Early Childhood Focus

Child-care bill would provide babies new safeguards in Minnesota

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:31:55 PST

EXCERPT FROM: StarTribune
By Jeremy Olson and Brad Schrade
Alarmed by a rise in deaths among children in day care, a Faribault lawmaker has proposed that Minnesota hold child-care providers to a tougher standard of safe sleep practices.

Asleep at child care and in deadly peril

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:36:52 PST

EXCERPT FROM: StarTribune
By Jeremy Olson, Brad Schrade and Glenn Howatt
Robert Fletcher vividly remembers the call that changed his family forever.

Minnesota lags behind other states in safety training

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:54:28 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Star Tribune
By Jeremy Olson
Minnesota has some of the leanest training requirements in the nation with respect to preventing SIDS and limiting other infant hazards at licensed family child care.

State cuts threaten child care services

Sun, 06 May 2012 16:02:39 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Daily Chronicle
By Nicole Weskerna
Unless legislators secure supplemental funds for a state-subsidized child care program, results are feared to be catastrophic for many parents and child care providers.

Families protest cuts to subsidized child care

Thu, 03 May 2012 17:49:59 PST

EXCERPT FROM: News10.net
By The Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, CA - Hundreds of low-income families throughout California marched around the Capitol to protest the proposed $500 million cut to subsidized childcare.

Child Care Facilities May Be Forced to Close Due to Illinois Budget Deficit

Thu, 03 May 2012 17:46:52 PST

EXCERPT FROM: My Fox Chicago
By Joanie Lum
Chicago - Day care centers in Illinois are on the verge of collapse because the state can't pay its bills.

Henrico Childcare Closes With Little Notice

Thu, 03 May 2012 17:25:27 PST

EXCERPT FROM: WRIC.com
By STAFF
HENRICO COUNTY - A daycare in Henrico County has shut down with very little notice, after apparently filing for bankruptcy. Parents tell 8News they will not be allowed to return to retrieve their children's belongings.

Early quality child care, better in school

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:37:30 PST

EXCERPT FROM: UPI.com
By UPI STAFF
AUSTIN, Texas, April 27 (UPI) -- The quality of care children get before they start school is correlated with how well they do in school, U.S. researchers suggest.

D.C. seeks to speed up preschool improvements

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:15:02 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Washington Examiner
By Lisa Gartner
The District is trying to accelerate its progress in early childhood education, speeding up the time frame in which all preschool and prekindergarten teachers need to have bachelor's degrees, and setting other ambitious goals concerning the city's littlest learners.

Group says state is �shortchanging� children in spending on early education

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:57:56 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Radio Iowa
By Pat Curtis
The latest report from a public policy research group concerning the budget choices of state lawmakers compares the funding of early childhood education programs with spending on tax breaks for businesses. Lily French authored the report for the Iowa Fiscal Partnership.

Women's Caring Program Launches SPARK Program

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:26:44 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The Wall Street Journal, Market Watch
By PRNewswire
ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The Women's Caring Program board today announced SPARK, a new collaborative program that combines child care scholarships with quality assessments. The result: a better start for more of Michigan's youngest children.

Child Care Aware� of America and thread Honor Senator Mark Begich During Week of the Young Child (April 22-28)

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:41:15 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Alaska Business Monthly
By STAFF
Arlington, VA -- Child Care Aware� of America (formerly NACCRRA) joins with thread, Alaska�s Child Care Resource and Referral organization, in honoring Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) for his work on behalf of young children during the �Week of the Young Child.�

Montgomery council proposes to add $500,000 to budget for child care subsidies

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:27:03 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Gazette.net
By Jen Bondeson
With 2,000 needy children on waitlists to receive child care, Montgomery County Council members want to see that, in fiscal 2013, the needs of more preschoolers are met.

With few resources, child care a burden for many graduate student-parents

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:48:49 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Columbia Spectator
By Naomi Cohen
Meagan Bond, a School of Social Work student and the mother of a three-year-old, could buy a small island with her school loans. Besides tuition, Bond has borrowed $10,000 in loans to pay for the expenses of raising her son and sending him to a Brooklyn child care center because Columbia offers no equivalent. With her parenting duties taking up so much of her time, she says she can only retain half of what she learns in her classes.

Child-care advocates fear cuts in state funding

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:21:11 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The Charleston Gazette
By Lori Kersey
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Child-care advocates in West Virginia are worried that state officials may cut subsidies for child care to working families. State officials say no decisions about such cuts have been made.

Cuts threaten child care

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:07:49 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Springfield News-Leader
By Josh Nelson
JEFFERSON CITY � It took Springfield resident Ashley Crossland eight months to find work after graduating from college in July.

DCFS can't keep up with child care duties

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:54:28 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Chicago Tribune
By Christy Gutowski and Bill Ruthhart
The state agency charged with ensuring the safety of children in about 12,300 day care facilities across Illinois has failed to inspect more than half of them annually as required by law, the Tribune has learned.

Louisiana Takes Big Steps to Improve Early-Childhood Education

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:11:52 PST

EXCERPT FROM: Education Week
By Julie Rasicot
Louisiana preschoolers should have a better chance of being ready for kindergarten now that the state is taking major steps to improve early-childhood education.

TEACH scholarships invest in early education

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:26:31 PST

EXCERPT FROM: The Columbia Daily Tribune
By Penny Mosher
Missouri is one of 23 states that are participating in a nationwide movement to improve the quality of early learning for all children.

Child care can cost more than college

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:06:22 PST

EXCERPT FROM: RVANews
By Alex Wiggans
Think tuition is high at VCU? The cost of putting a child in the university�s day care center can be even higher. The VCU Child Development Center charges $820 a month for children 3 and under, and $700 a month for older children. In contrast, tuition and mandatory fees for in-state undergraduate students total $9,517 this year � which works out to about $793 a month. And typical college students don�t have to worry about the extra charge parents must pay if they�re late picking up their child from the development center: It�s $5 for every minute after the facility closes at 5:45 p.m.