The Answer to the Economic Crisis: Investing in the Future

Midterm election races are heating up, and of course the biggest issue is the economy. Each politician proclaims that their policies and programs will help rebuild the economy, but what if the solution was even simpler - investing in young children?

Entrepreneur and philanthropist J.B. Pritzker writes that "Only Kids Can Fix This Economy." Investing in early education pays high dividends, in the form of a competitive workforce, improved health outcomes, reduced crime and more. For Pritzker, the best way to strengthen our economy is to support early education through President Obama's proposed Early Learning Challenge Fund.

Click here to read the article and here to learn more about the Early Learning Challenge Fund!

The House began the process to reauthorize child nutrition programs last week with the rollout of a bipartisan bill called the Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act. The bill would provide $8 billion in increased funding over 10 years, but needs budget offsets to pay for the boost and is still short of the President's request for $10 billion over 10 years. The bill would improve access for children in home-based child care, as well as promote stronger collaboration and sharing of nutrition education between child care and WIC programs. The measure also includes several pilots to cover weekend and holiday feeding, green kitchens, and more. No date has been set for either a House markup or Senate floor consideration of child nutrition, but it is possible that the process will be completed by September 30.

There was a slight improvement on the broader funding front when the Senate added an extension of enhanced Medicaid funding for states (which is set to expire at the end of the year) back into a bill to extend certain tax provisions. ZERO TO THREE issued an advocacy alert last week to urge Senators to restore the funds, which help prevent state cuts to programs affecting children. Action on the bill stalled late last week, however, as Democratic leaders searched for the votes to move to final consideration of the bill.

The Memphis Housing Authority (MHA) has received a $22 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that includes funding for early childhood programs. The funds will be used to provide Community and Support Services (CSS) to children and their families as part of a plan to transform the Cleaborn Homes public housing development into a mixed-income community. The services stipulated in the grant include enrollment in Early Head Start and Head Start programs for eligible children and home visits to expectant parents. This is a reflection of the Obama Administration's efforts to broaden housing intervention beyond physical revitalization to include community development, and early childhood education specifically.

Read the full state policy update now!

Funding Opportunity Announcement: New Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Administration on Children and Families (ACF) have put forth the first Funding Opportunity Announcement as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 for the new Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. An estimated $90 million is expected to be awarded this summer and will fund evidence-based home visiting programs for children and families in at risk communities. The application deadline is July 09, 2010 at 8pm ET.

Report on State Funding of 2010 Early Learning and Care Programs
Early Care and Education State Budgets Action FY 2010, a report published by the National Conference of State Legislatures, is the result of surveying state legislatures on their 2009-2010 policy and program decisions related to early childhood education. The report, which profiles all 50 states, credits the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act with allowing states to increase appropriations for early learning and care last year.

SparkAction Goes Live!
ZERO TO THREE is pleased to announce the launch of SparkAction.org, a new online journalism and advocacy center dedicated to child and youth advocates. The mission of SparkAction.org is to strengthen connections between organizations and agencies dedicated to different parts of the child and youth field, in order to create a stronger and more united voice for young people. SparkAction is a one-stop site for stories, news and resources on a range of topics, and high-tech, interactive tools to help make your voice heard. ZERO TO THREE staff will periodically blog about infant-toddler policy issues on the SparkAction web site, so be sure to check it out!

Report Shows Important Benefits of Early Care for Mental Health
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently published a report, Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Young Children and their Families. The report follows the events of National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day (held in May) and discusses the benefits of systems of care, a community-based service delivery model that promotes positive mental health outcomes for children and their families. It also provides recent data showing how entering systems of care can decrease behavioral and emotional problems in young children.

Social-Emotional Wellbeing of Children in Part C Early Intervention Programs
The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) has a very new brief, Promoting the Social-emotional Wellbeing of Infants and Toddlers in Early Intervention Programs: Promising Strategies in Four Communities. The brief explains promising policies and practices used in four communities to support the social-emotional wellbeing of infants and toddlers through the Part C Program. It also shows the important role that Part C Early Intervention Programs contribute in reducing the risk of long-term social-emotional and behavioral difficulties of vulnerable children.