Report on Preschool Programs articles from June 2004

Report on Preschool Programs archives from June 2004

Cuts ahead?(Slants And Trends)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... CUTS AHEAD? Democrat insiders are saying the White House is telling federal agencies to brace for cuts in 2006, with children's programs among the targets. A White House budget memo getting widespread attention raises the prospect of cuts...

A hot new children's issue.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... A HOT NEW CHILDREN'S ISSUE for Congress is campus child care, if new bills filed on Capitol Hill are any guide. New legislation in the House and Senate would provide up to $75 million to help meet the child care needs of college students....

House, Senate reach pact on 2005 budget priorities.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... House and Senate Republican leaders have agreed to a budget resolution for 2005 that would increase funds for special education and Title I but hold the line on most other education and human service programs. The budget pact has $81...

Bureau seeks more applications for new child care research.(federal Child Care Bureau)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... The federal Child Care Bureau is looking for new research projects that examine subsidy practices, child care quality and school readiness of young children, among other goals. The bureau has $2 million available for field-initiated...

Administration for Children and Families.(Grants)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... * The Administration for Children and Families has $400,000 available in new awards to help caregivers of drug- and HIV-exposed children. State, county and city governments are eligible for funds along with public colleges and other...

Head Start Bureau.(Grants)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... * The Head Start Bureau is seeking a new grantee to serve Laurel County, Kentucky. The previous grantee received $1.04 million to serve 180 children and families. Application deadline is July 15. Send applications to: ACYF Operations Center,...

Senate panel approves changes to expand CACFP's reach.(Child and Adult Care Food Program)
June 2, 2004... Legislation to improve the Child and Adult Care Food Program will go to the full Senate following favorable action in that chamber's Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee. Among other provisions, the bill would make permanent a...

NHSA makes new request for official's resignation.(National Head Start Association)
June 2, 2004... The National Head Start Association last week renewed its call for the resignation of Head Start Associate Commissioner Windy Hill, citing what it claims is new evidence of mismanagement during Hill's tenure at a Texas child development agency....

Worker bill plans new options for child care, job training.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... Unemployed Americans would get help with child care and job training under legislation proposed by House Republicans in late May. The Worker Reemployment Accounts Act would allow the unemployed to create personal reemployment accounts of up...

Demonstration grants.
June 2, 2004... DEMONSTRATION GRANTS: The Administration on Children, Youth and Families is offering demonstration grants for post-adoption services and marriage education. Goals are to promote innovative and high-quality post-adoption services. Another...

Healthy marriage site.
June 2, 2004... HEALTHY MARRIAGE SITE: The Department of Health and Human Services has started a healthy marriage Web site at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/ healthymarriage/. The site provides an overview of the administration's Healthy Marriage initiative along with...

House bill seeks major expansion of campus child care program.
June 2, 2004... Colleges with large numbers of students needing child care may benefit from new legislation in the House of Representatives. The bill from Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) would authorize $75 million a year for the Child Care Access Means Parents...

Asthma grant.(asthma assessment initiative to help children near the U.S./Mexico border)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... ASTHMA GRANT: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plan to support an asthma assessment initiative to help children near the U.S./Mexico border. CDC says $210,000 will go to the California Department of Health Services to support the...

Center: WIC-only stores pose challenge to program's future.(services for low-income families)
June 2, 2004... Despite a strong reputation of serving low-income families, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program may face problems due to a loophole that allows entrepreneurs to open WIC-only grocery stores with high food prices. "WIC-only stores...

Department of Housing and Urban Development.(Federal Register)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... * The Department of Housing and Urban Development May 14 announced $2.3 billion in grants under the SuperNOFA (Notice of Funding Availability) to promote community development. HUD has 49 separate funding opportunities covering 875 pages, with...

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.(Federal Register)
June 2, 2004... * The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has $600,000 for six to 12 awards for the planning phase of projects to prevent violence toward or among children, including child maltreatment, sexual violence and school violence. Eligible...

House bill has more tax breaks, but few for poor households.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... More families may get tax breaks under a new House-passed bill, even though critics claim that benefits may tilt heavily toward upper-income taxpayers. The House approved H.R. 4359, which would make permanent the $1,000 per-child tax...

The Bush administration.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... * The Bush administration has approved an Illinois plan to extend health care coverage to all low-income children under the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Illinois' plan for its KidCare program will allow service to children in...

The Father Factor.
June 2, 2004... * The Father Factor: National Head Start Institute on Father Involvement, is scheduled for June 14-18 in Dallas. Visit the Web at www.nccic.org.

The Administration for Children and Families.
June 2, 2004... * The Administration for Children and Families has an approved financial reporting form for the Child Care and Development Fund, beginning in the third quarter of fiscal 2004. For information, go to www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccb/policy1/...

The Department of Health and Human Services.(made grants to 30 Head Start innovation projects for one year of future planning)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... * The Department of Health and Human Services has made grants to 30 Head Start innovation projects for one year of future planning. Awards range from $51,000 to $100,000. Twelve of the projects will begin this spring with the remaining 18...

Kristine Cohn.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... * Kristine Cohn is the new representative of the U.S. education secretary in Region V, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Cohn was board chairman of Winnebago County, Illinois, and a school administrator...

The requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act do not represent an "unfunded man-date" for states and schools, the U.S. General Accounting Office says.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... * The requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act do not represent an "unfunded man-date" for states and schools, the U.S. General Accounting Office says. Education Department officials quickly seized on the findings to note that such...

The Parents as Teachers National Center.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... * The Parents as Teachers National Center has received grants from the Express Scripts Foundation, Interco Charitable Trust, SBC Foundation, March of Dimes and Toy Industry Foundation to promote early learning opportunities for children and...

Children of 2010 is a book of information, thoughts and ideas to promote a society more friendly to young children during this decade.(Resources)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... * Children of 2010 is a book of information, thoughts and ideas to promote a society more friendly to young children during this decade. The resource is $8 for members and $11 for nonmembers from: National Association for the Education of Young...

Teaching Movement & Dance: A Sequential Approach to Rhythmic Movement.(Resources)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... * Teaching Movement & Dance: A Sequential Approach to Rhythmic Movement, 5th Ed., is a teaching model for all ages that includes more than 100 beginner dances and instructions for introducing movement to children. The resource is $34.95 from:...

Building the Primary Classroom: A Complete Guide to Teaching and Learning.(Resources)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... * Building the Primary Classroom: A Complete Guide to Teaching and Learning by Toni Bickart, Judy Jablon and Diane Trister Dodge is a guide to help teachers build relationships with children and partnerships with families. The resource is...

Creative Educational Surplus has products for early childhood classrooms, including toys, art products and science resources.(Resources)(Creative Educational Surplus )(Brief Article)
June 2, 2004... * Creative Educational Surplus has products for early childhood classrooms, including toys, art products and science resources. For a catalog, contact: the company at P.O. Box 60000, San Francisco, CA 94160-3847; (800) 886-6428.

Don't expect final action on Head Start.(Slants And Trends)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2004... Start renewal this year, barring a late miracle. That's the consensus among advocates as congressional action has ground to a halt. Surprisingly, the delay has little to do with the heated arguments about executive salaries and financial...

Child care programs face cuts under entitlement reform plans.(the two bills newly introduced in the House of Representatives would cut spending on entitlement programs)
June 16, 2004... With political will lacking for large-scale budget cuts, some congressional lawmakers are looking for a new way to make automatic across-the-board reductions in some programs--including two initiatives long favored by child care advocates. ...

New grants seek youth role in Head Start programming.(federal funds for Head Start programs)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2004... The Bush administration wants to bring in older youth to help with Head Start programs, and it is offering $10 million to encourage such services. Supplemental federal funds will support the Head Start Youth Mentoring Initiative. Once...

Most Head Start agencies set for new COLA increase.(Funding)(cost-of-living salary )(Brief Article)
June 16, 2004... Head Start employees will get cost-of-living salary increases of 1.6 percent this year while grantees may get some funds to meet one-time needs under new guidance from the federal government. After Congress voted earlier this year to...

Senate Dems plan new initiative to improve preschool teaching.
June 16, 2004... Senate Democrats are mounting an effort to improve early childhood teacher training and development as part of a required review of federal programs affecting colleges and universities. Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and...

Federal Head Start Bureau offers New York, Puerto Rico funds.
June 16, 2004... The federal Head Start Bureau is offering $7 million in new funds to provide programming to children in New York and Puerto Rico. About $3.6 million is available as part of a competition for a new grantee in Saratoga County, N.Y. Of this...

New Ed. Dept. funds target improvements in IDEA.
June 16, 2004... The Education Department is offering $7.8 million for innovative special education research programs targeting young children and older youth. Funds under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act cover two main goals: innovation...

House approves back-to-work plan with child care, job training focus.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2004... Unemployed Americans would receive up to $3,000 for child care and other support services under a bill that a divided House of Representatives approved this month. The 213-203 party-line vote gave the GOP a victory on the Worker...

HHS seeks new grantees for preschool partnership.(Department of Health and Human Services)
June 16, 2004... The federal government is offering new funds to promote community planning and partnerships focused on early childhood education. The Department of Health and Human Services has grants available under the Early Learning Opportunities Act...

Tag-team child care leaves fathers with more job risks.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2004... Many fathers in blue-collar jobs face child care problems but often fail to act until their job is at risk, two scholars say. Child care conflicts are "not just a professional women's issue," said Joan Williams, professor of work/family...

R&Rs, others sponsor outreach to guard, reserve families.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2004... A leading children's organization is offering free child care for National Guard and military Reserve personnel on leave from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Operation Child Care is targeting Guard and Reserve staff because they typically...

Program information.
June 16, 2004... PROGRAM INFORMATION: The Administration on Children and Families is beginning the process of collecting new Head Start Program Information Report data. The data examine the number of children served, staffing, program services and other areas....

Fewer U.S. children are poor, but youth still face challenges.
June 16, 2004... Child poverty is falling nationwide even though the U.S. still has one of the highest rates among industrialized countries. Those are among the conclusion of KIDS COUNT 2004, the latest in an annual series of child well-being reports from...

Feds approve major changes to help California children.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2004... New mothers in California who participate in an infant-care initiative will get greater access to aid under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Children whose mothers are enrolled in the Access for Infants and Mothers...

President Bush.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2004... * President Bush has nominated former Virginia Gov. John Hager to be assistant secretary for special education. If confirmed by the Senate, Hager would oversee the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which includes grant programs for...

Raising literacy rates.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2004... * Raising literacy rates worldwide would help children and adults move out of poverty, First Lady Laura Bush said at a Paris meeting of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). UNESCO is active in the UN's...

Advocates plan to ask presidential candidates about intergenerational literacy and other issues in reading, writing and numeracy.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2004... * Advocates plan to ask presidential candidates about intergenerational literacy and other issues in reading, writing and numeracy. Literacy advocates identified intergenerational issues among five major questions they plan to send to...

The Department of Health and Human Services.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2004... * The Department of Health and Human Services is launching a national campaign to encourage first-time mothers to breastfeed their babies during the first six months of life. A public service campaign and other ads will emphasize the line,...

The High/Scope Educational Research Foundation is offering an on-line class on the High/Scope Child Observation Report.(Resources)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2004... * The High/Scope Educational Research Foundation is offering an on-line class on the High/Scope Child Observation Report. For more information, visit the Web at www.highscope.org or call (734) 485-2000, ext. 234.

Involving Families in Active Learning Settings is a video showing how preschool and child care staff can create a family-friendly environment.(Resources)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2004... * Involving Families in Active Learning Settings is a video showing how preschool and child care staff can create a family-friendly environment. Experts discuss 12 major strategies to promote family participation. The video is $30.95 from the...

Active Experiences for Active Children: Social Studies is a guide to plan social studies activities for preschoolers and kindergartners.(Resources)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2004... * Active Experiences for Active Children: Social Studies is a guide to plan social studies activities for preschoolers and kindergartners. The resource is $26 from: National Association for the Education of Young Children, (800) 424-2460,...

Score one for children.(Slants And Trends)(Brief Article)
June 30, 2004... SCORE ONE FOR CHILDREN. Federal child care spending may emerge unscathed after all, following two House votes last week. The Republican-led chamber turned back plans by House conservatives to place limits on entitlement programs outside Social...

Cure for gridlock.(Brief Article)
June 30, 2004... CURE FOR GRIDLOCK. Despite partisan bickering on most issues these days, Congress is finding a virtual oasis of tranquility on the topic of child nutrition programs. The House and Senate just cleared bills to renew key child care nutrition...

Amazing gains?(Head Start children showing surprising academic gains )(Brief Article)
June 30, 2004... AMAZING GAINS? Many Head Start children are showing what researchers describe as surprising academic gains by the end of their kindergarten year. So say researchers working on the Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) research. Among...

House defeats plan for limits on key domestic programs.
June 30, 2004... Child care advocates claimed a major victory this month when the House of Representatives turned back plans to cut child care programs and limit future increases in domestic spending. By overwhelming margins, House conservatives lost two...

The federal Head Start Bureau has $1 million available annually to serve children in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana.(Grants)(Brief Article)
June 30, 2004... The federal Head Start Bureau has $1 million available annually to serve children in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana. The former grantee served 167 children and their families. Deadline is July 30. Send applications to: ACYF Operations Center,...

The U.S. Education Department has $6.7 million for new grants to improve services and results for disabled children, including infants, toddlers and preschoolers.(Grants)(Brief Article)
June 30, 2004... The U.S. Education Department has $6.7 million for new grants to improve services and results for disabled children, including infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Projects should build state and local capacity to improve early intervention and...

The Education Department also has new grant funding available to improve technology and media services for disabled children.(Grants)(Brief Article)
June 30, 2004... The Education Department also has new grant funding available to improve technology and media services for disabled children. Deadline is July 30, and eligible agencies include state and local education agencies, colleges and universities and...

Congress clears nutrition plan; makes improvements in CACFP.(Child and Adult Care Food Program)
June 30, 2004... A bill to renew the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and other nutrition efforts soon will reach President Bush's desk. Passage of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act culminates a two-year process during which Congress...

Head Start children show gains in kindergarten: researchers.
June 30, 2004... Head Start children are making "substantial gains" toward national averages in two key academic areas by the end of kindergarten, says a researcher conducting one of the most comprehensive studies of the program to date. Children who...

Bill promotes early childhood services as part of comprehensive schools.(Full-Service Community Schools Act )(Brief Article)
June 30, 2004... Supporters of community schools--education centers with early childhood and social services--may get a boost from new legislation introduced by Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). Hoyer's Full-Service Community Schools Act would provide $200 million...

Newsmaker.(Bonnie Lash Freeman joined Kentucky Board of Education)(Brief Article)
June 30, 2004... NEWSMAKER: Bonnie Lash Freeman, special projects director at the National Council for Family Literacy, has been appointed to the Kentucky Board of Education by Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R). Freeman has helped train family literacy educators...

House bill provides small gain for child nutrition next year.
June 30, 2004... Child nutrition programs would receive small funding increases next year under legislation that has cleared a House of Representatives appropriations panel. The House agriculture appropriations subcommittee approved the Bush...

Head Start's working families need full-day, full-year help.
June 30, 2004... Most Head Start families have at least one working parent, adding pressure to the need for full-day child services, a new report says. Nearly three of four Head Start households, or 72 percent, had one or both parents working in 2003,...

Welfare transfers bolster fed support for SSBG.(Social Services Block Grant )(Brief Article)
June 30, 2004... States continue to rely on welfare transfers to support child care and other activities in the Social Services Block Grant, new data show. States spent $2.6 billion on SSBG in 2002, the most recent year for which data are available. Nearly...

The Administration.(Administration for Children and Families's guidance for child care services )(Brief Article)
June 30, 2004... The Administration for Children and Families has released guidance to state child care agencies on high-performance bonus awards. Factors include accessibility of programs, including the percent of children served, plus family co-payments and...

Schools and community.(cost estimation of educational programs for illegal immigrant children)(Brief Article)
June 30, 2004... Schools and community agencies have a tough time estimating the costs of educating illegal immigrant children because of insufficient data on the illegal immigrant population, the U.S. General Accounting Office says. The National Center on...

Advocates cite growing needs of Pennsylvania's children.(Brief Article)
June 30, 2004... New indicators of child well-being in Pennsylvania show the need for greater intervention to reduce poverty and low birthweight children, advocates say. One in six Pennsylvania children is born at low birthweight, while one in seven lives...

Home visits offer strategy to reduce abuse, neglect.(Brief Article)
June 30, 2004... In-depth home visits with families of at-risk young children can reduce future cases of child abuse and neglect, says a new Department of Health and Human Services analysis. Trial programs in Elmira, N.Y., Memphis and Denver showed the...

Rep. Jon Porter (R-Nev.) has proposed a bill to make the child and dependent care refundable for lower-income families.(New Bills)(Brief Article)
June 30, 2004... Rep. Jon Porter (R-Nev.) has proposed a bill to make the child and dependent care refundable for lower-income families. The bill, H.R. 4748, was referred to the Ways and Means Committee.

New legislation from Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), Hilda Solis (D-Calif.) and Dale Kildee (D-Mich.) would eliminate the hours of service requirement to obtain benefits under the Family and Medical Leave Act.(New Bills)(Brief Article)
June 30, 2004... New legislation from Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), Hilda Solis (D-Calif.) and Dale Kildee (D-Mich.) would eliminate the hours of service requirement to obtain benefits under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The bill,...

Reading projects.(Brief Article)
June 30, 2004... READING PROJECTS: New reading research projects will examine ways to bridge home and school issues and provide effective practices for English language learners in multi-age classrooms. Those are among nine reading research projects announced...

Feds plan detailed new study of Early Head Start's effects.(Brief Article)
June 30, 2004... The Bush administration is planning a major new research effort to document the growth of Early Head Start services for infants and toddlers. The Department of Health and Human Services June 23 outlined the initiative to gather a "national...

The Emotional Development of Young Children: Building an Emotion-Centered Curriculum.(Resources)(Book Review)(Brief Review)
June 30, 2004... The Emotional Development of Young Children: Building an Emotion-Centered Curriculum, 2nd ed., by Marilou Hyson, has information on building an emotion-centered early childhood curriculum. For more information, contact: Teachers College Press,...

Successful Kindergarten Transition: Your Guide to Connecting Children, Families and Schools.(Resources)(Book Review)(Brief Review)
June 30, 2004... Successful Kindergarten Transition: Your Guide to Connecting Children, Families and Schools, by Robert Pianta and Marcia Kraft-Sayre, offers advice on developing solid transition plans and implementing these plans. The book is $24.95 from:...

Early Learning Activities.(Resources)(Book Review)(Brief Review)
June 30, 2004... Early Learning Activities is a resource from the National Association for the Education of Young Children that focuses on mechanics, science, music, math, visual arts, language, movement and social understanding. The resource is $10 for members...

Approaches to Early Childhood Education.(Resources)(Book Review)(Brief Review)
June 30, 2004... Approaches to Early Childhood Education, 4th ed., by Jaipaul Roopnarine and James Johnson, provides an overview of contemporary approaches that include multiculturalism and inclusion. For more information, contact Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall...

Handbook of Early Literacy Research.(Resources)(Book Review)(Brief Review)
June 30, 2004... Handbook of Early Literacy Research, edited by Susan Neuman and David Dickinson, provides an overview of current findings and different disciplinary perspectives on early literacy, a priority for the Bush administration. The book is $80 in...

Children in the Digital Age.(Resources)(Book Review)(Brief Review)
June 30, 2004... Children in the Digital Age, edited by Sandra Calvert, Amy Jordan and Rodney Cocking, examines media use patterns and cognitive and behavioral effects of media on children. The book is $39.96 from: Greenwood Publishing, 88 Post Road West, P.O....