Early Learning Update

 Public Perception  FFY 2014 Funded Initiatives  FFY 2015 Funding  Strong Start Legislation  Other Legislation

First Five Years Fund Public Poll Just Released

       85% of voters rank “ensuring children get a strong start” as an important national priority Only “increasing jobs and economic growth” has more priority Ranked above “improving the quality of our public schools” and “reducing the tax burden on families.” 76% of voters want Congress/President to act within 2 years 60% of Republicans and 84% of Democrats ranked as priority Swing voters also supported priority  80% of Hispanics  75% of moderates  72 % of suburban women National Day of Action - July 23 rd -Encouraged to ask Congress to increase investments in early learning.

FFY 2014 Funding Levels

 $154 million increase for the CCDBG  $194 million increase for WIC  $1.025 billion increase for Head Start  $400 million for Head Start  $100 million for COLA  $25 million for redesignation activities  $500 million for the expansion of Early Head Start and for new discretionary Early Head Start /Child Care Partnership grants

FFY 2014 Appropriations Bill New Preschool Grants

       $250 million for grants to States for preschool grants Several application public comment periods – over 500 comments and one public hearing Applications to be released this summer Grants to be awarded to states by December 2014 Both Development and Expansion available Jointly administered by Education and HHS States apply for grants to build the capacity to develop, enhance or expand high-quality preschool programs

FFY 2014 Appropriation -Early Head Start/Child Care Partnerships

     ACF announced $500 million funding opportunity To expand access to high-quality, comprehensive services for low-income infants & toddlers & families Supports creation of Early Head Start – Child Care (EHS-CC) Partnerships and expansion of EHS Encourages collaboration between new/ existing EHS grantees & child care providers to improve quality & expand access to high-quality care. Applications due 8/20/14 and FAQ just released   www.zerotothree.org/ehs-ccpartnerships http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/grants/ehs-ccp

Partnership Overview Resources

 Read the Technical Assistance guide, 101: Early Head Start and Child Care Partnerships  Explore additional webinars, tools, and resources related to the partnerships  Link to announcement http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/foa/view/ HHS-2015-ACF-OHS-HP-0814

President’s Budget FFY 2015



Head Start, Early Head Start

: $270 million increase in discretionary funds, 

Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships

: $800 million increase in discretionary funds 

Preschool Development Grants

: an additional $250 million increase in discretionary funds 

Child Care & Development Block Grant

: $57 million increase in discretionary funds

President’s Budget – FFY 2015



IDEA Part C early intervention

: a $3.3 million increase for early intervention.



IDEA 619 special education

: frozen at last year’s funding level.



Voluntary home visiting (MCVIE)

: $100 million increase in mandatory funds over the current authorized levels for a total of $500 million in FY 2015; a request for $15 billion over ten years

Senate Subcommittee FFY 2015



Head Start

increase - $8.74 billion, a $145 million 

Preschool Development Grants

million, a $100 million increase.

- $350 

Child Care:

$2.46 billion

Race to the Top Early Learning

 First year of the RTT-ELC competition, 9 states funded (CA, DE, MA, MD, MN, NC, OH, RI, WA)  In 2012, five more states (CO, IL, NM, OR, and WI) were funded  Six new awards, $280 million in Fall 2013 Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont  More information about the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge

New Early Learning Legislation

 S. 1697 and H.R. 3461  “Strong Start for America’s Children Act”  Introduced in November 2013 to authorize the President's Early Learning initiative  No mandatory funding; does not include the tobacco tax increases  Funds dependant on the annual appropriations process 11

Outline of the Bill

 Title I – Prekindergarten Access  Title II – Early Learning Quality Partnerships  Title III – Child Care  Title IV – Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program  Sense of the Senate 12

Coalition Recommendations Submitted Related to IDEA



New purpose statements

“to increase access to appropriate supports so children with disabilities and other special populations can fully participate in high quality early education programs” 

Funding set-aside

for preschool students with disabilities reserve, at a minimum,

5% for 619



Funding set-aside

for infants & toddlers with disabilities reserve, at a minimum,

5% for Part C

 New expanded

screening requirements

Senate Mark-up Up of Bill

 Chairman Harkin’s bill was voted out of committee for floor consideration in May 2014  Senator Alexander offered amendment “Early Learning Innovation and Flexibility Act of 2014”  Block grant of federal early childhood programs at state level including IDEA  Voted down on party lines

House Plans

 House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN):  “The president and I agree more can be done to help kids get an early start on the path to success,… However, with 45 federal programs tied to early childhood development and a $13 billion annual taxpayer investment, we owe it to the American people to examine the strengths and weaknesses of current initiatives before crafting new ones.”

Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2013

    S. 1086 –Senate passed 96-2 To reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) First time in over 17 years. Bipartisan bill requires states ensure child care providers receiving CCDBG funding:  Comprehensive background check,  Basic minimum training in health and safety practices, and  An annual unannounced inspection.  House held hearing 16

House Plan on CCDBG

Chairman Klein -

“Senate passage of legislation to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant is a step forward in the shared goal of strengthening the nation’s existing network of early childhood services. The bill includes several commonsense provisions that will help empower parents and enhance coordination between CCDBG and other federal early care programs, such as Head Start. The committee will convene a hearing on March 25, 2014 to examine House priorities for CCDBG, and I look forward to a productive discussion as we work to find common ground and complete the reauthorization of this important program.”

Other Early Learning Bills

 Home Visiting was reauthorized in March – was facing hard sunset September 30, 2014  Combating Autism Act faces hard sunset in Septemebr 2014  Other EC bills  Franken (D MN) and Rep. Clark’s (D-MA) infant and toddler bills to strengthen the quality of infant and toddler child care.

 Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL) the Working Families Child Care Act

“Schedules That Work Act”

 To be introduced by George Miller and Rosa DeLauro on July 22 nd  To provide workers with a greater say in their work schedules, and more predictable and stable schedules  Make it easier to maintain stable child care and provide a stable home life for their children.  More stable schedules and more stability and certainty for child care providers.

Current Head Start Profiles

     Posted March 19, 2014 CLASP announced the release of its 2012 Head Start State Profiles (March 2014) and a new interactive map Provides state-by-state data on all Head Start programs in the state: Early Head Start, Head Start preschool, and Migrant/Seasonal Head Start. Include information on Head Start participants, families, staff, and programs. Based on the 2012 Program Information Report (PIR) data, which all Head Start programs are required to complete on an annual basis

Current Child Care Profiles

      Child Care Aware released 2014 “Child Care in America Today” Nearly 11 million children under age 5 are in some type of child care setting every week.

On average, the children of working mothers spend 36 hours a week in such care. About one-third of these children are in multiple child care arrangements. Parents have a hard time finding child care, a harder time affording it, and too often it is of dubious quality.

http://www.naccrra.org/public-policy/resources/child care-state-fact-sheets-0

Civil Rights Data Released

 2011-12 CRDC collection: Issue Brief #1 March 2014 

Suspension of preschool children.

Black students represent 18 percent of preschool enrollment but 42 percent of preschool students suspended once, and 48 percent of the preschool students suspended more than once.

Learn more about the CRDC at ocrdata.ed.gov

Make sure you are signed up for …

 US Dept of Education's

Office of Early Learning list serv and monthly newsletter at www.ed.gov/early-learning

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