early childhood center. This interactive presentation will focus on the impact of implicit bias, stereotype threat, and stereotype consciousness on children’s learning and growth from an early age. We will also center a conversation about how to construct spaces where the negative impact is minimal or non-existent, and learning and growth can flourish.