 Welcome to our webinar on the topic Transition Issues and Resources in Early Childhood Settings in North Dakota. This educational webinar is brought to you by the State of North Dakota, North Dakota Department of Public Instruction and other state agencies, and NDISU Extension. We hope you'll find this topic to be relevant in your life and work. This is Shawn Brotherson, Extension Family Life Specialist with NDISU Extension. This webinar will highlight the topic of transition issues, barriers and opportunities in early childhood settings in North Dakota, explore background and findings from research with parents and partners across the state, and offer some starting points with regard to transition resources in early childhood settings. Assisting children and families with early childhood transitions is a key priority of working with children and families in North Dakota. In 2019, the State of North Dakota was awarded a federal planning grant known as the Preschooled Development Grant Birth Through Five, which was intended to assist states in improving their existing early childhood infrastructure and resources. One specific goal of the project was to expand understanding of transition issues, opportunities and resources in early childhood settings within the state. We wanted to hear from parents and partners across the state. To accomplish this, a three-part information gathering process was followed that included. First, a series of focus groups around the state with parents and early childhood professionals on transition issues in North Dakota. Second, a brief quantitative survey with parents and early childhood professionals on transition difficulties and resource preferences. And third, an environmental scan of existing, useful resources on the topic of transitions to provide starting points on this topic. This approach was not a comprehensive assessment of the issues and resources in our state, but did allow us to gather feedback, insights and perspective on childhood transition issues from the voices of our parents and partners in early childhood. What do we mean when we refer to transitions in early childhood? A transition is the process of changing or moving from one activity, state or place to another. The period of development from a child's birth through age five is a time of critical learning and experience that shapes a child's future. Some of the transitions in this time period, such as entering childcare or starting kindergarten, can be very challenging for children. It is particularly important to consider how families, early childhood programs and resources can assist young children and their families in navigating the challenging transitions that occurred during a child's early years. For this project, we noted this statement on the vital importance of transitions in a child's early years. Children experience many transitions, including from home to an early care and education setting between age groups or program settings and from preschool to kindergarten. Supporting these transitions for children, families and staff is critically important because even positive change can be challenging. How the foundation for positive transitions is laid across all levels of the system to support children, families and staff through transitions can have far-reaching effects on children's well-being and academic success. This statement was provided through the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center associated with the Federal Office of Head Start and the Administration for Children and Families. Supporting children and their families as they navigate such transitions is a key element of effectiveness in early childhood care and education systems. When exploring child transitions, transition type matters. Abrupt transitions for young children can be incredibly stressful and anxiety-provoking, which is why it is so important to schedule transition easing activities before a big change takes place. Some transitions are more formal such as the entry to a child care program, while others are more informal such as a shift and apparent schedule. Some common formal transitions include going from hospital to home, entry to child care or transitions between child care rooms or programs, entry to early intervention services and entry to preschool or kindergarten. Some common informal transitions include birth of a new sibling, moving to a different home or school, changes in a parent's schedule or a change in a child's daily routine. Smooth transitions make moving from one activity to the next easier. Just like climbing a staircase, it is easier to take one step at a time instead of jumping from one floor to the next. Worked by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Head Start, National Center on Parent, Family and Community Engagement, and the National Center on Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge all recognize and emphasize the importance of transition experiences for young children. Consider this powerful statement, infants, toddlers and young children all react to a change in routine just like adults do. Depending upon developmental age and personality, some young children may react differently to transitions. In turn, it is essential to set the stage for a healthy transition so the child will remain feeling safe, secure and supported during the change they are experiencing. To gather feedback and gain insight on the topic of transition concerns and resources in North Dakota, we went out into the field to collect survey responses and listen to the voices of North Dakota parents of young children and professionals working with these families. In our statewide survey, 175 parents of children ages 0 to 5 in North Dakota responded to questions on transition issues and concerns. Additionally, we conducted multiple focus groups in different areas of the state on transition concerns, strategies and resources. Who shared their insights with us? Participants included parents of young children, public health workers, early head start and head start professionals, school counselors and teachers, early intervention professionals and child care program staff and licensors. The first topic explored in the focus group and survey was rating the difficulty level of various transition experiences relating to a child's early care and education. The percentages shown are a combination of what participants rated as somewhat difficult to very difficult in particular childhood transitions. The most difficult type of transition noted was transitions in child care. As 47.5% or one out of two participants indicated this was somewhat to very difficult. Transitioning a child from the hospital or newborn ICU to home was rated the next most difficult transition with 36% or just over one out of three individuals suggesting this was somewhat to very difficult. Finally, the transition to different early childhood settings was rated as difficult, with one out of four noting the transition to preschool was challenging at 27.4%, while one out of five noted the transition to kindergarten or early intervention services was challenging, which were both near 20%. All of these transitions deserve focused attention, but perhaps transitions in child care and from hospital to home in particular. What is it that makes certain transitions challenging for young children? Parents and early childhood professionals and focus groups gave us some insights for particular transition experiences. With regard to transitions in child care, some of the concerns included limited availability of spaces for children, lack of an orientation process to assist children and families as the child transitions into child care, limited overlap time between room shifts, and the challenge of hiring and maintaining consistent employees in this environment. With respect to the transition from hospital to home, including for children who've been in the newborn ICU, some concerns included the timing of distributing information to parents, sometimes as they transition to home, they feel overwhelmed by a lot of information given to them at one particular time, the existence of communication gaps among providers who are supporting the family and the child, the need for increased awareness of available resources to families such as public health nurse home visits, and also the need to expand support for newborn ICU parents after they have transitioned home with their child. Finally, with regard to the entry to preschool or kindergarten, individuals talked about the importance of using best practices for managing transitions, the challenge that teachers have in dealing with differing ability levels of children in the same classroom or trying to decrease behavioral issues, and the need for using developmentally appropriate programming approaches with children in the early years. In focus group conversations, participants also highlighted that early intervention staff provide a key link in helping children transition between settings that specialized service providers and support groups are key resources for children and families, but that coordinating access to services can be a struggle. With regard to entry into early intervention settings, participants suggested a need to cultivate parent awareness of key services, to support transition meetings between families and service providers, and to highlight existing transition support services such as the right track program, early intervention Part C resources, or available support groups. With regard to other early learning supports, access to support services can sometimes be limited by availability in rural areas or distance to reach a specialized provider. Parents also talked about the lack of communication that can exist between providers as a challenge and trying to navigate the differences in private versus public school settings with regard to support for particular services. The second major topic explored in the focus group conversations was successful strategies for navigating transitions across the early childhood care and education landscape. Four key strategies that were identified as critical to healthy transitions for young children included. First, continuity of care across settings. Second, communication across different settings. Third, child trauma training for providers to enhance ability to assist children and families. And fourth, using a systematic process as children experience transitions to help manage the experience. Our nursing parents suggested a variety of applicable strategies for easing the transition experience for young children. First, to promote continuity of care across settings. Use strategies such as conducting a daily or weekly check-in at the beginning of a transition experience. Encourage the previous provider to be present when the transition to a new provider takes place, such as with a pediatrician. And seek continuity of care for different children in the same household, such as having the same preschool teacher for multiple siblings. To foster communication across settings, facilitate parent-to-parent connections for sharing information. Also, increase communication about transitions that are occurring between settings, and perhaps track children who transition out of early intervention at age three to enhance support if it is needed. Other useful strategies for easing the transition experience were also suggested. With enhanced child trauma training for providers, this can help to support mental health issues of parents, identify trauma in parents or children due to circumstances like exposure to violence, and give added support to children with trauma or health issues. Additionally, using a structured or systematic process when a transition occurs might include examples such as a back-to-school night or open house to link staff, children and families, providing an orientation experience or program, such as kindergarten orientation, or focusing on small routine connections with families, such as regular text updates on a child. As examples of what the focus group participants said about the importance of assisting with healthy transitions, two different individuals had this to say about teachers' roles in such transitions. One professional commented on teachers working with kids in the transition to kindergarten. They are working with kids at their levels the best that they can, grouping them into different groups so that they're at the group they need to be in. There are kids coming into the classroom, in my opinion, with more needs emotionally and academically than I've seen in a long time. Another participant observed about teachers adjusting to each child's needs, I talk with my teachers a lot about it. Yes, we all have a great deal of experience working with children, but not this particular child. We have to be able to step back and listen and hear that information and be able to adjust what we're doing. Parents and early childhood professionals also shared some of the specific challenges that exist in coordinating transitions and services among agencies and community programs. Support for children and families experiencing transitions is complicated by the issue of childcare shortages and a few other limitations across the early childhood system. In our focus groups, participants noted one key issue is the limited range of options for affordable childcare, including free or low-cost preschool. A related concern is challenges with early childhood staffing, such as staff turnover or limited time with kids, which decreases support for transitions. Also, a variety of policies may exist in early childhood settings that complicate support for transitions, such as the required removal of a child for behavior concerns rather than managing the behavior or other examples. All of these deserve some attention in seeking to improve healthy transitions for children. Additional feedback shared by parents and professionals on challenges in coordinating services and supporting transitions focused on complications from provider issues in the support system across early childhood, resource limitations, and lack of caregiver follow-through in accessing supportive services. For example, a shortage of qualified support providers can make extending support and transitions much more complicated. Some areas in this state lack specialized care providers as supportive options for some children with particular healthcare needs, such as mental health issues or identified developmental challenges. Also, the requirements for staff to specialize, such as with speech language assistance training, can be quite challenging and result in resource limitations. In some areas, there are limited resources for English as a second language families who are needing assistance with transition issues. Also, parents may not follow through in accessing services, even if they have qualified for support through a particular system in early childhood. A third thing that emerged regarding challenges and facilitating support for transitions and coordinating services is simply that location and access matters in this state. Distance between care settings in the community and program serving children can be an obstacle to giving families access to needed services or coordinating support across settings. In the western portion of North Dakota, early childhood support services are more scarce, and sometimes families must travel a significant distance to access recommended services for a child with particular needs. Similarly, in many rural areas, families are more isolated, and the rural nature and climate of the state makes it difficult to reach helpful transition supports or to coordinate such services for families. Also, there are some economic or resource barriers families experience that can limit access or participation and opportunities to support children with transitions, such as financial challenges, whether transportation or other concerns. The voices of North Dakota parents and professionals suggest many challenges in providing access and coordinating support for healthy transitions. But most importantly, despite the range of challenges or difficulties, they emphasize that communication and coordination efforts make a meaningful difference. As one professional noted on the communication gap between parents and care providers, I think communication is so important, particularly for parents. We need to know the child to answer the questions by the parents, about willingness to be open and share on both sides. The fourth major topic explored in the focus groups on transition issues was the topic of shortcomings or concerns in the current early childhood system with regard to supporting children and families with transitions. When we discussed this topic with parents and professionals, these are the items they indicated as important concerns in the early childhood system with regard to supporting healthy transitions. First, there is often a broken bridge between support settings for children and families, meaning lack of communication or coordination. Second, teachers are often overwhelmed with challenges. Third, there may sometimes be a stigma related to service usage among families. And finally, the concern of budget shortages in early childhood settings that limit resources or supports. All of these can make supporting healthy transitions more difficult. Many recommendations were offered that are beyond the scope of this discussion, but let's discuss each in a bit more detail with an example or two. Parents and professionals first identified the concern of a broken bridge between settings, indicating that too often, not enough of a bridge process exists between services or programs and childcare or school settings. As an example, there may not be much coordination when a child goes from Head Start and its supports to early childhood special education in a school system. Or there may not be much coordination between a child's preschool nurse and a pediatrician when there are health concerns. Parents are concerned when a lack of communication exists across care settings because transitions are made more difficult when a new teacher or provider is not informed of the child's specific needs. Participants indicated that they felt services or programs were often not adequately communicating with each other during transition periods. A sample recommendation, however, was that if a child is transitioning to a new setting or working with a new teacher or provider, those involved can communicate and hold a meeting a couple of weeks ahead with previous staff, new staff, and parents to support the child's needs and transition. Parents and professionals also indicated the primary concern that teachers of young children are often being overwhelmed with a variety of challenges. Specifically in a preschool or other early childhood setting with children ages birth to five, teachers often are overwhelmed due to large class sizes and the increasing needs of children who require special services, which makes providing support during transitions more difficult. Based on the needs of the child, more teachers or paraprofessionals may be needed for some children than for others. This process of managing child needs can be overwhelming for teachers if they have multiple high needs students and limited paraprofessionals to aid in their support for children who have particular needs. A sample recommendation was that if, for example, a child requires services defined by their IEP, that teachers and parents use simple communication tools to facilitate regular information sharing during the initial transition period as a child becomes familiar with a new environment. Another concern addressed by parents and professionals was the issue of stigma regarding accessing and using available services for some families. In their feedback, it was noted that stigma exists for some family members around accessing or using available programs or services that could assist a child with transitions. For example, a parent may refuse to use the Women Infants Children Food Assistance Program because of stigma associated with being unable to feed themselves. Other specific examples include that parents or family members may be shy, uncertain, fearful, uninterested, cautious or embarrassed about asking questions or accessing community resources. Additionally, many programs and services to assist families with challenges such as for mental health or chemical dependency are provided on a voluntary basis but individuals may decline or limit their involvement due to particular attitudes, such as a desire for privacy or stigma about seeking help. Parents or family members may also be reluctant to impose on the time availability of staff in early childhood settings who are busy or overworked. A sample recommendation was to focus on making a personal connection with the parent, thereby increasing the person's comfort level and familiarity, which may counteract attitude barriers when offering or inviting opportunities or supports that can ease transitions. A final topic of concern was that parents and professionals felt that budget shortages in early childhood settings decreased the influence of transition supports for families. Specifically, they noted that although suitable transition easing programs that provide valuable information and support to families are available in the state, budget limitations or reductions have decreased their impact on families and communities. As an example, programs such as gearing up for kindergarten were discussed with high regard by parents, teachers and parent educators. However, due to state budget cuts, many communities are not able to afford funding for running the program that helps in the transition to kindergarten. A sample recommendation was that parents and early childhood professionals would like to see fully funded preschools in the state which would help alleviate the education gap between more limited resource families and higher resource families. A final topic explored in the focus group and survey on transitions focused on awareness and preferences related to transition resources and supports. 175 transition survey participants were asked to indicate the individuals or information sources that helped them as they experienced transitions with their child to new settings and which they most preferred. The results showed three distinct patterns. First, in the major category, parents of young children showed clear preferences for two particular sources, teachers and family members. The most preferred option was teachers in early childhood settings, including preschool, early intervention home visitors or in school systems. Next, family members were most preferred for transition supports. Next in the medium category, the most helpful transition resources were friends and childcare providers. Finally, in the minor category, those preferred were online sources, health professionals such as nurses or occupational therapists and community events or classes through any issue extension or other sources. All of these transition resources can be useful, but it is wise to collaborate with those valued most by families with young children. In the focus group discussions, this final topic of exploration focused on awareness of current transition resources in the early childhood context. Participants indicated that they had very limited knowledge of current transition resources and further mentioned they would encourage a significant improvement to be made in the promotion and marketing of such materials in order to increase awareness. We will highlight the key points that were raised briefly. Parents and professionals were candid about their limited awareness of particular transition resources and supports. For example, one parent noted, I wouldn't know the first step about going to special needs services for a six month old right now. If it weren't for going in for monthly checkups to the hospital, I would not have the slightest clue to be honest. Participants shared a range of ideas related to increasing awareness of current transition resources for those raising young children. We found in the focus group conversations that limited awareness of current transition resources, including those within the state was common. In particular, certain target populations may lack awareness of resources and would benefit from targeted information, such as families that recently moved to a new area, families that may be ineligible for a particular program, tribal communities and other minority communities, areas that lack services or trained staff or dual language populations. Effective strategies to increase awareness could include collaborating and sharing information with teachers and childcare providers, connecting individuals to online resource websites, helping some community professionals become more aware of available resources, supporting transitions and expanding familiarity with state agency websites and resources. Parents and professionals further suggested a strong need to improve awareness and marketing of key transition resources and supports. Ideas shared by participants included, use key access points for families, such as teachers or childcare centers where networking and sharing occurs, to increase specific reminders about transition activities by using a digital reminder, such as emails or texts, provide a calendar with transition related activities, link online websites to local resources or opportunities and share it via social media, increase communication about resources for supporting transitions among early childhood and pediatric healthcare professionals, encourage healthcare professionals in disseminating local resources during wellness checkups and use online and digital technologies to contact families, share resources and raise awareness. To further promote available transition resources, participants offered up brief strategies including usage of social media, ads or apps and partnering with anti-issue extension and the broad early childhood community. In summarizing this topic, one mother noted, I think there are a lot of services out there from birth up to preschool, but getting that information to the parent can be a real challenge. Offering support and assisting with transitions can be demanding, but such support for healthy transitions during a child's early years can make all the difference. This includes our exploration of the topic of transition issues and resources and early childhood settings in the state of North Dakota. In summary, the information included in this presentation provides a useful variety of feedback from parents and early childhood professionals on the topic of transition issues, challenges and resources in the state. We are grateful to those who participated in providing this information and also to those who reviewed it. Our hope is that parents, early childhood professionals and other stakeholders will find useful information for consideration in exploring issues and needs related to the topic of healthy transitions in early childhood in North Dakota. This project was made possible through a collaboration between the state of North Dakota, North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, anti-issue extension and the North Dakota Parent Education Network. Additionally, we extend our appreciation to the parents and early childhood professionals who participated in this project. Their insight and perspective on the topic of transitions and related activities provided valuable contributions regarding the existing issues, challenges, strategies and resources in North Dakota. For further information and to access other resources on this or related topics, contact the State Office of Early Learning or anti-issue extension.