As an organization, ICS focuses on the systems that support young children and their families to help them thrive, spanning health care, child welfare, and early care and education. In order to deliver on the promise of these investments, we…
Child care is having a public reckoning right now, fueled by the shifting employment landscape as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, and a labor market that gives potential employees more options. Child care centers have reported challenges in finding…
by Lorraine Cragan-Sullivan, South Carolina's Act Early Ambassador Did you know 23 percent of children aged 3-17 in South Carolina (210,441 children) have one or more emotional, behavioral, or developmental conditions (KIDS Count Data Book, 2017-2018)? That is nearly one-fourth of…
By Emily Carroll Recently, members of the ICS team including Joe Waters, Caitlin Mauk, Emily Carroll, and (Board Member) Liz Winer, attended the Fifth National Summit on Quality in Home Visiting Programs. The Summit is the final conference in The…
By Megan Carolan Adverse childhood experiences (ACES) can have serious long-term consequences for kids. That’s the message in a recent brief from ICS Senior Fellow Janice Gruendel, one of a series highlighting the importance of executive function and early brain…
By Megan Carolan The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) recently released its annual State of Preschool report. The “Yearbook” as it’s called is derived from an annual survey of state-funded pre-K programs on topics including access, resources, and…
Yesterday's The State (Columbia, SC) newspaper carried an opinion editorial by ICS Vice President Joe Waters and Associate Director of Policy Research Megan Carolan highlighting the successes of South Carolina's full-day 4K program and opportunities for improvement. While the headline “Poor children…
The following is a press release from our friends at ReadyNation. We are pleased that ICS Board Member Dick Wilkerson, former CEO and Chairman of Michelin NA, is a signatory to the open letter sent today the United Nations. NEW…