Close Gaps by 5

Close Gaps by 5 is a nonprofit championing the use of targeted early education to close MN’s worst-in-the-nation achievement gaps by age 5.

Close Gaps by 5 is on a mission to ensure that Minnesota's system of early care and education strategies and investments fully prepares all young children - particularly those living in poverty - to enter kindergarten with the cognitive, social-emotional, physical and language skills they need for success in school, life and career. We do this by advocating for a system that includes: Parent Aware Ratings, which give parents information about early care and education program quality and supports quality improvement; and Early Learning Scholarships, which provide low­ income families with resources to access the quality program of their choice.

To be effective, we believe Minnesota’s early education policy must embody these core values... 

Help Low-Income Children First.  With limited state funding and many worthy causes vying for funding, we must prioritize resources to help the 40,000 low-income children all around the state who are a) most likely to fall into achievement gaps and b) unable to afford high quality programs. 

Help Low-Income Children Early.  With achievement gaps opening as early as age one, we must help the most at-risk low-income children access quality early learning programs as early as their parents see the need. 

Give Parents Flexibility.  We must offer parents options, so they can find a quality program that fits their location, work schedule, culture, and family preferences. We also need to ensure assistance is “portable,” so children don’t get cut off from early education whenever their location or income changes. 

Require Best Practices.  Because low quality programs can set kids back, we must guarantee that at-risk children are benefiting from the use of kindergarten-readiness best practices, as measured by the Parent Aware Ratings.  

While Close Gaps By 5 is open to any approach that embodies these values, the reality is that Minnesota’s ten-year old Early Learning Scholarship program is the only existing approach that does so. We also strongly support home-based parent coaching, and other approaches that empower parents. Finally, we want to reform existing policies to stretch existing early education investments and better support children and families.