The ZERO TO THREE Policy Center announces the release of a new video, A Window to the World: Promoting Early Language and Literacy Development, which illustrates how early language and literacy development contributes to a child’s success throughout life. As an infant-toddler advocate, you can use this video to garner support for early learning policies that emphasize the important role of parents and professionals beginning at birth. Play the video right from our web site and show it to policymakers, advocates, community partners, and others.

Download September's Advocacy Developmental Milestone Calendar

As the November elections approach, you have the opportunity to educate the candidates in your state about why early experiences matter. There are many ways you can participate in the electoral process as an individual who has research, knowledge, and expertise to share. Your advocacy challenge this month is to attend a candidate event and share your policy ideas with all of the candidates at the event. Download September's Advocacy Developmental Milestone Calendar now!

Federal Policy Update

Congress took several actions important to infants and toddlers before leaving for its August State and District Work Period (aka "recess"). The Senate Appropriations Committee approved funding for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, echoing the strong support for child care and early learning programs shown by the House Appropriations Committee. Increases included $990 million for Head Start/Early Head Start and $1 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), amounts sufficient to continue the funding gains achieved in the stimulus package last year. Part C Early Intervention would receive an additional $20 million. The Committee also included $300 million for the President’s Early Learning Challenge Fund, to help states build stronger and more effective early learning systems. Final numbers will likely have to wait until after the election.

In addition, the Children First Act of 2010 (S. 3667 and H.R. 5938) was introduced in the Senate by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and in the House by Representative Joe Crowley (D-NY). It would increase mandatory child care funding by $800 million in FY 2011, adjusting for inflation annually after that. The Senate passed the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 (S.3307) to reauthorize child nutrition programs including the Child and Adult Care Food Program. The bill increases funding by $4.5 billion over ten years – the largest funding increase ever, but something short of the levels proposed by President Obama. Troubling to many advocates is the use of $2.2 billion in cuts to future SNAP funding to partially offset the cost of the bill. The House needs to pass its own bill before the program expires at the end of September.

Most of your Members of Congress will be in their states until Congress reconvenes on September 14. This is a prime opportunity to talk with them about the importance of continuing investments in very young children, even with concerns about the deficit. Click here for talking points to guide you in your discussions.

As part of New Jersey's implementation of their Comprehensive Home Visiting System Model, six regions have designated central intake agencies to facilitate the referral process from providers and match families with the appropriate home visiting program and/or family support services. By processing all referrals through a single agency in each region, New Jersey is increasing coordination between programs, limiting duplication of services, and improving the utilization of available resources. Before the implementation of the central intake system, it was not uncommon for home visiting programs to be competing for referrals with other programs or for families to be receiving services from multiple agencies simultaneously. This system approach helps to minimize these problems and builds positive interagency relationships and collaboration.

Read the full state policy update now!

Register now for the Birth to Three Institute!
Registration is now open for the 14th Annual Birth to Three Institute, which will be held in Washington, D.C. on October 25-28, 2010. The Institute provides an opportunity for program staff to access the latest information and resources related to infant and toddler services and programs. This year's theme is Looking Forward from 2010: Keeping Infants, Toddlers and Families at the Heart of Early Head Start Services. Register online now through October 1.

New Data Resource
The Annie E. Casey Foundation published their 2010 KIDS Count Data Book, which provides national and state-by-state profiles of the status of America's children, and ranks states on 10 measures of well-being.

New Study on Variations in Quality of Child Care
The Urban Institute has published Understanding Quality in Context: Child Care Centers, Communities, Markets, and Public Policy, a study that focuses on child care center directors to better understand why there is so much variation in the quality of child care, and how public initiatives can better help poor-quality programs improve. Using data from in-depth interviews and classroom observations, the research considers the relationship between various factors-including director and program characteristics, market forces, and federal state and local policies-and program quality.

New Study on Rising Costs of Child Care
The National Association of Child Care Research and Referral Agencies (NACCRA) recently published Parents and the High Cost of Child Care: 2010 Update, highlighting the increasingly high cost of child care across the country. The report finds that the averages center-based child care fees for an infant exceeded the average annual amount that families spent on food in every region of the United States.