Report on Preschool Programs articles from January 2006

Report on Preschool Programs archives from January 2006

Final (almost) welfare plan.(child welfare)(Brief Article)
January 11, 2006... FINAL (ALMOST) WELFARE PLAN Congress approved a sweeping reform of welfare in late December, a move that would mean major changes for child care. But the issue is not quite settled yet due to some unusual parliamentary maneuvering. Before...

More changes coming?(John Boehner, Roy Blunt)(Brief Article)
January 11, 2006... MORE CHANGES COMING? A congressional shake-up on education and human services is looming if Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) gets his way. Currently chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee, Boehner is one of two candidates running for...

Final spending bills cut 1 percent from child care, other programs.
January 11, 2006... Head Start, child care and early childhood special education all will receive small cutbacks in 2006 under a new law that will cut domestic discretionary programs by 1 percent. House and Senate GOP leaders added the cuts to a bill that...

Congress approves welfare changes, though one key vote still remains.
January 11, 2006... Congress has approved legislation that would dramatically alter the structure of welfare programs nationwide and place new pressures on public aid recipients to find jobs and child care. A deficit reduction bill cleared by the House and the...

Study: kids show stronger gains in full-day preschool programs.
January 11, 2006... Children in a full-day, extended-year preschool show more impressive educational gains than youngsters in half-day programs, a new study finds. Preschoolers in an eight-hour, daily public school program outperformed the other children in...

Head Start Bureau offers new funds for California, Puerto Rico projects.
January 11, 2006... The Head Start Bureau is reopening for competition six child development service projects in Puerto Rico and two in California, with applications due March 8. In California, the bureau is seeking replacement grantees for both Head Start...

Funds for conference.(Brief Article)
January 11, 2006... FUNDS FOR CONFERENCE: The Administration on Children, Youth and Families is offering funds to grantees that want to attend the Second National Head Start Hispanic Institute in Denver Feb. 27-March 3. ACYF will offer grants of up to $2,000 for...

Pre-K advocates may find gains by proposing ballot initiatives.
January 11, 2006... Ballot initiatives and referendums that ask voters to approve new spending are an effective way to gain support for early care and education programs, a new study says. The report from the National Women's Law Center examined 13 separate...

New CDC schedule.
January 11, 2006... NEW CDC SCHEDULE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has unveiled its 2006 Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule with some changes in recommended children's vaccines. For young children, the major change is that CDC...

Title I holds promise for funding of early childhood initiatives.
January 11, 2006... With federal early childhood programs receiving no increases for 2006, service providers should look to the Education Department's Title I program as a potential source of funding for preschool programs, policy experts say. Title I is "a...

HHS offers head start videos.
January 11, 2006... In recognition of Head Start's 40th anniversary, the Department of Health and Human Services has available six different videos that explore the development of the program and its outcomes. Videos may be viewed with subtitles in English or...

GOP, democratic women join forces to seek more after-school funding.
January 11, 2006... In a nod to bipartisanship early in the new year, the Senate's 12 female members are asking President Bush to increase federal funding for after-school programs in his 2007 budget plan set for unveiling later this winter. Every $1 invested...

Maturity, preschool experience guide parents' kindergarten decisions.
January 11, 2006... A child's maturity and past preschool experience are often more important factors than parent work schedules when families decide whether to send a child to full-day kindergarten, a researcher says. In a Midwest community where parents had...

The Corporation for National and Community Service has $500,000 available for national organizations to promote training and conference management for community groups, local governments and faith-based organizations.(BRIEFLY NOTED)
January 11, 2006... The Corporation for National and Community Service has $500,000 available for national organizations to promote training and conference management for community groups, local governments and faith-based organizations. Deadline is Jan. 25....

Nominations for outstanding library programs are due Feb. 15 for the 2006 National Awards for Museum and Library Service.(BRIEFLY NOTED)
January 11, 2006... Nominations for outstanding library programs are due Feb. 15 for the 2006 National Awards for Museum and Library Service. Winners each receive $10,000 and are recognized at a Washington, D.C., ceremony. Contact:...

The National PTA is launching "Three for Me," a program to help Hispanic parents work with their children.(BRIEFLY NOTED)
January 11, 2006... The National PTA is launching "Three for Me," a program to help Hispanic parents work with their children. Resources and ideas are available at www.three4me.com. Contact: (800) 307-4782, www.pta.org.

Calendar.(Calendar)
January 11, 2006... * The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies will hold a policy symposium, Core Values, Changing Needs, New Approaches, Feb. 21-25 in Washington. Contact: NACCRRA, (703) 341-4100, www.naccrra.org/symposium/. *...

Powerful Magic: Learning from Children's Responses to Fantasy Literature, by Nina Mikkelsen, shows how children can enjoy literature, particularly works of fantasy.(Resources)
January 11, 2006... Powerful Magic: Learning from Children's Responses to Fantasy Literature, by Nina Mikkelsen, shows how children can enjoy literature, particularly works of fantasy. The book is $26.95 from Teachers College Press, (800) 575-6566,...

The Anti-Bullying and Testing Book for Preschool Classrooms shows how activities, the class environment and family involvement can help create a climate of mutual respect.(Resources)
January 11, 2006... The Anti-Bullying and Testing Book for Preschool Classrooms shows how activities, the class environment and family involvement can help create a climate of mutual respect. The book is $14.95 from Gryphon House, 1-800-638-0928, www.ghbooks.com....

Math Activities A to Z has activities for children ages 1 to 5, grouped around theme-based projects for use by teachers and parents.(Resources)
January 11, 2006... Math Activities A to Z has activities for children ages 1 to 5, grouped around theme-based projects for use by teachers and parents. The book is $15.95 from Gryphon House, (301) 595-9500, www.gryphonhouse.com.

Caring for Children in Family Child Care is a training program for child care providers who care for children from birth through school age.(Resources)
January 11, 2006... Caring for Children in Family Child Care is a training program for child care providers who care for children from birth through school age. Volume one and volume two each are $34.95 from Teaching Strategies at (800) 637-3652, www.Teaching...

Getting down to business.(Slants & Trends)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2006... GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS. Though some lawmakers remain on vacation, expect fireworks beginning Jan. 31 when the House of Represen-tatives returns from holiday recess to consider far-reaching changes to welfare and children's programs. Due to a...

Back to the beginning.(Slants & Trends)
January 25, 2006... BACK TO THE BEGINNING While the dust still is settling on fiscal 2006 budget issues, President Bush soon will make his human service funding request for fiscal year 2007. Feb. 6 is the date for the White House to present budget plans for all...

ACF offers five new grants to fund head start projects.(Funding Opportunities)
January 25, 2006... The Administration for Children and Families is offering more than $20 million to potential grantees for new Head Start projects. ACF has $14.6 million available in Franklin County, Ohio, to serve 2,404 children in Head Start programs. The...

New grants would help develop family child care businesses.(Funding Opportunities)
January 25, 2006... The Department of Health and Human Services has $5 million in new grants available to promote family child care or other self-employment opportunities for low income individuals. Nonprofits are eligible for funds, which are to help prepare...

Project seeks early literacy gains for disabled through new grant.(Funding Opportunities)
January 25, 2006... The Education Department is offering an $800,000 grant to operate a technical assistance center on early literacy and language development for disabled preschoolers. Application deadline is Feb. 27 for a Technical Assistance Center on...

Months after Katrina, Mississippi struggles to rebuild child care.(Funding Opportunities)
January 25, 2006... More than four months after Hurricane Katrina, an early childhood expert in Mississippi has a message for preschool advocates: "Don't forget about us." Though some centers have reopened in the storm-ravaged coastal region of the state,...

Lawmaker seeks poverty analyses for most new legislative plans.(Funding Opportunities)
January 25, 2006... A California lawmaker wants some bills before Congress to come with a special "poverty income statement" that would assess the effects of the plan on poor individuals and families. The plan by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) would require the...

New Ed. Dept. funds target early reading activities.(Funding Opportunities)
January 25, 2006... Schools and community organizations with interest and expertise in early childhood pre-literacy activities can seek $102 million in new Education Department funding. Grants are available under Early Reading First, the preschool component...

HHS is updating.(Funding Opportunities)
January 25, 2006... HHS is updating its poverty guidelines to account for 2005 increases in the Consumer Price Index. See the Jan. 24 Federal Register, p. 3848. Contact: Office of Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, HHS, 200 Independence Ave. SW,...

Kids in Georgia's Pre-K model show greater gains in school.(Funding Opportunities)
January 25, 2006... Children who participated in Georgia's state-funded pre-k program showed impressive gains by first grade, with many overcoming skill deficiencies and most either reaching or exceeding national norms in key areas, a new study says. Georgia...

The Violence Against Women Act of 2005.
January 25, 2006... THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT OF 2005 provides for federal grants for: * development of collaborative community and system responses to families in which there is both child maltreatment and domestic violence or dating violence; *...

Judge's ruling proposes expansion of South Carolina preschools.(Brief Article)
January 25, 2006... South Carolina is not providing an adequate education in poor school districts largely due to the lack of early childhood education programs, a judge has ruled. Concluding a decade-long court case, Judge Thomas Cooper ruled that students...

Gulf Coast funds.
January 25, 2006... GULF COAST FUNDS: Nonprofit groups can apply for $50,000 in "critical temporary support" to deal with hurricane damage in the Gulf Coast. Applications are due Jan. 31 to Foundation for the Mid South, (601) 355-8167, www.fndmidsouth.org.

Final spending bill provides extension of Head Start regs.
January 25, 2006... Head Start agencies will get more time to meet new federal transportation rules thanks to the recently enacted 2006 human service spending bill. A provision in that legislation extends until June 30 the deadline by which all Head Start...

Upcoming meeting.(Calendar)
January 25, 2006... UPCOMING MEETING: The Southern Early Childhood Association will meet Feb. 1-4 in Nashville, Tenn. Contact: SECA, (800) 305-7322, www.southernearlychildhood.org.

Janus Foundation funds.
January 25, 2006... JANUS FOUNDATION FUNDS: Applications are accepted throughout the year for grants to nonprofits for education projects for at-risk children and community service activities. Contact: www.janus.com/downloads/janushome/pdf/GrantA pplication.pdf.

Study documents computer trends among preschoolers in child care.
January 25, 2006... Preschool children begin using computers in child care centers between ages 2 and 4, regardless of socioeconomic status, two researchers say. In a survey of directors at licensed child care programs, respondents said the most important...

The number of infants who die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome increases during the cold winter months, says the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
January 25, 2006... The number of infants who die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome increases during the cold winter months, says the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. During winter, parents often place extra blankets or clothes in infants,...

The Administration on Children, Youth and Families has issued a new memorandum on the appropriate use of Head Start state collaboration office grants.
January 25, 2006... The Administration on Children, Youth and Families has issued a new memorandum on the appropriate use of Head Start state collaboration office grants. These grants must not be used to provide direct services to Head Start families or to provide...

The National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services will hold a meeting Jan. 29-31 in Washington, D.C.
January 25, 2006... The National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services will hold a meeting Jan. 29-31 in Washington, D.C. A morning session on Jan. 30 will focus on Head Start in rural communities. For more information, see the Jan. 9 Federal...

Inadvertently swallowing medicine is the most likely type of accident that results in a young child's hospitalization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.(Brief Article)
January 25, 2006... Inadvertently swallowing medicine is the most likely type of accident that results in a young child's hospitalization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. "Keeping medications out of the easy grasp of children 4 and younger in...

The Public Welfare Foundation is accepting applications on a rolling basis for grants to meet human needs in low income communities.(Brief Article)
January 25, 2006... The Public Welfare Foundation is accepting applications on a rolling basis for grants to meet human needs in low income communities. Projects can focus on service, advocacy and empowerment in areas such as youth, health and community...

States giving greater attention to increasing minimum wage.
January 25, 2006... Eighteen states have voted to raise the minimum wage beyond the current federal floor of $5.15 an hour, and early signs in 2006 point to more state activity on an issue that may affect some lower-paid child care workers. Pennsylvania Gov....

Poor schools spend much less.(Briefly Noted)
January 25, 2006... POOR SCHOOLS SPEND MUCH LESS. The nation's poorest school districts spend about $900 less per pupil than wealthier districts, says a new Education Trust report that sheds light on inequalities. In 27 of 49 states, districts serving the greatest...

Summer food service program.(Briefly Noted)
January 25, 2006... SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM. The Department of Agriculture has announced annual adjustments in reimbursement rates for meals served in the Summer Food Service Program. Changes reflect the current Consumer Price Index. The new rates took effect...

Infant care.(Resources)
January 25, 2006... INFANT CARE. The Complete Resource Book for Infants, by Pam Schiller, has more than 700 experiences and activities for infants from birth through 18 months of age. The book is $24.95 from Gryphon House, (301) 595-9500, www.gryphonhouse.com.

Transitioning.(Resources)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2006... TRANSITIONING. I Compagni: Understanding Children's Transition from Preschool to Elementary School, by William Corsaro and Luisa Molinari, covers the Reggio Emilia approach and describes the lives of young preschoolers in Modena, Italy. The...