Report on Preschool Programs articles from November 2005

Report on Preschool Programs archives from November 2005

More budget blues.(Slants and Trends)
November 9, 2005... MORE BUDGET BLUES--With a mounting federal budget crisis and rising energy costs, the scramble is on to protect anti-poverty services and to avoid pitting one worthy program against another. The latest examples are Head Start and the Low-Income...

New house plan may damage head start, advocates say.
November 9, 2005... A proposed across-the-board cut in domestic spending would cause major harm in Head Start, which already is reeling due to low teacher salaries and burdensome transportation rules, preschool advocates say. With funding increases over the...

Four innovation grants target language, teacher services.
November 9, 2005... The Bush administration is awarding four Head Start innovation grants for more than $2 million in total to foster new approaches to teacher training, language development and science programming in the federally funded preschool classrooms....

GOP brings back welfare reform in year-end budget proposal.
November 9, 2005... In a move with major implications for subsidized child care, congressional Republicans are trying to jump start the long-dormant welfare reform process by tying new parent work rules to a bill required for lawmakers to close out budget work...

Survey: most head start programs cut staff, services in past year.
November 9, 2005... Beset by rising energy and health care costs plus stagnant funding, a large majority of Head Start programs have made budget cuts during the past year, a new survey says. About 70 percent have furloughed non-teacher staff members, while 65...

Kansas City area gets new head start grantee agency.
November 9, 2005... Head Start programs in and around Kansas City, Mo., are getting a new start with a Department of Health and Human Services decision to rely on a new grantee. The HHS Administration for Children and Families has selected a new agency to...

Senate approves human service plan, but rejects larger head start gain.
November 9, 2005... The Senate has approved a fiscal 2006 education and human service spending bill after rejecting plans for a larger increase in Head Start and other children's programs. The final bill includes a $31 million jump for Head Start and level...

House, Senate negotiators finish work on 2006 child nutrition spending bill.
November 9, 2005... Congress has approved and sent to President Bush a 2006 child nutrition spending bill with increases for many early childhood services. House and Senate negotiators wrapped up talks in late October on a final package for agriculture and...

HHS soon to issue new head start transit rules.
November 9, 2005... Head Start agencies seeking regulatory relief under new transportation rules may get action early in 2006. In its semi-annual regulatory agenda, the Department of Health and Human Services says it expects action by January 2006 on a final rule...

Child care and development fund rules soon to be issued by HHS.
November 9, 2005... HHS announced that it soon will finalize changes to the Child Care and Development Fund regulations so that states can designate multiple public or private entities that can be certified to make donations toward CCDF matching funds. The agency...

USDA's school snacks reimbursement rules are coming soon.
November 9, 2005... The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects final action this fall on a rule allowing reimbursement for snacks served to children in after-school programs and free after-school snacks for children in very low-income areas. Reimbursement would be...

Data show growing hunger risks among children, advocates say.
November 9, 2005... The number of Americans at risk of hunger increased for the fifth consecutive year in 2004, and advocates used the information to argue against proposed budget cuts that would affect many of these programs next year. In analyzing new U.S....

New survey documents salary gaps based on type of preschool program.
November 9, 2005... Corporate, military and university-affiliated early childhood directors earn among the highest wages in the preschool profession, a survey shows. Early childhood programs affiliated with corporations or higher education institutions paid...

Calendar.(Calendar)
November 9, 2005... * The Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality will meet Nov. 29-30 in Washington, D.C. For more information, see the Oct. 25 Federal Register, p. 61625, or contact Peter Van Dyck, (301) 443-2170. * The National Head Start Association's...

The Ben & Jerry's Foundation has awards of $1,000 to $15,000 plus material grants of up to $1,000 for non-profit groups that work on projects for social change.
November 9, 2005... The Ben & Jerry's Foundation has awards of $1,000 to $15,000 plus material grants of up to $1,000 for non-profit groups that work on projects for social change. Applicants must show how their project will lead to societal, institutional or...

The U.S. Administration for Children and Families has awarded 28 urgent grants to help 17 Mentoring Children of Prisoner Programs and 11 training and technical assistance providers to help respond to the needs of hurricane disaster evacuees.
November 9, 2005... The U.S. Administration for Children and Families has awarded 28 urgent grants to help 17 Mentoring Children of Prisoner Programs and 11 training and technical assistance providers to help respond to the needs of hurricane disaster evacuees. A...

A new Web site can give small nonprofit groups a place to raise funds and donors a place to locate worthy community projects.
November 9, 2005... A new Web site can give small nonprofit groups a place to raise funds and donors a place to locate worthy community projects. The site, www. SupportSisterCities.org, is designed to raise money online for community development, sustainable...

The Department of Health and Human Services is providing $41 million in new grants to states for community-based child abuse prevention programs.
November 9, 2005... The Department of Health and Human Services is providing $41 million in new grants to states for community-based child abuse prevention programs. Formula grants are based 70 percent on a state's child population and 30 percent on the amount of...

Zero to Three will sponsor a Nov. 15 audioconference for Early Head Start programs on how to help military families once a parent is deployed to another location.
November 9, 2005... Zero to Three will sponsor a Nov. 15 audioconference for Early Head Start programs on how to help military families once a parent is deployed to another location. Strategies to Support Families when a Parent is Deployed is part of the Operation...

National Accreditation Organizations and Standards for Early Childhood Programs: Web Sites is a resource from the National Child Care Information Center outlining policies and programs.(Resources)
November 9, 2005... National Accreditation Organizations and Standards for Early Childhood Programs: Web Sites is a resource from the National Child Care Information Center outlining policies and programs. For information, visit the NCCIC Web site at www.nccic.org...

The Center for Law and Social Policy has published a policy brief on how projected cuts in child support enforcement may harm children and families.(Resources)
November 9, 2005... The Center for Law and Social Policy has published a policy brief on how projected cuts in child support enforcement may harm children and families. The brief by Vicki Turetsky is available

Family Day Care Rating Scale, by Thelma Harris and Richard Clifford, covers 32 items of importance in developing quality early childhood settings online at www.clasp.org.(Resources)
November 9, 2005... Family Day Care Rating Scale, by Thelma Harris and Richard Clifford, covers 32 items of importance in developing quality early childhood settings. Topics include furnishing, language, learning activities and social development. The resource is...

The Power of Observation, by Judy Jablon, Amy Laura Dombro and Margo Dichtelmiller covers the link between observation and effective teaching.(Resources)
November 9, 2005... The Power of Observation, by Judy Jablon, Amy Laura Dombro and Margo Dichtelmiller covers the link between observation and effective teaching. The book is $19.95 from Teaching Strategies at www.TeachingStrategies.com, (800) 637-3652.

No crystal ball.(budget and spending issues)(Brief Article)
November 23, 2005... NO CRYSTAL BALL After bitter debates over the war in Iraq, members of Congress left town for Thanksgiving leaving long-delayed budget and spending issues in disarray. Delicate House/ Senate negotiations produced a human service spending bill,...

Pre-k a winner.(Slants and Trends)(Timothy Kaine favors pre-kindergarten)(Brief Article)
November 23, 2005... PRE-K A WINNER Even in a year with few elected offices up for grabs, pre-k came out a winner in the Nov. 7 local and state elections nationwide. Advocates claimed a major victory in Virginia, where Gov.-elect Timothy Kaine (D) won a solid...

Most states increased pre-k funds this year, new research shows.(growth of preschool)
November 23, 2005... More than half of states increased pre-k funding in 2005, part of an upward trend consistent with the growth of preschool services during the past five years, a research and advocacy group says. Twenty-six states spent more on pre-k this...

Spending bill faces roadblock; many programs are at risk.(early childhood programs)
November 23, 2005... A bill to finalize 2006 human service funding has hit a roadblock in the House of Representatives after lawmakers agreed to scale back most of the Bush administration's proposed Head Start increase. House Republican leaders suffered a rare...

Ed. dept. offers new grant funding to help parents of disabled children.
November 23, 2005... The U.S. Education Department is offering new grants to provide training and information to parents of youngsters with disabilities. ED said it expects to make 10 awards for Community Parent Resource Centers with an average grant of...

House approves welfare changes, cuts in many safety-net programs.
November 23, 2005... The House of Representatives has approved a deficit reduction bill that would cut funding for many children's programs while proposing vast changes in the 1996 welfare reform law and its child care components. By a two-vote margin, the...

GAO will examine contracting under reading first program.
November 23, 2005... The Government Accountability Office is examining whether the Education Department favored certain commercial publishers in contracts for its Reading First program for young children. Members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and...

Kindergarten teachers voice support for pre-k services for children.
November 23, 2005... Nearly all kindergarten teachers responding in a new survey say a child's exposure to preschool is important for future education success. In the poll of 521 California teachers, 96 percent cited the importance of a quality preschool...

ACF designates interim grantee.(Administration for Children and Families)(Brief Article)
November 23, 2005... The Community Development Institute is the interim grantee for Head Start children in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys in California. The Administration for Children and Families appointed CDI as the interim grantee on Nov. 1....

Head Start report provides new data on parent education, involvement.
November 23, 2005... Most Head Start parents last year lacked formal education beyond high school, though most work and are active in the preschool program, new data show. In 2004, 77 percent of Head Start parents had a high school diploma or less, and...

Report faults Head Start effectiveness, despite some encouraging signs.
November 23, 2005... Head Start has not demonstrated positive results despite gains in some child indicators, the Bush administration says in its latest report evaluating the effectiveness of federal programs. While the U.S. Office of Management and Budget has...