More than 40 advocates for young children brought ideas, opportunity, and enthusiasm to the Herr Research Center's inaugural Midwest Policy Conference held Oct. 18, 2006.

The event drew participants from Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois. Service providers, scholars, legislators, and leaders from advocacy groups, state and local agencies, and foundations that support early childhood programs took part.

The meeting introduced director Eboni Howard and the Herr Center staff and reviewed the research projects already underway.

Howard, who holds the Frances Stott Chair in Child Development and Social Policy, noted that there is general agreement that young children are worthy of public investment, she noted. “The critical challenge—an our task here at the center—is to determine how to capitalize on current knowledge of child development and mobilize collective resources to ensure better health, educational, and developmental outcomes,” she told the crowd.

State-by-state overviews of opportunities, challenges, and successes were provided by Jill Haglund of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction; Susan Miller of Early Learning Michigan; and Margie Wallen of the Ounce of Prevention Fund in Illinois.

Common themes emerged around the need for:

• longitudinal data on the impact of policies;
• high-quality research reported in easily digested forms;
• collaborations within and across states; and
• additional funding for early care and education.

The event concluded with a talk by Joan Lombardi, Ph.D., director of the Children's Project and former associate commissioner for child care in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She gave an overview of major concerns for young children in America as well as future policy directions. Howard moderated a follow-up discussion that touched on ways to address many of those concerns.