Report on Preschool Programs articles from March 2006

Report on Preschool Programs archives from March 2006

Unexpected effects.(effects of budgets on child care)(Brief article)
March 8, 2006... UNEXPECTED EFFECTS. Budget cuts proposed by the Bush administration for 2007 may end up affecting child care in some unusual ways. In addition to freezing or cutting human service programs, the new White House budget would eliminate a $1.3...

Governors step up.(Slants & Trends)
March 8, 2006... GOVERNORS STEP UP. The early line on pre-k this year is that governors are stepping up activity to make more programs available for young children. The National Governors Association says 15 out of 22 governors offered initiatives to improve...

'Earmarked' for action.(Slants & Trends)
March 8, 2006... 'EARMARKED' FOR ACTION. House Republican leaders say they will crack down this year on earmarks, or special pork-barrel projects requested by lawmakers from both political parties. Members of the House Appropriations Committee outlined criteria...

Welfare changes may face court scrutiny after suit.
March 8, 2006... The controversial new law changing the nation's welfare system will face a court challenge due to constitutional concerns. The Deficit Reduction Act approved by Congress and signed by President Bush would require states to enroll 50 percent...

Ed. Dept. reopens competition for early reading first grants.(Funding Opportunities)
March 8, 2006... The Education Department is reopening its grant competition for early childhood literacy grants for some agencies. ED March 2 said it would reopen its Early Reading First competition for eligible local education agencies that were...

CDC offers new immunization grants.
March 8, 2006... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is offering two new grants for research on childhood immunization trends. The CDC has a $150,000 grant to promote a better understanding of why young children miss scheduled immunizations and...

New HHS memo outlines changes in Head Start management policy.
March 8, 2006... The Bush administration is planning a major restructuring of Head Start federal management, a move that would elevate the agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, RPP has learned. In a memo to a top Capitol Hill lawmaker,...

YWCA program emphasizes preschooler/senior contact.
March 8, 2006... For YWCA leaders in Butler, Pa., intergenerational contact between preschoolers and senior citizens is not just an afterthought. Playing an increasingly central role in local social services, the organization has made such links a formal part...

CCDBG again faces tough road in congress this year, aides say.
March 8, 2006... Congress again may put off reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant this year amid a continued inability to agree on funding increases for the program, said congressional aides at a recent Washington, D.C., forum. "The...

Children of immigrants less likely to attend preschool, study says.
March 8, 2006... Preschoolers with immigrant parents are much less likely to attend preschool, says a new study that recommends a greater focus on bilingual staff, parent involvement and outreach to these families. Immigrant children represent 22 percent of...

States making more investments in Pre-K, new analysis says.
March 8, 2006... States are continuing to make substantial new commitments to pre-k programs, though these increases are not occurring across-the-board, a new study says. "Pre-k is gradually being integrated into the K-12 education system because state...

Ed. Dept. grants focus on Indian preschoolers' needs.
March 8, 2006... The U.S. Education Department is offering new grants to increase the school readiness skills of 3- and 4-year-old children. Up to $3 million is available for state and local education agencies or Indian tribes for projects that emphasize...

House outlines framework for 2007 funding earmarks.(Brief article)
March 8, 2006... Stung by recent criticism of excessive pork-barrel spending, the House of Representatives is setting rules for specially designated education and human service projects this year. The chamber's human service appropriations subcommittee will...

Business leaders.(finance of school readiness network)(Brief article)
March 8, 2006... Business leaders in a Washington, D.C., suburb are donating $300,000 to a school readiness network in hopes that the investment eventually will pay off with better-trained workers. Raytheon, PNC Bank and the Freddie Mac Foundation are...

The income gap.(income distribution reports)(Brief article)
March 8, 2006... The income gap has increased during the past two decades between rich families and families with low- or moderate incomes, a new analysis states. The most affluent families gained substantial increases in income during the period, while other...

All Head Start programs.(Briefly Noted)
March 8, 2006... All Head Start programs will receive learning libraries under a new partnership involving Disney, Funai Corp. and First Book, a national nonprofit that focuses on literacy for young children. Funai has donated 5,000 TV/VCR units, while Disney...

HHS publishes poverty guidelines.
March 8, 2006... The Department of Health and Human Services has published its annual update of its poverty guidelines, reflecting a 3.4 percent increase in the cost of living. See the Jan. 24 Federal Register, p. 3848.

Ed. Dept. offers literacy funds.
March 8, 2006... The Education Department has $18.9 million available to improve literacy services through school libraries. The department said it expects to make 100 awards averaging $190,000 to $300,000. Contact: Irene Horwarth, (202) 401-3751, Irene....

The National Conference on Family Literacy is scheduled March 19-21 in Louisville, Ky.
March 8, 2006... The National Conference on Family Literacy is scheduled March 19-21 in Louisville, Ky. Contact: National Center for Family Literacy, 325 W. Main St., Suite 300, Louisville, KY 40202, (502) 584-1133.

The Parents as Teachers National Conference is set March 20-23 in St. Louis.
March 8, 2006... The Parents as Teachers National Conference is set March 20-23 in St. Louis. Contact: Parents as Teachers National Center, 2228 Ball Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146, (314) 433-4330, www.parentsasteachers.org.

Addressing Challenging Behavior: National Training Institute on Effective Practices, Supporting Young Children's Social/Emotional Development is scheduled March 29-April 1 in Clearwater Beach, Fla.
March 8, 2006... Addressing Challenging Behavior: National Training Institute on Effective Practices, Supporting Young Children's Social/Emotional Development is scheduled March 29-April 1 in Clearwater Beach, Fla. Contact: www.addressingchallenging...

The National Association of Elementary School Principals will hold its annual meeting March 31-April 4 in San Antonio.
March 8, 2006... The National Association of Elementary School Principals will hold its annual meeting March 31-April 4 in San Antonio. Contact: NAESP, 1615 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314, (703) 684-3345.

The Parent-Child Home Program annual conference is scheduled May 8-9 in Garden City, N.Y.
March 8, 2006... The Parent-Child Home Program annual conference is scheduled May 8-9 in Garden City, N.Y. Contact: Michele Morrison, (516) 883-7480.

The annual training conference of the National Head Start Association is scheduled May 10-13 in Detroit.
March 8, 2006... The annual training conference of the National Head Start Association is scheduled May 10-13 in Detroit. Contact: NHSA, (703) 739-0875, www.nhsa.org.

The West Coast Literacy Conference and California Learning Institute is scheduled May 18-19 in Pasadena, Calif.
March 8, 2006... The West Coast Literacy Conference and California Learning Institute is scheduled May 18-19 in Pasadena, Calif. Contact: Foundation for Comprehensive Early Literacy Learning, (909) 335-3089, www.cell-exll.com/conferences.htm.

The National Parent Teacher Association will hold its annual meeting June 24-26 in Phoenix.
March 8, 2006... The National Parent Teacher Association will hold its annual meeting June 24-26 in Phoenix. Contact: NPTA, 541 N. Fairbanks Court, Suite 1300, Chicago, IL 60611, (800) 307-4PTA, www.pta.org.

Separation anxiety.(Resources)
March 8, 2006... SEPARATION ANXIETY. Everyday Goodbyes: Starting School and Early Care, A Guide to the Separation Process, by Nancy Balaban, provides ideas to help young children cope with the unpleasant feelings of separation from a parent. The resource...

Standards in class.(product information)(Brief article)
March 8, 2006... STANDARDS IN CLASS. How to Work with Standards in the Early Childhood Classroom, by Carol Seefeldt, discusses the design and selection of standards and provides strategies to implement them. The book includes illustrations and covers science,...

Literacy help.(Resources)
March 8, 2006... LITERACY HELP. The Pacific Early Literacy Resource Kit has information, products and processes to help teachers improve young children's literacy achievement. Contact: www.prel.org.

Glimmer of hope?(analysis of federal budget)(Brief article)
March 22, 2006... One bright spot in the increasingly gloomy federal budget picture is a Senate decision to add $7 billion for domestic discretionary programs next year. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) led the effort to add these dollars, which would go to education,...

Stopped in its tracks.(changes in the federal Child Care Bureau)(Brief article)
March 22, 2006... Child care advocates are stepping up efforts to defeat the Bush administration's planned changes in the federal Child Care Bureau. Dozens of organizations signed a letter opposing the move. While congressional approval likely is not required,...

Education, training increase for early Head Start staff.
March 22, 2006... Early Head Start programs are employing teachers with stronger educational backgrounds, says a new study citing progress since 2001. Nearly half of Early Head Start teachers, or 46 percent, had an associate degree or higher in 2004, says...

Guidelines available.
March 22, 2006... The Department of Health and Human Services has new information for Head Start agencies on family eligibility based on income. New federal Family Income Guidelines will provide agencies with information used during the enrollment process....

Senate adds HHS, school funds to FY07 budget resolution.
March 22, 2006... The Senate has approved a fiscal 2007 budget plan that holds the line on domestic spending but avoids some of the deep cuts projected by the Bush administration. While the plan sets a strict cap on non-emergency discretionary spending,...

Restructuring would cause harm, children's groups tell HHS.
March 22, 2006... Bush administration plans to change the structure of the federal Child Care Bureau would downgrade child care's importance in the federal government, child care and early childhood organizations say in a new letter. The document signed by...

Head Start agencies may gain access to federal E-Rate.
March 22, 2006... Head Start grantees are asking the Federal Communications Commission to extend its discount Internet access service to agencies operating the federal preschool program. The National Head Start Association is asking that local Head Start...

Base closings, increased demand drive military child care changes.
March 22, 2006... Military base closings and realignments are leading to new child care challenges at the same time that demand for services is on the rise, a House committee was told this month. The Department of Defense is stepping up partnerships with...

HHS outlines waiver policy for Gulf Coast Child Care.
March 22, 2006... The Department of Health and Human Services is providing a framework for Gulf Coast states seeking waivers of Child Care and Development Block Grant rules in the aftermath of last summer's hurricanes. States affected by the hurricanes and...

GOP committee proposes cuts in many children's programs.
March 22, 2006... A group of Republican conservatives is proposing deep cuts in early care and education programs for 2007. The House Republican Study Committee has outlined the cuts in its new Contract with America Renewed, an update of the 1994 blueprint...

After dip, Head Start enrollment increased in 2005, feds say.
March 22, 2006... Head Start enrollment increased slightly in 2005, the first increase in three years, based on new data from the Department of Health and Human Services. The preschool program enrolled 906,993 children last year, an increase of about 1,100...

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is seeking applicants for several projects this year to reduce lead hazards in public housing that can affect young children.(Funding Opportunities)
March 22, 2006... The Department of Housing and Urban Development is seeking applicants for several projects this year to reduce lead hazards in public housing that can affect young children. The agency has $59 million in lead hazard reduction demonstration...

The Department of Health and Human Services has new grants available to states for family violence prevention and services.(Funding Opportunities)
March 22, 2006... The Department of Health and Human Services has new grants available to states for family violence prevention and services. Grant funds can support children's counseling and support services, as well as child care services for children who are...

Alaska Native organizations are eligible to apply for new federal grants to develop and support supplemental education programs for Alaska natives.(Funding Opportunities)
March 22, 2006... Alaska Native organizations are eligible to apply for new federal grants to develop and support supplemental education programs for Alaska natives. Eighteen eligible uses of funds include: Head Start and Even Start services plus parenting...

The Education Department has technical assistance and dissemination grants available to improve services for children with disabilities.(Funding Opportunities)
March 22, 2006... The Education Department has technical assistance and dissemination grants available to improve services for children with disabilities. Due April 17, applications should promote academic achievement and improve results for children through...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced income eligibility guidelines for state agencies to use when assessing eligibility to participate in the Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.
March 22, 2006... The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced income eligibility guidelines for state agencies to use when assessing eligibility to participate in the Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. The guidelines take effect July 1....

Child care advocates are mounting a national campaign to educate families about family-friendly tax credits, including the child and dependent care credit, the federal child tax credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit.
March 22, 2006... Child care advocates are mounting a national campaign to educate families about family-friendly tax credits, including the child and dependent care credit, the federal child tax credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit. Leaders of the effort...

A new federal law has $1 million for a pilot program to expand Parents as Teachers services to military families.(Brief article)
March 22, 2006... A new federal law has $1 million for a pilot program to expand Parents as Teachers services to military families. Funding in the fiscal 2006 Department of Defense bill will fund expansion of Heroes at Home services at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.;...

Vic Klatt is the new staff director of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, which oversees Head Start and many child care policies in the House.
March 22, 2006... Vic Klatt is the new staff director of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, which oversees Head Start and many child care policies in the House. Klatt currently is vice president of Van Scoyoc Associates and formerly was policy...

The House has approved a temporary extension of campus child care programs through June 30.
March 22, 2006... The House has approved a temporary extension of campus child care programs through June 30. The program is included in an extension of the Higher Education Act passed by the House this month. Budget legislation cleared by Congress in the winter...