Liftoff was booked and busy this September!
Strong Foundations: Housing as a Building Block of Early Childhood Development
In early September, Liftoff, alongside NYS Senator Sean M. Ryan, Dr. Jeff Kaczorowski of the NYS American Academy of Pediatrics, Kexin Ma of the WNY Homeless Alliance, and Jenn Kegler of Family Promise of WNY convened a powerful conversation on the connection between safe, stable housing and healthy child development. Together, we examined the realities of child homelessness in Western New York and identified the policy and practice changes needed to ensure every child has a secure start in life.
(Pictured above: Megan Battista (Liftoff WNY), Jenn Kegler, Kexin Ma, Rachel Bonsignore (Liftoff WNY), Senator Sean M. Ryan, and Dr. Jeff Kaczorowski.)
Read more: Liftoff Western New York hosts important “Housing as a Building Block of Early Childhood Development” panel – wnyhomeless.org
Building the Future: Expanding the Early Childhood Special Education Workforce
On September 24 Liftoff, in collaboration with The Children’s Guild Foundation and Buffalo State University, brought together more than 60 early childhood professionals across sectors to discuss urgent workforce needs and brainstorm opportunities in supporting young children with delays and disabilities. Participants generated over 40 pages of insights and strategies for strengthening recruitment and retention efforts, building a shared vision for ensuring children receive the services they need.
Key takeaways from our learning:
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Competitive compensation and clear career pathways are essential to attract and retain a strong early childhood special education workforce, not only for those at the start of their career but for retirees and mid-career professionals.
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Simplifying and aligning certification processes (particularly for paraprofessionals and educators certified in other fields) would remove major barriers to serving children in Early Intervention.
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Collaboration across higher education, agencies, and community partners is key to building sustainable recruitment pipelines and robust professional support systems.
