Nevada Pre-Kindergarten Standards

Nevada’s Early Childhood Comprehensive System
Due to limited resources, early childhood programs have traditionally operated in “silos” across the country depending on the variety of funding
streams. In 2007, Congress approved legislation requiring each state to create or designate a “state advisory council” to build a statewide system of
early education and care for children. As information about the importance of high-quality early education and care has grown, so, too, have federal,
state and local government investments in early childhood programs. Therefore, these silos have developed separately with program-specific regulations,
funding streams, delivery systems, eligibility requirements, professional development systems, and accountability measures. As programs grow
in number and complexity, states and localities are challenged to create the greatest value for limited public dollars while expanding access and
ensuring program quality to create the greatest benefit for young children (PreKNow 2009).
Efforts to develop an Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) in Nevada were funded in part by a grant from the National Governors Association
submitted last spring by Governor Gibbons’ D.C. office. In September 2009, Governor Gibbons signed an executive order establishing Nevada’s
Early Childhood Advisory Council and empowering the DHHS Director’s Office as the appointing authority. Nevada’s ECAC consists of 13 members,
including required representatives from the Head Start Act. The graph below represents the components of a comprehensive early childhood system,
while the graph on the following page identifies all of the different agencies, programs, and funding streams that must work together to best
serve young children and families in Nevada.
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