Report on Preschool Programs articles from October 2004

Report on Preschool Programs archives from October 2004

Been there, done that.(Slants And Trends)(George Bush's child care policy greeted with indifference by Head Start agencies as they already following the similar strategy)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... BEEN THERE, DONE THAT--President Bush's new plan to promote coordination among Head Start, schools and pre-k programs is drawing little attention among early care and education advocates. Part of the reason is that many agencies already engage...

More delays in store.(Slants And Trends)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... MORE DELAYS IN STORE--The new federal fiscal year is underway with no deadline in sight to approve pressing legislation, including a 2005 budget for child care and Head Start. Congress is providing short-term funding for programs through Nov....

Physicians: Bush plans more cutbacks in health, early childhood programs.(George W. Bush)
October 6, 2004... President Bush already is shortchanging child health care and plans second-term cuts in Head Start and nutrition that will harm at-risk children, some of the nation's leading pediatricians say. "The Bush Administration's policies are moving...

The National Center for Family Literacy is offering free educational seminars through spring 2005 to help educators and parents develop a greater understanding of challenges in helping young children read.(Professional Development)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... The National Center for Family Literacy is offering free educational seminars through spring 2005 to help educators and parents develop a greater understanding of challenges in helping young children read. The Code and the Challenge of Learning...

The Lesley University Early Childhood Institute is scheduled Dec. 6-7 in Framingham, Mass.(Professional Development)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... The Lesley University Early Childhood Institute is scheduled Dec. 6-7 in Framingham, Mass., with the theme Linking Curriculum and Assessment: Effective Practices for Early Childhood Programs. Contact: Lesley University, (617) 349-8922,...

Long-time state Head Start leader faces obstacles with new program.(Ohio's Head Start Plus initiative)
October 6, 2004... A long-time leader in supplementing the federal Head Start program, Ohio is struggling to recruit young children for its new Head Start Plus initiative designed to provide seamless child care coverage for working parents. "Conceptually we...

Public/private plan may expand New Mexico's Pre-K services.
October 6, 2004... New Mexico is the latest state to get on the pre-kindergarten bandwagon, with plans to provide voluntary service to 28,000 four-year-olds. Gov. Bill Richardson (D) said the plan will help more children enter school ready to learn in a...

Native language poses no barrier to children's word acquisition.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... Young children learn vocabulary in the same way, regardless of the language they are learning to speak, a new federally funded study says. Among 20-month-old children, most of their vocabulary consisted of nouns, followed by verbs and...

TV program and learning.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... TV PROGRAM AND LEARNING: Parents nationwide may benefit from the new Parenting Counts: A Focus on Learning initiative led by KCTS/Seattle Public Television. The stations have created six 60-second television spots to help parents understand the...

MDs recommending flu vaccine for infants, toddlers this fall.
October 6, 2004... Following a few high-profile deaths among children last year, the nation's pediatricians are recommending that more infants and toddlers receive the flu vaccine this fall. The American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending vaccination for...

States differ on funding, coverage in Pre-K programs, GAO says.
October 6, 2004... Four states at the forefront of the pre-kindergarten movement share a commitment to voluntary, no-cost programming but differ widely on participation, funding, geographic coverage and teacher requirements, a federal watchdog agency says. ...

Curriculum connection: Using Music to Help Children Learn is a professional development video workshop from educational activities, Inc.(Resources)(Video Recording Review)
October 6, 2004... * Curriculum Connection: Using Music to Help Children Learn is a professional development video workshop from Educational Activities, Inc. Activities cover initial letter sounds, rhyming words, alliteration, number concepts and listening...

Also available from educational activities is Movin' on--Songs for Transition Times by Kim Price Olsen.(Resources)(Video Recording Review)
October 6, 2004... * Also available from Educational Activities is Movin' On--Songs for Transition Times by Kim Price Olsen. The songs help children make the transition to a variety of daily activities. The CD is $15.95 from the company at the address and Web...

Connecting with parents in the early years, by Jean Mendoza, Lilian G. Katz, Anne S. Robertson and Dianne Rothenberg is a new publication from the early childhood and parenting collaborative.(Resources)(Book Review)
October 6, 2004... * Connecting with Parents in the Early Years, by Jean Mendoza, Lilian G. Katz, Anne S. Robertson and Dianne Rothenberg is a new publication from the Early Childhood and Parenting Collaborative. Shipping and handling is $5 per copy. Contact:...

Preschool Classroom Management: 150 teacher-tested Techniques is a Resource to Help Teachers Deal With Behavior Issues.(Resources)(Book Review)
October 6, 2004... * Preschool Classroom Management: 150 Teacher-Tested Techniques is a resource to help teachers deal with behavior issues. The book is $24.95 from Gryphon House, www.gryphonhouse. com, (800) 638-0928. Also available from the same publisher is A...

Starting out right: a guide to promoting children's reading success is a book from the high/scope educational research foundation in Ypsilanti, Mich.(Resources)(Book Review)
October 6, 2004... * Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children's Reading Success is a book from the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation in Ypsilanti, Mich., with strategies, activities and resources for parents, child care providers and teachers....

Also available from high/scope is setting up the learning environment, a video on how to set up and equip effective play and work spaces to create engaging environments for children.(Resources)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... * Also available from High/Scope is Setting Up the Learning Environment, a video on how to set up and equip effective play and work spaces to create engaging environments for children. The video is $30.95 from High/Scope at the phone number and...

GOP lawmakers say they plan to reclaim lost health funds.(Child Health Insurance Program)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... States lost about $1.1 billion in child health funds Sept. 30, but congressional Republicans say the money is not permanently gone. For months, children's advocates have asked Congress to extend the life of unused funding in the state Child...

The Department.(Department of Health and Human Services)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... The Department of Health and Human Services is awarding $1.01 million to four faith- and community-based organizations in Iowa for projects that include marriage education and mentors for children of prisoners. A grant of $50,000 will go to...

The U.S. Advisory.(Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... The U.S. Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality will meet Nov. 11-12 in Washington, D.C., to address issues such as improving the health of pregnant women and infants and strategies to coordinate federal, state, local and private programs on...

Advocates of school-age.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... Advocates of school-age child care are sponsoring the fifth annual Lights on Afterschool event Oct. 14 to show support for after-school programming. Last year, about 500,000 people participated in about 5,000 events, said leaders of the...

College and university.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... College and university leaders are supporting efforts in Congress to provide more child care aid for college students. "For students with children, the inability to access affordable child care can easily derail progress toward the completion...

Access to health care.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... Access to health care among individuals and families with limited English proficiency is an emerging issue for advocacy groups. If a provider does not speak a patient's language, "it's like being a veterinarian," says Steve Hitov, managing...

Community action agencies.(Wayne Leonard, Entergy Corp. )(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... Community action agencies are honoring Entergy Corp. CEO J. Wayne Leonard for his work with low-income communities. Leonard was the first recipient of the new Corporate Partnership Award of the Community Action Partnership, which represents...

The Department of Health and Human Services is awarding $25 million in bonuses to New York, New Hampshire, Maryland and the District of Columbia for posting the largest declines in out-of-wedlock births without an increase in abortion rates.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... The Department of Health and Human Services is awarding $25 million in bonuses to New York, New Hampshire, Maryland and the District of Columbia for posting the largest declines in out-of-wedlock births without an increase in abortion rates. Up...

Department of Health and Human Services.(Federal Register)(National Center for Family Literacy)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... The Department of Health and Human Services is extending the five-year cooperative agreement between the federal Head Start Bureau and the National Center for Family Literacy. Under federal law, HHS makes available at least $3 million a year to...

Child Care and Development Fund.(Federal Register)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is seeking comments on its plan to require information from Indian tribes for its CCDF Annual Report. For more information, see the Sept. 27 Federal Register, p. 57706. Send comments within 30 days to:...

Administration for Children and Families.(Federal Register)(United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Administration for Children and Families)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2004... The Administration for Children and Families is seeking comments on paperwork required to analyze progress and award child health bonus grant funds under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. See the Sept. 20 Federal Register, p....

No Debate?(Slants And Trends)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... NO DEBATE? The three presidential debates between President Bush and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) passed with barely a mention of early childhood issues. President Bush focused most of his domestic policy remarks on K-12 education, particularly...

Flu vaccine shortage poses challenge for pediatricians, child care providers.
October 20, 2004... The sudden shortage of flu vaccine is bringing calls to re-focus available supplies on the most at-risk groups, including very young children and their caregivers, to limit serious health problems this winter. The U.S. will have only half...

New grants.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... NEW GRANTS: The Department of Housing and Urban Development has grants for Indian tribes and Alaska Native Villages to promote economic growth in many ways, including development of child care businesses. Projects can promote homeownership and...

Inspector caseloads decrease as more states seek quality care.
October 20, 2004... States have reduced the average caseloads of child care inspectors during the past five years, part of a pattern toward greater oversight of day care centers, according to a new analysis by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). ...

Maine Board considers rules on pesticide use in centers.
October 20, 2004... Child care centers in Maine may face limits on the use of pesticides in accordance with a rule being considered by a state agency. The plan under consideration by the Board of Pesticides Control would require centers to notify families...

Breathing, sleep problems pose barrier to healthy child development.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... Breathing problems during sleep can affect the mental development of infants and young children, two new federally funded studies contend. Youngsters with such breathing problems tend to score lower on tests of mental development and...

Welfare rolls drop to record level, but parents lack high-paying jobs.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... The number of families on welfare has hit the lowest level since 1970, but not everyone says the information is cause for celebration. About 1.9 million families were on welfare in March, the first time this number has dropped below 2...

Feds fund new projects to curb lead risks for young children.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... The federal government is providing $168 million in new grants to reduce lead paint exposure among children in low-income families. Most of the funding--$145 million--will go to projects to eliminate dangerous lead paint hazards in...

Research grants.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... RESEARCH GRANTS: The federal Child Care Bureau has awarded $146,844 to five universities under the Head Start Research Scholars program. Awards range from $27,853 to $30,000. Temple University will receive two grants, while Cornell University,...

SAC improves feelings of safety, but fails to improve academics.(school-age care)
October 20, 2004... Children receiving school-age care feel safer in these child care programs but show few gains on test scores, grades and other academic-oriented outcomes, a leading research firm says. Federally funded, school-based programs improve...

Congress leaves without final action on human service, welfare bills.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... Child care and Head Start programs face an uncertain funding future after Congress adjourned for the November elections without acting on a fiscal 2005 human service spending bill. Lawmakers are expected to return in mid-November for a...

The Bush administration.(George W. Bush)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... The Bush administration is providing $200 million to 37 states and Washington, D.C., as bonus grants for moving more individuals from welfare to work. Ohio claimed the largest bonus, $28.1 million, while Minnesota and New Jersey earned $12...

New legislation.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... New legislation from two senators would improve pediatric services for children with the HIV virus and AIDS. Sens. Christopher Dodd (DConn.) and Christopher Bond (R-Mo.) would renew and expand the Ryan White CARE Act, by placing greater...

The Department of Health and Human Services plans to award a single-source grant to the Aberdeen Area Tribal Chairman's Health Board for a Healthy Start infant mortality prevention project.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... The Department of Health and Human Services plans to award a single-source grant to the Aberdeen Area Tribal Chairman's Health Board for a Healthy Start infant mortality prevention project. The grant for $450,000 will focus on case management...

Congress must enact an "omnibus literacy bill" that values services for both adults and children, the president of ProLiteracy Worldwide says.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... Congress must enact an "omnibus literacy bill" that values services for both adults and children, the president of ProLiteracy Worldwide says. In a State of Literacy report at ProLiteracy's annual conference, Robert Wedgeworth says Congress...

The Children's Defense Fund has a new guide that summarizes the child care, health, education and early childhood development needs of American children.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... The Children's Defense Fund has a new guide that summarizes the child care, health, education and early childhood development needs of American children. A Nation and Century Defining Time: Where is America Going? An Action Guide also has...

More than 800 supporters of the federal Even Start program rallied in San Diego last week to express support for the family literacy program slated for elimination by President Bush and the U.S. Senate.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... More than 800 supporters of the federal Even Start program rallied in San Diego last week to express support for the family literacy program slated for elimination by President Bush and the U.S. Senate. Members of the National Even Start...

The federal Head Start Bureau.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... The federal Head Start Bureau will sponsor the first National Head Start Latino Institute Jan. 31-Feb. 4. The meeting will focus on issues facing Latino children and families and the benefits available through Head Start and Early Head Start...

Supporting an Early Learning Framework is a new technical assistance CD-ROM developed by the federal Child Care Bureau as part of the Good Start, Grow Smart initiative.(Resources)(Video Recording Review)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... Supporting an Early Learning Framework is a new technical assistance CD-ROM developed by the federal Child Care Bureau as part of the Good Start, Grow Smart initiative. The CD is available free from the National Child Care Information Center at...

The federal Child Care Bureau has a new technical bulletin to answer frequently asked questions about Child Care and Development Fund reporting requirement for Indian tribes.(Resources)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... The federal Child Care Bureau has a new technical bulletin to answer frequently asked questions about Child Care and Development Fund reporting requirement for Indian tribes. For more information, visit the Web at www.acf.hhs.gov/...

The Children's Aid Society has published its 2004 annual report, Growing Up Healthy: The Children's Aid Society's Prescription for Children.(Resources)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... The Children's Aid Society has published its 2004 annual report, Growing Up Healthy: The Children's Aid Society's Prescription for Children. For more information, contact the society at 105 E. 22nd St., New York, NY 10010, www....

Room Arrangement as a Teaching Strategy by Diane Trister Dodge and Bonnie Kittredge.(Resources)(Video Recording Review)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2004... Room Arrangement as a Teaching Strategy by Diane Trister Dodge and Bonnie Kittredge, is a new video or bilingual DVD that shows how a well-organized classroom promotes learning and community. The VHS tape is $39.95 and the DVD is $49.95 from...

Calendar.(Calendar)
October 20, 2004... * The National Association for the Education of Young Children will hold its annual meeting Nov. 10-13 in Anaheim, Calif. Contact: NAEYC, (202) 232-8777, www.naeyc.org. * Zero to Three's 19th National Training Institute: A Changing World...