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Early Edition: January 2008 Advocacy Tip of the Season Each quarter the Early Edition newsletter will now offer an Advocacy Tip for the Season. The purpose of this tip is to identify grassroots advocacy opportunities and offer strategies to effectively engage elected officials during the different seasons of the year. Spring Tip: It’s that time again - the time when state senators and representatives from across
On July 1 of 2007,
Quality Counts is funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services and is available to License-Exempt Family Child Care Providers, Licensed Family/Group Home Child Care Providers, and Licensed Centers (License-Exempt Centers will need to become licensed in order to participate) who serve children eligible for the IDHS Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).
Technical assistance, training and support will be offered to providers through their local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency. Interested providers who would like to apply must attend QRS orientations offered by CCR&R’s throughout the state. For specific information about the Quality Counts: Quality Rating System, visit the INCCRRA website (http://www.inccrra.org/overview.aspx?id=3801).
Federal Budget for 2009 Signed: Just before the holidays, the President signed a package of appropriation bills for FY09. Advocates had been hopeful earlier in the year, when both the House and Senate had proposed modest funding increases for a number of programs, including Head Start and the Child Care and Development Grant, however, the President was opposed to Congress’ proposed increases and vetoed the bill sent to him. Congress was unable to override that veto, and as a result, had to develop a budget within the President’s constraints. All of these changes were put into an “omnibus” spending bill, containing all of the major federal departments’ budgets, which was then signed into law by the President. In the final budget, most of the earlier proposed increases were cut back. Through a technical error, Head Start funding was cut by almost $11 million. CCDBG received level funding, while funding for other early learning programs such as services for infants, toddlers and preschoolers with disabilities; Campus-Based Child Care (CAMPIS); Even Start; and Early Reading First, were also slightly cut back. Head Start Reauthorization Process Finally Completed: Also in December, the President signed the Head Start Act, concluding the reauthorization process that began in 2003. Significant improvements were made to the program, including an increased proportion of program expansion funds being directed toward Early Head Start programs, increased flexibility for programs to convert Head Start funds to serve more infants and toddlers, and allows for increased income eligibility for some children. It also terminates the National Reporting System and sets goals for increased teacher qualifications. Unfortunately, the benefits of many of these improvements will not be realized until Congress can provide more funds. Focus on the Issue: Home-visiting “I first found out about this program after my son was born. I knew that having a child was not going to be easy. When my home visitor asked if I wanted to be in the program, I was expecting a support group and just a little help but it turned out to be more. When you have someone who is willing to step in and say ‘I’m here to help,’ that means a lot. With support, you feel more confident. There are a lot of things I know I can do now. I got my GED and I am working as an assistant to a physically disabled woman. Seeing me try harder makes my kids do better. Looking back over the past five years, without the program, I probably wouldn’t have shined as bright as I do today.” - Shauna Braner, home-visiting participant
Across the state, there are hundreds of moms like Shauna and their children that are shining brighter because of home-visiting. In these programs, in-home parent coaches work with families on a voluntary basis - starting in pregnancy and during the first three years of a child’s life - to promote healthy development and early learning by helping to build strong parent-child relationships. Because of the dramatic brain development of children in the first three years of life, home-visiting is especially crucial for many families across our state who are struggling with multiple risk factors such as poverty, perinatal depression and language barriers. In
In order to secure increased funding for home-visiting, legislators need to hear from you. Please stay tuned for more information on how you can participate in advocacy this spring. Early Childhood Block Grant Update On January 17th, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) voted to approve their budget recommendations for Fiscal Year 2009. An increase of $45 million was suggested for the Early Childhood Block Grant. This increase is in line with the originally proposed $45 million each year for three years (FY07, FY08, and FY09) but fails to make up for the expansion opportunity that was missed last year. In FY08, while missing the funding goal, the Early Childhood Block Grant was increased by almost $30 million. That increase allowed 78 ISBE programs to offer new or expanded Preschool for All programs to children aged 3- and 4-years-old. ISBE was able to fund only six of the 145 applications it received for the Prevention Initiative - a mere four percent - driving home the fact that we have a long way to go to meet the need for infant and toddler programs. Be on the lookout for news of the Governor’s budget address on February 20th to learn how the Early Childhood Block Grant fares in his proposal, and be sure to participate in the advocacy opportunities that will arise. All of our voices will be necessary to ensure that funding for early childhood programs in Ounce of Prevention Fund Legislative Agenda FY09 Each year, the Ounce of Prevention Fund develops a comprehensive legislative agenda promoting continued support and expansion of early childhood initiatives. Our Legislative Agenda for Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) is as follows: Remove sunset language from Preschool for All statute Preschool for All was created in 2006 from the Statewide PreK At-Risk program, making Increase funding for early childhood education
While we have made tremendous progress on preschool expansion in recent years, we are serving just over half of the 3- and 4-year old children whose parents are expected to choose to enroll them. Increased funding will also expand programs for infants and toddlers who are most at-risk and provide for investments in program quality and accountability measures. Continue our investments in young children’s learning by providing an increase of $68 million in FY09 for Preschool for All. This amount is needed to ensure the program reaches the original goal in five years and begins to meet the dramatically increased demand for services for families with infants and toddlers.
Increase the Infant-Toddler Set-Aside in the Early Childhood Block Grant Quality preschool is critical, but for some children, it can be too little, too late.
Increase funding for home-based parent coaching programs
Home visiting has been shown to be an effective way to bring families and resources together to ensure that children grow up healthy and ready to learn. Research-based home visiting programs have been shown to positively impact children’s literacy and high school graduation rates, the likelihood that families have a medical home, and reduction in rates of child maltreatment. However, in
Provide capital funding to preschool programs
Young children need safe, welcoming and developmentally appropriate environments to stimulate learning. Yet, in certain areas around the state, families’ demand for preschool outpaces the availability of high-quality learning space. Ensure special consideration of the facility needs of early childhood education in any capital program prioritizing capital funding for those communities with a demonstrated gap between needs and current capacities.
Increase funding for children’s mental health services, especially for young children Neuroscience research shows that the quality of relationships that children have during the first five years of life helps sculpt the architecture of the brain and greatly impacts the social and emotional foundation on which children’s learning develops. One national study shows that preschoolers are more than three times more likely to be expelled from programs due to behavior problems than students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Increased resources are needed to expanded early intervention, consultation, treatment and workforce development for mental health services for young children and their families. Support the Support stable, high quality care in Illinois’ Child Care System Research indicates stable, high-quality care is crucial for the healthy development and later school readiness of children. Yet, the stability and quality of care are compromised when low-income, working parents in Illinois pay a higher percentage of their income toward child care costs than middle and higher-income families; and when reimbursements to providers remain well below what is needed to cover the cost of providing high-quality care. Support stable, high-quality child care in the Child Care Assistance Program by reducing family co-payment fees, providing a cost-of-doing business increase in provider reimbursement rates, and funding for the Quality Rating System. Reimburse schools for transporting preschool children One of the barriers to preschool participation for some children is a lack of transportation to programs. Often, this barrier affects children in families who face the greatest challenges and would benefit from the services the most. Although state-funded Early Childhood Block Grant programs can build transportation costs into their programmatic budgets, the lack of an independent funding stream for transportation often forces providers to use funds for transportation that would otherwise be used to ensure quality services for children and families. Support efforts to provide reimbursement to school districts for transporting preschool children. For more information, contact Ireta Gasner at the Ounce of Prevention Fund, 312/453-1924.
Sidebar Items
Early Childhood Key Contacts Advocacy Call this Friday, February 1 from
New Federal Funding
Early Childhood Mental Health Treatment grants awarded! In December, the Division of Mental Health awarded the first ever set of grants to community mental health centers funding mental health treatment programs for children age birth to five and their families. After the competitive RSP process, the following organizations received funding: Metropolitan Family Services - Southeast Chicago Service Area, Sinnissippi Centers, Inc., Children's Home Association of Illinois, Transitions of Western Illinois, and Chestnut Health Systems
Reports Implementing Policies to Reduce the Likelihood of Preschool Expulsion by Walter S. Gilliam (January, 2008). In a new policy brief, Dr. Walter Gilliam of Supporting Families, Nurturing Young Children: Early Head Start Programs in 2006 by Elizabeth Hoffmann and Danielle Ewen. This policy brief analyzes the 2006 Program Information Reports (PIR) data for the Early Head Start program, which serves children under age 3 and pregnant women. http://clasp.org/publications/ehs_brief9.pdf
Events SAVE THE DATE Early Childhood Lobby Day “Leadership Connections”
The 33rd Annual Perinatal Conference “Genetics - A Family Affair” |