Report on Preschool Programs articles from August 2004

Report on Preschool Programs archives from August 2004

The Senate's human service and education panel may get a new chairman in 2005, even if Republicans keep control of the Senate, advocates say.(Slants And Trends)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2004... THE SENATE'S HUMAN SERVICE AND education panel may get a new chairman in 2005, even if Republicans keep control of the Senate, advocates say. Under one scenario, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) would step down as chairman of the Health, Education,...

While action on Head Start and child care remain stalled in Washington, D.C., states continue to buck the trend by proposing new initiatives.(lawmakings to expand preschool service)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2004... WHILE ACTION ON HEAD START AND child care remain stalled in Washington, D.C., states continue to buck the trend by proposing new initiatives. The latest examples are Hawaii and New Jersey, where lawmakers have new plans to expand preschool...

Family child care rolls drop amid higher fees, low pay.(reports of the loss of nearly 10,000 family child care homes this year)
August 11, 2004... States are reporting a loss of nearly 10,000 family child care homes this year, the second consecutive decline that experts attribute largely to higher licensing fees and the need for providers to find higher-paid jobs. The 3 percent...

Junior kindergartens highlight new Hawaii education plans.
August 11, 2004... Hawaii is planning to create junior kindergartens statewide for older 4-year-olds and young 5-year-olds as part of a plan to raise the age for entry into regular kindergarten. Gov. Linda Lingle (R) last month signed off on the plan, which...

Educators' group offers blueprint on preschool teacher training.
August 11, 2004... Colleges that specialize in teacher education are proposing major changes in the way the U.S. prepares its early childhood instructors. While other sectors of education require specialized degrees, preschool instructors have an uneven...

New vaccine progress leads U.S. to top coverage rate.(child immunization rates at record high levels)
August 11, 2004... U.S. child immunization rates are at record high levels, with major increases in the number of children receiving newer vaccines to combat chickenpox and pneumonia. Nearly 85 percent of infants and toddlers had received the chickenpox...

The U.S. Education Department.(Funding)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2004... * The U.S. Education Department has $4.3 million in new grants to improve services and results for disabled children with behavior problems. Those eligible for grants include state and local education agencies, colleges and universities;...

National service programs.(Funding)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2004... * National service programs face a small cutback next year under a 2005 spending bill to clear the House Appropriations Committee. The bill provides $572 million, $9 million below last year and $70 million below President Bush's request....

The Consumer Product.(Funding)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2004... * The Consumer Product Safety Commission, which monitors products for infants and young children, would receive a small funding increase next year. A bill approved by the House Appropriations Committee would provide $60 million, $3 million...

New Jersey funds new initiative to broaden pre-k offerings.
August 11, 2004... With its court-ordered pre-k programs growing, New Jersey has new plans to expand its preschool commitments to both poor and non-poor children in the Garden State. Gov. Jim McGreevey (D) and state legislators are funding the Early Launch...

Domestic violence prevention grants target young children, youth.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2004... The federal government is offering $2.2 million for new grants to combat the effects of domestic violence on youth, including young children. The Department of Health and Human Services plans to award up to 30 grants in phase one of the...

Foundation funding.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2004... FOUNDATION FUNDING: The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is currently accepting unsolicited letters of inquiry for new grants. The foundation awards grants in community improvements, education (including Head Start) and the environment. For...

Few Pennsylvania programs meet quality early literacy standards.(child care programs not meeting the quality standards)
August 11, 2004... Fewer than 10 percent of child care programs in western Pennsylvania meet quality standards on early literacy as outlined by national and state experts, new research shows. Only 77 of 938 regulated child care programs, or 8 percent, have...

HHS seeks grantee for operation of child development fellowships.(United States. Department of Health and Human Services)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2004... The Administration for Children and Families is looking for an agency to administer its Child Development Research Fellowship program that brings academic researchers to the nation's capital to work on Head Start and child care issues. ACF...

Videos available.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2004... VIDEOS AVAILABLE: Developing the Young Bilingual Learner is a video to serve young children with a first language other than English. The resource is $42 for members and $46 for nonmembers from the National Association for the Education of...

After-school programs deserve more time, attention: institute.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2004... Despite White House calls for budget cuts, federally funded after-school programs hold promise to meet the needs of families with children in the hours after the regular school day ends. So says a Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) scholar...

Sen. John Kerry.(accepts the Democratic party nomination for president July 29)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2004... * Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) praised Head Start in his speech accepting the Democratic party nomination for president July 29. While working as a Massachusetts prosecutor, he said he encountered many youth who needed assistance from those other...

A South Texas.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2004... * A South Texas Community Action Agency has won a national award for projects that include the only maternity clinic in a four-county area. Community Action Council of South Texas in Rio Grande City is a winner of the 2004 Award for Excellence...

About half of all uninsured children failed to receive a well-child visit during the past year, a new study says.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2004... * About half of all uninsured children failed to receive a well-child visit during the past year, a new study says. Overall, uninsured children are nine times less likely than insured children to have a regular source of medical care such as a...

Half of the nation.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2004... * Half of the nation's schools will get less Title I money next year without action soon, House Democrats contend. While House Republicans are proposing $1 billion more for Title I next year, some schools will lose ground thanks to new Census...

The Bush administration has awarded $42.9 million in new grants under the Compassion Capital Fund, designed to involve more faith- and community-based organizations in social service programs.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2004... * The Bush administration has awarded $42.9 million in new grants under the Compassion Capital Fund, designed to involve more faith- and community-based organizations in social service programs. The awards include $6.9 million in new grants to...

President Bush also is providing $45.6 million in new grants to mentor children of prisoners.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2004... * President Bush also is providing $45.6 million in new grants to mentor children of prisoners. About 2 million children have at least one incarcerated parent, the Department of Health and Human Services says. More than 160 grantees will...

The federal Head Start Bureau is looking for a new grantee in Lake County, Oregon.(federal Head Start Bureau)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2004... * The federal Head Start Bureau is looking for a new grantee in Lake County, Oregon. About $205,000 is available for the program; the previous grantee served 24 children. Application deadline is Oct. 7. For more information, visit the Web at...

Head start programs are among the first recipients.(Slants and Trends)(disaster relief)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... HEAD START PROGRAMS ARE AMONG the first recipients of federal aid following the devastation caused by Hurricane Charley in Florida. The Department of Health and Human Services is pledging $10 million in emergency onetime grants to Head Start...

All congressional panels get back.(Slants and Trends)(Congressional sessions to work on various welfare reform bills)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... ALL CONGRESSIONAL PANELS GET BACK to work in early September, but few human service advocates expect action soon on Head Start renewal or child care funding. Lawmakers already have a backlog of domestic issues, including a welfare reform bill...

Parents as teachers uses toys to expand shelter efforts.(Parents as Teachers National Center)
August 25, 2004... Most early childhood practitioners recognize that play promotes learning. Now one of the nation's landmark parent education programs is hoping that some quality toys will spur learning in homeless shelters. The Parents as Teachers National...

Commission seeks new recall of child shoes, bike helmets.(Consumer Product Safety Commission)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has added two children's products to its recall list this month due to potential safety hazards. Nike is recalling about 9,000 children's sneakers marketed under the names Get-Go and Little...

Florida programs try rebuilding from Hurricane Charley damage.
August 25, 2004... Hard hit by Hurricane Charley, Florida's Head Start programs are struggling to get back on their feet in time for the traditional start of the new academic year. Programs in southwest Florida suffered the most damage, local and state...

Market project.
August 25, 2004... MARKET PROJECT: Child care referrals and nutrition counseling are part of a new Administration for Children and Families initiative to create public markets in low-income communities. Such markets would include vendors as well as information...

Teachers: pre-k provides benefits for kindergarten.(preschool programs)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... Children who attended a pre-kindergarten or other preschool program are better prepared for their first year of school than children without such access, kindergarten teachers say. About two-thirds of all teachers said children who attended...

Outreach helps unwed couples prepare for marriage, HHS says.(Department of Health and Human Services)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... Creative outreach can help unwed parents move toward healthy marriage, says a new study touted by the Bush administration, which is seeking more support for such programming. Unwed parents want more information about how to build healthy...

HHS seeking head start grantees for Kansas, Nebraska programs.(Department of Health and Human Services)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... The Department of Health and Human Services is looking for new Head Start grantees in Kansas and Nebraska. HHS' Administration for Children and Families is seeking applications to serve preschoolers in Barton, Pawnee and Rice counties in...

IRS plans stricter enforcement of nonprofit salary packages.(Internal Revenue Service)
August 25, 2004... Already under greater scrutiny for high salaries, managers of child development programs may face Internal Revenue Service questions as part of the agency's new enforcement effort with the nation's nonprofits. The IRS in August said it...

Sarbanes proposes new outreach to help with eye treatment.(Paul S. Sarbanes' Children's Access to Vision Act)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... Citing a gap in the nation's health care system, Maryland senator is proposing at least $75 million year in new funding to provide young children with glasses and other eye treatments. Thirty states screen young children for vision problems...

Firm's new campaign promotes more books for young children.(TD Waterhouse USA teamed with First Book launched online campaign)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... One of the nation's leading companies is launching an online book drive to provide disadvantaged young children with reading materials. TD Waterhouse USA is working with First Book, a national nonprofit organization, to help low-income...

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) is proposing a bill with major criminal penalties for those who seek exorbitant profits from facilitating the adoption of newborns.(New Bills)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... * Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) is proposing a bill with major criminal penalties for those who seek exorbitant profits from facilitating the adoption of newborns. Under Clinton's Baby Selling Prohibition Act of 2004, individuals would...

Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) are proposing legislation to give states more flexibility to use unexpended allotments under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).(New Bills)(Children's Health Protection and Improvement Act)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... * Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) are proposing legislation to give states more flexibility to use unexpended allotments under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The Children's Health Protection...

Two House Republicans and one Democrat are calling for a new Federal Youth Development Council to coordinate the 355 federal government programs that potentially affect children and youth.(New Bills)(Tom Osborne, Pete Hoekstra, Harold Ford Jr.)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... * Two House Republicans and one Democrat are calling for a new Federal Youth Development Council to coordinate the 355 federal government programs that potentially affect children and youth. Reps. Tom Osborne (R-Neb.), Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.)...

New house proposal provides bank accounts for newborns.(America Savings for Personal Investment, Retirement and Education Act)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... Newborns each would receive a $500 savings account from the federal government if legislation proposed by a House Democrat and Republican becomes law. The America Savings for Personal Investment, Retirement and Education (ASPIRE) Act would...

Grandfathers are joining grandmothers in providing considerable child care for their grandchildren.(Research)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... * Grandfathers are joining grandmothers in providing considerable child care for their grandchildren, a Washington, D.C., organization says. While 54 percent of grandmothers provide some child care, about 38 percent of grandfathers also perform...

The conservative Cato Institute has published a new study critical of federal investments in education, calling them ineffective.(Research)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... * The conservative Cato Institute has published a new study critical of federal investments in education, calling them ineffective. In A Lesson in Waste: Where Does All the Federal Education Money Go, author Neal McCluskey says major federal...

Food stamp caseloads have increased 42 percent since July 2000.(Research)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... * Food stamp caseloads have increased 42 percent since July 2000, largely because more families qualify for aid due to long-term joblessness, says the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. In many cases, these families have a parent who has...

Play is a major factor in brain development for children from birth through age 14.(Resources)(ACEI Speaks: Play's Role in Brain Development)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... * Play is a major factor in brain development for children from birth through age 14, the Association for Childhood Education International says in a new brochure. ACEI Speaks: Play's Role in Brain Development examines the relationship between...

ACEI also has available a new guide.(Resources)(Association for Childhood Education International's Chinese American Children & Families, A Guide for Educators and Service Providers)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... * ACEI also has available a new guide, Chinese American Children & Families, A Guide for Educators and Service Providers. While the book focuses specifically on Chinese youngsters and families, it also includes information on dealing with...

100 Small-Group Experiences.(Resources)(100 Small-Group Experiences: The Teacher's Idea Book 3 from High/Scope Educational Research Foundation)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... * 100 Small-Group Experiences: The Teacher's Idea Book 3 is $25.95 from: High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, 600 N. River St., Ypsilanti, MI 48198-2898; www.highscope.org.

The Pentagon plans to close its child care center this fall due to security concerns.(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... * The Pentagon plans to close its child care center this fall due to security concerns. More than 100 children use the center, located in a building on the center's north parking lot. Officials had closed the facility after the Sept. 11, 2001...

Most major school districts earned mediocre scores on school lunch quality in a new analysis from a physicians' group.(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... * Most major school districts earned mediocre scores on school lunch quality in a new analysis from a physicians' group. Six of 11 school districts earned Cs, while Baltimore had a D and Albuquerque, N.M., got an F on the School Lunch Report...

A father and mother have received prison terms in Louisiana for assaulting their 4-month-old child.(Steven Hiett, Trini Hiett)(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... * A father and mother have received prison terms in Louisiana for assaulting their 4-month-old child. Steven Hiett, 26, and Trini Hiett, 29, were found guilty of assaulting their daughter, who suffered three broken ribs and a broken knee....

The Corporation for National and Community Service is proposing amendments to its regulations and to add rules on sustainability.(Brief Article)
August 25, 2004... * The Corporation for National and Community Service is proposing amendments to its regulations and to add rules on sustainability, performance measures, evaluation and capacity building activities. The corporation is the headquarters for...