Early Childhood Focus

Alabama sees Pre-K success

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:18:07 PST

EXCERPT FROM: WRBL
By Liz Buckthorpe
PHENIX CITY, Ala. -- Pre-K programs are said to be suffering across the nation. However according to Phenix City schools superintendant Dr. Larry DiChiara that is not the case across Alabama and certainly not true for Phenix City Schools.

Smart Horizons Institute Offers Florida Child Care Professional Credential (FCCPC) Program Online in English and Spanish

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:12:41 PST

EXCERPT FROM: PRWeb
By PRWeb
Smart Horizons Institute now offers the Florida Child Care Professional Credential(FCCPC) online for both English and Spanish speakers. The Florida Child Care Professional Credential (FCCPC) certificate focuses on the competencies required by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) for early childhood professionals seeking a Florida staff credential. The program provides early childhood professionals the skills and knowledge necessary for working with young children.

House panel unveils proposed education budget

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:41:39 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The Florida Times-Union
By Matt Dixon
The panel tasked with crafting the House's education budget unveiled their first proposal.

Why Family Meals Matter in Early Learning. Plus, The State of the Union and Early Education

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:04:17 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Birth to Thrive
By Paul Nyhan
We spend a lot of time writing about the importance of early intervention, research-based practices, proven curriculums, and public policies. But, there is another building block of early learning: the family dinner.

Apples and Oranges: Comparing the House and Senate ESEA Proposals

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:10:34 PST

EXCERPT FROM: New America Foundation
By Laura Bornfreund
Both the House and Senate are currently considering proposals to reauthorize No Child Left Behind, the 2001 iteration of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It is unlikely that either of these will actually become law; the Senate education committee�s comprehensive bill and the House education committee�s package of five bills have little in common and, in the House�s case, no bipartisan support, leaving few opportunities for compromise. It�s worth taking a close look at the proposals on the table, however, to get a feel for how each Congressional delegation is thinking about education policy. The bills take different paths in several areas, and below we highlight five: early learning, federal funding, school improvement, teacher and leader quality, and the future of Race to the Top and the Obama administration�s other education reform grant programs.

New Autism Definition Could Exclude Many From Diagnosis

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:29:28 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Education Week
By Nirvi Shah
A proposed new definition of autism could exclude many people now classified as having the disorder.

Expansion in pre-K programs curtailed in recession

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:14:34 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Boston.com
By Kimberly Hefling
The expansion in public prekindergarten programs has slowed and even been reversed in some states as school districts cope with shrinking budgets. As a result, many 3- and 4-year-olds aren�t going to preschool.

Child Care Centers Adapt to Round-the-Clock Demand

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:14:26 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The New York Times
By Sabrina Tavernise
ELYRIA, Ohio � Dinner (chicken and mashed potatoes) was long over, teeth were brushed, and a rousing game of Monopoly had come to a close. It was 9 p.m., and the children nestled into bed under blankets emblazoned with superheroes.

Federal Funding, Child Care and Jobs

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:11:46 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Huffington Post
By David Gray
Even as our nation's unemployment rate has fallen to 8.5%, unemployment remains stubbornly high in many areas. States like California, Nevada and Mississippi, in addition to Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, experience unemployment rates significantly above the national average.

Economy forces cutbacks at Clearfield emergency child care nursery

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:32:42 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The Salt Lake Tribune
By Brooke Adams
Clearfield � As the �for sale� sign in front of the Family Connection Center�s respite and crisis nursery buildings in Clearfield signals, it is not just the center�s clients that are in need of help.

Head Start programs could face disruptions in funding, operations

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:38:58 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Los Angeles Times
By Carla Rivera
At a Pomona preschool recently, children played with a large wooden train set, built a fort with colorful cardboard blocks and listened attentively as their teacher discussed ways to be safe in school and outdoors.

Challenges Lie Ahead for Early-Learning Grant Winners

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:51:27 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Education Week
By Lesli Maxwell
The nine states splitting $500 million in Race to the Top early-learning grants must now deliver on a slate of ambitious promises to improve the quality of early-childhood education for tens of thousands of low-income children who rely on a patchwork of publicly financed child-care and preschool programs.

Pre-K program organizers are trying to do the same with less

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:59:18 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The Times-News
By Chris Lavender
HAW RIVER � Jordan Claassen laughed and played with her classmates at Haw River Elementary School�s Pre-K class on Friday just before going to lunch.

St. Louis child-care centers under fire from regulators

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:40:43 PST

EXCERPT FROM: STL Today
By Nancy Cambria
ST. LOUIS � An affiliation of five child day care centers that collectively receives nearly $1 million in state child care subsidies is under fire from regulators for potential violations that include failing to pay taxes, maintain building inspections and report accurate enrollment figures.

Childcare providers say kids are too inactive

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:57:12 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Reuters
By Kerry Grens
(Reuters Health) - Potential playground hazards, a focus on classroom learning and boring play equipment have children spending too little time being physically active at daycare, according to a survey of staff members at child care centers in Ohio.

Some educators pushing for required preschool, all-day Kindergarten in Utah

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:27:39 PST

EXCERPT FROM: KSL.com
By Mary Richards
SALT LAKE CITY -- Countless studies have shown the benefit of preschool and all-day Kindergarten, but neither is required in the state of Utah. Some educators are saying they should be.

State budget cuts hit human services hard

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:21:41 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Citizens Voice
By David Singleton
The head of the Employment Opportunity and Training Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania said the tragedy of Gov. Tom Corbett's new budget cuts is not that state funding for the agency's Scranton Area Family Center will be slashed 10 percent.

Deal: State needs to add back 10 pre-k days

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:06:45 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By Nancy Badertscher
Lawmakers will be asked to restore some of the budget cuts that created an exodus of Georgia�s pre-kindergarten teachers, the governor's office said late Thursday.

Rising cost of child care

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:45:03 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The Observer
By Bill Rautenstrauch
OSU report: Child care prices on average increased 7 percent more than family incomes from 2004 to 2010.

Standards rise for child care industry

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:24:53 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Abilene Reporter-News
By Ethan Fowler
Although more training bodes well for parents with children in licensed day care, it may cost them more money.