Early Childhood Focus

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.

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.

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.

Moving Forward With Proven Early Learning Improvements in Education Reform

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:00:29 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Birth to Thrive Online
By Paul Nyhan
It looks like Congress will not rewrite the No Child Left Behind Act this year, which gives policymakers more time to debate how to reform education policies when federal resources are scarce.

What States Would Do if They Won the Early Learning Challenge

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:16:41 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Early Ed Watch Blog
By Laura Bornfreund
Sometime in the next few weeks, the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services will announce the winners of the Race to the Top � Early Learning Challenge competition. A total of 35 states, DC and the Puerto Rico submitted applications vying for a slice of the $500 million pie, and insiders have predicted that a much smaller number � probably fewer than a dozen � will win.

Morris seeks child care facilities

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:03:15 PST

EXCERPT FROM: NorthJersey.com
By STAFF
The Morris County Department of Human Services is seeking applications from child care centers in the county willing to assist low-income families by participating in a dedicated voucher program.

Race To The Top Early Education Challenge Receives Applications From 35 States, D.C. And Puerto Rico

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:04:53 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Huff Post-Education
By Staff
The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services announced today that 35 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico have submitted applications for the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge.

Georgia Pursuing $70 Million, Second Race to Top Grant

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:18:56 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By Nancy Badertscher
GEORGIA � Georgia officials are hoping for a $70 million federal cash prize aimed at improving school readiness for the state�s 825,000 youngest children, especially the 54 percent identified as low income.

State Lines Up for Share of Early-Learning Grants

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:46:49 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The Columbus Dispatch
By Catherine Candisky
Ohio could get as much as $70 million in federal money to help better prepare youngsters for kindergarten.

U.S. Child Obesity Reduction Program Test

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:24:50 PST

EXCERPT FROM: UPI.com
By STAFF
ATLANTA, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Health officials will test ways primary care and public health facilities can help reduce U.S. child obesity, officials say.

Central Louisiana Parents Value Good Child-care Providers, Owners Say

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:04:13 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The Town Talk
By Warren Hayes
Jessie "Sissy" Pace of Dry Prong sees rising day-care costs as a costly necessity.

Senate Panel Explores Need for Changes to Child Care Law

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:38:24 PST

EXCERPT FROM: New America Foundation (Blog)
By Clare McCann
The quality and safety of child care was a key topic at a hearing held yesterday on Capitol Hill. A subcommittee in the U.S. Senate heard testimony on the need to update the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), a federal law overdue for reauthorization that provides funding to states to subsidize child care costs for low-income families. Advocacy groups for children and working parents have pressed for the next iteration of the law to focus on improving families� access to quality programs.

Report: Child Poverty Rate Hits 20 Percent in US as Families Struggle

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:12:18 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The Christian Science Monitor
By Brad Knickerbocker
There has been a "significant decline" in economic well-being for low-income children and families over the past decade as the official child poverty rate grew by 18 percent and poverty levels for families with children increased in 38 states, according to a new study.

BLOG: Parents Sound Off On The Economics Of Child Care

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:28:19 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The Baby Project
By Erin Killian
To tap into the hushed discussions about day care that take place alongside soccer fields or among trusted friends, All Things Considered co-host Michele Norris assembled a group of middle-class parents. (Part 2 of the conversation airs tonight on All Things Considered.) All are from Washington, D.C., where day care costs can be quite high.

5 Things to Know About Crib Safety

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:01:13 PST

EXCERPT FROM: New Milford Patch
By Tracy Montgomery
The Consumer Product Safety Commission voted in December 2010 to toughen up safety standards and requirements for all cribs purchased in the United States after facing the recall of more than 11 million cribs in the past five years. Daycare centers, crib rental agencies and more will have to purchase the cribs and replace all outdated cribs that don't meet the new standards by December 2012.

New Data Reveals the Real Problem in Education

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:45:52 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The Washington Post
By Valerie Strauss
Three thousand high schools across the country serving nearly half a million students had no math classes higher than Algebra 1 in the 2009-10 academic year, and more than 2 million students in about 7,300 schools had no access to calculus classes, according to federal data released this week.

New Race to Top Stresses Pre-K Tests, Early Ed. Program Ratings

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:42:53 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Education Week
By Michele McNeil
To win a grant in the U.S. Department of Education's new Race to the Top competition for early-childhood education aid, states will have to develop rating systems for their programs, craft appropriate standards and tests for young children, and set clear expectations for what teachers should know.

Childcare Children Learn About Food Through Hands-on Learning/Growing

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:29:18 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The Holland
By Megan Schmidt
Holland, MI � Two years ago, Lori Boeve had children at her day care who had never seen a pineapple.

Study Highlights the 25-Year Impact of a Chicago PreK-3rd Program

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:34:38 PST

EXCERPT FROM: New America Foundation
By Lisa Guernsey
You�d be hard-pressed to find a more solid case for the importance of good early education: A study published late last week by Science shows that attendance at the Chicago Parent-Child Centers � a program designed to extend from pre-k through 3rd grade in the inner city�s public schools � is connected to a person�s success in life 25 years later.

Learning Network Partnership to Focus on Preschool, Parenting in Kalamazoo

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:23:10 PST

EXCERPT FROM: MLive.com
By Julie Mack
KALAMAZOO � In Michigan, any day-care operation can call itself a preschool � there are no educational requirements for teachers, no curriculum standards for students.