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2008 |
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| 2008
Have You Heard Archive: 2006 Have You Heard? 2007 Have You Heard? |
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| Date Posted: | |
| September 5, 2008 | Parents And The High Price of Child Care: 2008 Update (June 2008) |
The report provides state-by-state data on the average costs of child care for infants and 4-year-olds in center-based care and family child care. Overall, the report found that child care remains expensive for families, particularly single-parent families. The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies |
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| September 5, 2008 | Getting Over the Slump: Innovation Strategies to Promote Children's Learning (June, 2008) |
In this report, Arizona State University professor James Paul Gee proposes a new policy framework for using digital technologies and different assessment techniques to avoid the "fourth-grade reading slump." Gee examines how conventional and "new" literacy strategies can converge with emerging media to produce a new learning equation. the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Seasame Workshop |
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| August 29, 2008 | State Initiatives to Expand on Early Head Start (August 14, 2008) |
CLASP and ZERO TO THREE conducted in-depth interviews with 10 states taking actions to build on Early Head Start. These individual profiles of state initiatives include data on the approaches used to build on Early Head Start, the state program, funding and supports, governance and coordination, and monitoring and evaluation. See also Building on the Promise: State Initiatives to Expand Access to Early Head Start for Young Children and Their Families for an analysis of all 20 states building on Early Head Start and recommendations for states. Center for Law and Social Policy |
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| August 29, 2008 | Family Child Care Ratios and Group Sizes: Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care Research-Based Rationale (August, 2008) |
This rationale presents research on the effects of ratios and groups sizes on babies in family child care. As part of the Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care project, this rationale supports the Policy Framework’s Recommendation #7: Ensure babies and toddlers in family child care are in small groups with sufficient numbers of providers. Center for Law and Social Policy |
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| August 29, 2008 | Continuity of Care: Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care Research-Based Rationale (August, 2008) |
This rationale presents research on attachment relationships and stable care for babies. As part of the Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care project, this rationale supports the Policy Framework’s Recommendation #3: Support continuous relationships between providers and caregivers and the children they care for, from when they enter child care to age three. Center for Law and Social Policy |
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| August 29, 2008 | Center Ratios and Group Sizes: Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care Research-Based Rationale (August, 2008) |
The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, and National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care collaborated to develop national health and safety performance standards called Caring for Our Children to help state licensing agencies. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation requirements include recommended ratio provisions. Center for Law and Social Policy |
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| August 22, 2008 | Music Eases Transitions and Encourages Learning (August, 2008) |
Music is a natural way for children to explore the world and to interact with their social environment. It can motivate and encourage young children’s learning and development during daily transitions and routines. Below are several resources on incorporating music into young children’s routines. FPG Child Development Institute |
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| August 22, 2008 | After Abuse: Early Intervention Services for Infants and Toddlers (August, 2008) |
By law each state is required to ensure that all substantiated cases of maltreated infants and toddlers are referred to Part C early intervention services. In reality, many children may not be receiving the child development services they need. FPG Child Development Institute |
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| August 18, 2008 | Too young to leave the nest? The effects of school starting age (June 21, 2008) |
For this study, three economists examined the effects of school starting ages using a large sample from the Norwegian army. They found that higher school starting age leads to lower earnings until about age 30. After about age 30, the estimates for earnings become close to zero and are almost always statistically insignificant. VOX |
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| August 18, 2008 | "Who's the Boss?" Young Children's Power and Influence in an Early Childhood Classroom (Spring 2008) |
This paper explores how teachers may inadvertently empower some children while disenfranchising others in the classroom. Teachers' responses to the most powerful children in their classroom showed that in order to empower all children, sometimes it was necessary to disempower some children. Observations demonstrate ways teachers often ignore this aspect of power dynamics, missing opportunities to raise critical questions about their own and children's behaviors. The study deconstructs some taken-for-granted early childhood practices. Early Childhood Research and Practice |
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| August 12, 2008 | Summary of the Child Development and Care Program Performance Audit (August 11, 2008) |
The following information was compiled after a review of the findings of the recent Auditor General's report on the Child Development and Care Program in the Department of Human Services. Michigan House Fiscal Agency |
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| August 12, 2008 | Ensuring Quality Care for Low-Income Babies Contracting Directly with Providers to Expand and Improve Infant and Toddler Care (June 30, 2008) |
The supply of high-quality infant and toddler child care is limited, particularly for low-income families. While most states provide child care assistance through vouchers or certificates, states have the option of contracting directly with providers to expand infant/toddler care for low-income families. Based on interviews with state policymakers, this paper explains how states are using contracts to create or stabilize care in particular communities or for specific populations; to create child care slots meeting quality standards important for infants and toddlers; to extend the day for infants and toddlers served in Early Head Start; and to improve the quality of infant/toddler family child care. Center for Law and Social Policy |
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| August 12, 2008 | Child Well-Being Index (CWI) 2008 Report (July, 2008) |
This report notd that the quality of life of American children has been stalled since 2002. The 2008 CWI also compared the well-being of teenagers in the first part of this decade (2003-2005) with the well-being of teenagers in the early years of the study (1975-1977). The teenagers of 1975-1977 are likely to include many who are now the parents of teenagers. Foundation for Child Development |
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| August 12, 2008 | Education Policy in the Next Administration (July 24, 2008) |
Education advisers to presumptive Presidential nominees, Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama, were invited to speak about education policy.The discussion focused on how federal policies could improve educational and teacher quality. The forum also featured the first in-depth discussion of early education issues by education advisers from both campaigns Foundation for Child Development (FCD) and the New America Foundation |
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| August 12, 2008 | Partnering with the Private and Philanthropic Sectors: A Governor's Guide to Investing in Early Childhood (Summer, 2008) |
This report from the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices describes the nature and activities of early education public-private partnerships, aiming to help governors and policymakers understand the roles they will play if they pursue such partnerships. National Governors Association |
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| August 12, 2008 | Effects of Preschool Curriculum Programs on School Readiness: Report from the Preschool Curriculum Evaluation Research Initiative (July, 2008) |
This final report of the Preschool Curriculum Evaluation Research initiative has been released by the Institute of Education Sciences. It contains findings for the impact of each of 14 preschool curricula on five student-level outcomes and six classroom-level outcomes. Ten curricula show no statistically significant impacts on any of the student-level measures while five show significant impacts on some measures. National Center for Educational Research |
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| August 12, 2008 | Professional Development: The Landscape of Opportunity in Early Care and Education (Summer, 2008) |
In its position statement on professional development, NAEYC reinforces the prevailing wisdom of the field that early childhood staff should have ongoing training to improve their knowledge and practice. While state licensing standards interpret this recommendation differently, leaders in the field are in staunch agreement that professional development is an essential component of administering high-quality programs.McCormick Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership, National-Louis University |
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| August 8, 2008 | Infants and Toddlers in the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program (August 4, 2008) |
CCDBG is the primary source of federal funding for child care subsidies for low-income working families and funds to improve child care quality. CCDBG provides child care assistance to children from birth to age 13. In fiscal year 2008, CCDBG provided $5 billion in federal funding, with states expected to contribute an additional $2 billion to draw down all federal funds. This fact sheet highlights key information about infants and toddlers and CCDBG. Center for Law and Social Policy |
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| July 17, 2008 | National Survey – Likely General Election Voters (June 17, 2008) |
To determine public
opinion on the presidential election and issues facing children and
families, the Every Child Matters Education Fund commissioned a nationwide
telephone survey of 800 registered voters, representing a crosssection
of the voting public, who say they are likely to vote in the 2008 general
election. See
additional data analysis. |
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| July 17, 2008 | State Advisory Councils: Creating Systems of Early Education and Care (June 17, 2008) |
This policy brief
outlines the key components of successful state early learning councils. It
provides an overview of the language in the new Head Start Act that
creates the
Early Learning Councils and provides a set of lessons learned from states
that have created similar councils. The brief also provides a set of
appendices with resources for policymakers who are just beginning the
process of establishing early learning councils. |
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| July 17, 2008 | State Indicators for Early Childhood (July 2008) |
Several State Early Childhood Comprehensive System (ECCS) Initiatives are using a variety of risk, process, and outcome measures to examine child well-being and program performance, as they work to implement results-based accountability in their early childhood systems. This Short Take reviews existing indicators from Title V Maternal and Child Health Programs, the Institute of Medicine/National Academy of Sciences, the School Readiness Indicators Project Measures, and other indicators that ECCS grantees are currently using. Project THRIVE at the National Center for Children in Poverty |
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| July 17, 2008 | 2008 KIDS COUNT data book (July 2008) |
The Annie E. Casey Foundation released the 2008 KIDS COUNT data book, which compiles comprehensive information on the well-being of children in the U.S. The data book presents national and state-by-state profiles of children from infants to teenagers and identifies trends in their growth and development. The data book uses 10 key indicators to assess and rank all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on the quality of children’s conditions. The KIDS COUNT Web site includes a data center with interactive tables with state specific information on early childhood include preschool enrollment, percent of low-birthweight babies, and infant mortality rate. Annie E. Casey Foundation's |
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| July 17, 2008 | Breaking
Down Barriers: Immigrant Families and Early Childhood Education in
New York City (May 2008) You will need to enter your name and email address |
This report relates the unique experiences of Bangladeshi, Chinese, Dominican, Haitian, Korean, and Russian parents in accessing early care and education. Parents in the study expressed their preferences for child care arrangements for their young children, but often the care they were seeking was inaccessible or unavailable. The report finds that immigrant families face multiple barriers that prevent access to programs in New York City, such as universal pre-kindergarten, Head Start, and child care subsidies. Barriers include insufficient translation of materials, inadequate outreach targeted to immigrant communities, lack of affordable child care, and an ineffective response on the part of the city government to respond to the needs of immigrant families. For example, the city’s Child Care Resource and Referral Hotline only offers services in English, Spanish, and Chinese—leaving out other language groups. Coalition for Asian American Children and Families |
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| July 17, 2008 | Child Care Usage Among Low-Income Families: Variations Across States (June 2008) |
his Research Brief provides new estimates to show the variation across the 50 states in the use of nonparental child care, the types of child care used, and parents’ experiences with child care problems that interfere with their work schedules. The brief concludes with a discussion of possible reasons for these patterns across states. Child Trends |
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| July 17, 2008 | Promoting a Pre-K to Three Vision for Early Learning (July 2008) |
This issue focuses on how state leaders can increase the quality of instruction from prekindergarten through third grade, and how states can better coordinate their early education systems to enable young children to sustain their learning gains throughout the prek-3rd grade years. National Association of School Boards of Education |
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| July 11, 2008 | State Profiles: 2006 Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) Data (July 2008) |
These individual state profiles analyze 2006 Head Start PIR data, which all Head Start programs are required to report to the federal government on an annual basis. Data include information on programs, participants, families, and staff for all Head Start programs in each state, including preschool, Early Head Start, American Indian and Alaskan Native, and Migrant Head Start.Center for Law and Social Policy |
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| July 11, 2008 | The Abbott Preschool Program Longitudinal Effects Study: Interim Report (June 2008) |
This report discusses the results of a rigorous study of New Jersey's Abbott Preschool Program. The study seeks to determine if the learning gains from the state prekindergarten program found in earlier research at kindergarten entry continued throughout the kindergarten year and assess the quality of Abbott classrooms. Findings from this study: classroom quality in the Abbott Preschool Program continues to improve; children who attend the program, regardless of setting, improve in language, literacy and math skills through the end of their kindergarten year; and children who attend the preschool education program for two years significantly outperform those who attend for only one year or do not attend at all. Center for Law and Social Policy |
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| July 3, 2008 | Early Head Start Participants, Programs, Families, and Staff in 2006 (June 2008) |
This fact sheet reviews the 2006 Program Information Reports (PIR) data for the Early Head Start program, which serves children under age 3 and pregnant women. In 2006, Early Head Start continued to provide vital services to a diverse group of low-income children and families, most of which included at least one working parent. Most children received medical, dental, and disability screenings and follow-up services when necessary. Pregnant women also received prenatal and postnatal health care, dental care, and mental health care. Families also accessed services at high rates; 84 percent of families accessed at least one social service. However, just 2.4 percent of eligible children receive Early Head Start services. Center for Law and Social Policy |
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| June 27, 2008 | Home Visiting: Strengthening Families by Promoting Parenting Success (June 2008) |
Childhood success begins with parenting at its best. Home visiting is an early childhood intervention that can enhance parenting and promote the growth and development of young children. In high-quality programs, home visiting increases the odds that children from at-risk families will enter kindergarten ready to learn. National Human Services Assembly |
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| June 27, 2008 | The Effects of Oklahoma’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program on Hispanic Children (June 2008) |
For Hispanic students as a whole, the Tulsa pre-K program resulted in significant monthly gains for all three cognitive indicators. Center for Research on Children in the U.S. |
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| June 27, 2008 | Preschool Programs Can Boost School Readiness (June 2008) |
A universally-available pre-K program in Tulsa, Oklahoma boosts pre-reading skills by nine months, pre-writing skills by seven months, and pre-math skills by five months. The Tulsa Head Start program boosts pre-reading skills by six months, pre-writing skills by three months, and pre-math skills by five months. Classroom practices help to explain these results. The negative effects of family and environmental risk factors can be mitigated by a strong preschool program. The Oklahoma Project Working Papers |
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| June 27, 2008 | Fiscal Survey of the Impacts of New Mexico PreK on Children’s School Readiness at Kindergarten Entry: Results from the Second Year of a Growing Initiative (June 2008) |
New findings from an ongoing NIEER study of New Mexico 4-year-olds who attended the state's pre-K initiative show that in its second year of existence, the program continued to improve language, literacy and math development. NIEER |
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| June 27, 2008 | Fiscal Survey of the States (June 2008) |
In stark contrast to the preceding several years, state finances in fiscal 2008 marked a turning point with a significant increase of states with fiscal difficulties. ...based on previous downturns, the impact on state budgets may lag the downturn in the economy as states may take up to several years after a recession is over to recover. National Governors Association |
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| June 27, 2008 | Majority of Voters Favor More Federal Support for Pre-K (June 2008) |
A national survey of 802 registered voters conducted for Pre-K Now in May 2008 found broad support for greater federal investments in state pre-kindergarten programs and recognition of the lasting benefits of early childhood education. pre[k] now |
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| June 27, 2008 | Prepared to Learn: The Nature and Quality of Early Care and Education for Preschool-Age Children in California (June 2008) |
Children who have the most to gain from preschool are the least likely to participate, reveals a new RAND Corporation study. Lynn Karoly and colleagues surveyed more than 2,000 California households with children eligible for pre-K, interviewed teachers and administrators from 600 pre-K programs, and visited 250 center-based programs. They found while 59 percent of all preschool –aged children attend center-based programs, only 45 percent whose moms have less than a high school diploma attend. Only one in four children attending was taught by teachers with a bachelor's degree in the early childhood field or related discipline. Only 22 percent of children were in classrooms that were rated between good and excellent for space, furnishings, and activities. Rand Corporation |
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| June 27, 2008 | A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education (June 2008) |
... there is solid evidence that policies aimed directly at education-related social and economic disadvantages can improve school performance and student achievement. The persistent failure of policy makers to act on that evidence—in tandem with a school-improvement agenda—is a major reason why the association between social and economic disadvantage and low student achievement remains so strong. New America Foundation |
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| June 27, 2008 | Broader and Bolder, but Missing Something (June 2008) |
"... getting the most bang for our buck out of early education investments requires linking them to real reforms in the K-12 schools children will enter following early education." New America Foundation |
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| June 27, 2008 | The Child Tax Credit Gap: A Snapshot of Families Left Out (May 2008) |
This brief points to the importance of lowering the income floor for the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and provides key demographic information on the working families who are unable to claim any part of the CTC. Coalition on Human Needs |
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| June 27, 2008 | Creating a Workforce in Early Childhood Mental Health: Defining the Competent Specialist (May 2008) |
What are early childhood
mental health services? Who should provide them, and who has the right
to say who can provide these services? In the past decade different
workgroups and organizations have attempted to define the characteristics
of competent early childhood mental health providers. This study compares
standards of ECMH competency across six states. Herr
Research Center for Children and Social Policy |
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| June 27, 2008 | The Competent Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist (May 2008) |
This brief summarizes
findings from a study comparing competency systems for early childhood
mental health professionals across six states. It offers recommendations
for policy and practice and addresses a key question: should a national
set of ECMH competencies be developed? Herr
Research Center for Children and Social Policy |
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| June 27, 2008 | Leadership Matters: Governors’ Pre-K Proposals Fiscal Year 2009 (April 2008) |
This report from Pre-K Now examines policymaker's support for preschool education programs, particularly in tight fiscal times .pre{k}now |
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| June 27, 2008 | Head Start Participants, Programs, Families, and Staff in 2006 (April 2008) |
This issue reports on New State Pre-K Reports and Hard Economics at Head Start. NIEER |
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| June 13, 2008 | March/April Preschool Matters (April 2008) |
This issue reports on New State Pre-K Reports and Hard Economics at Head Start. NIEER |
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| June 13, 2008 | Healthy Marriage and the Legacy of Child Maltreatment: A Child Welfare Perspective (May 2008) |
The twelfth in a series on Couples and Marriage Research Policy, this brief looks at marriage from a notably different perspective than previous briefs in the series. This brief explores how childhood experiences, specifically child maltreatment and involvement with the child welfare system, impact the potential for a healthy, lasting marriage. The brief summarizes the research on the barriers to a healthy marriage and what is known about the long term impacts of child maltreatment and foster care. Finally, the authors offer recommendations for addressing the unique needs of couples in which one or both partners have experienced childhood maltreatment. CLASP |
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| June 6, 2008 | Increasing State Investments in Early Care and Education: Lessons Learned from Advocates and Best Practices? (Spring 2008) |
This report profiles 10 states with recent success in expanding funding for early childhood: Alabama, Colorado, Missouri, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Funding increases served children birth to age 5, for example through increasing child care subsidies, home visiting programs, and pre-kindergarten funding. Although the political climate and history of investment differed widely across these states, advocates and partners were able to capitalize on opportunities and build will to increase investment in early care and education. The report also discusses 13 lessons learned from looking across these states, including: create a focused agenda, build and sustain coalitions, build relationships with elected officials and the media, and create strategies for long-term success. Each lesson learned is paired with examples of how advocates successfully (or unsuccessfully) applied that principle to their goals for young children. Voices for America’s Children |
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| June 6, 2008 | Early Childhood Program Evaluations: A Decision-Maker’s Guide? (December 2007) |
The guide is targeted to policymakers, to help them become better consumers of program evaluation data and reports on early childhood programs. The report examines five areas for policymakers to consider in evaluating a program, including the design of the evaluation, program implementation, effect sizes and impact, measuring costs and benefits, and understanding context and relevance of a program in a given community or state. The guide also recommends that policymakers and decision-makers build relationships with researchers and local experts, who can answer further questions about program evaluation. National Forum on Early Childhood Program Evaluation |
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| June 6, 2008 | What Do We Mean by Professional Development in the Early Childhood Field? (March 2008) |
The report provides
a common definition and conceptual framework that can be applied across
the birth to age 8 field to guide professional development efforts to
improve the quality of the early childhood workforce. National Professional
Development Center |
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| June 6, 2008 | Child Care Vouchers and Unregulated Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care (May 2008) |
This report relates the experiences of family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) caregivers or unregulated providers who receive child care vouchers in three counties in California and New Jersey. The Urban Institute |
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| June 6, 2008 | Child Care Voucher Programs: Provider Experiences in Five Counties (May 2008) |
This report adds to the research base by looking comprehensively at the experiences of child care centers and licensed family child care homes with the voucher subsidy sys-tem in 2003–04. The Urban Institute |
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| June 6, 2008 | Talking to Children: Why Some Mothers Do It More (May 2008) |
An FPG study published in the May/June 2008 issue of The Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology examines how mother and child characteristics might influence the way mothers talk to their infants. FPG Snapshot |
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| June 6, 2008 | U.S. Variations in Child Health System Performance: A State Scorecard (May 2008) |
The analysis focuses on 13 indicators of child health system performance along the dimensions of access, quality, costs, and the “potential to lead healthy lives.” In addition, for two indicators, gaps in performance by income, race/ethnicity, and insurance are used to gauge equity. The Commonwealth Fund |
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| June 6, 2008 | Tangible Steps Toward Tomorrow (March 2008) |
This book offers solutions to ensuring success for the next generation based on three areas: parents, teachers and schools. W.K. Kellogg Foundation |
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| June 6, 2008 | Children and Electronic Media (Spring 2008) |
This report focuses on the most common forms of electronic media and analyzes their influence on the well-being of children and adolescents. Investigators Jeanne Brooks-Gunn and Elisabeth Hirschhorn Donahue invited a panel of experts to review the best available evidence on how media are linked with various aspects of child well-being. Evidence for young children and adolescents are considered separately. The Future of Children |
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| June 6, 2008 | The Economics of Early Childhood Policy: What the Dismal Science Has to Say About Investing in Children (May 2008) |
A new study by the RAND Corporation uses the economic concepts of human capital theory and monetary "payoffs" from investments in early childhood services to provide policymakers with a primer about how economic analysis can help set agendas for early childhood policy. Programs evaluated according to these economic concepts show, for example, that increased investment in early childhood results in government savings by leading to less need for social services later in life and increased earnings by individuals - which in turn leads to greater tax revenue for the government. Rand Corporation |
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| June 6, 2008 | Longitudinal Effects of the Arkansas Better Chance Program: Findings from Kindergarten and First Grade (May 2008) |
New findings from the long-running Cincinnati Lead Study show that increased blood lead levels before birth and during early childhood were associated with higher rates of arrest and violent crimes. For every five micro-grams per deciliter increase in blood lead levels at 6 years of age, the risk of being arrested for a violent crime as a young adult increased by almost 50 percent. Between 1979 and 1984, pregnant women living in poor areas of Cincinnati were recruited to provide the sample for the study. The women and their children's lead blood levels were tested. The National Institute for Early Education Research |
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| June 6, 2008 | Association of Prenatal and Childhood Blood Lead Concentrations with Criminal Arrests in Early Adulthood (May 2008) |
New findings from the long-running Cincinnati Lead Study show that increased blood lead levels before birth and during early childhood were associated with higher rates of arrest and violent crimes. For every five micro-grams per deciliter increase in blood lead levels at 6 years of age, the risk of being arrested for a violent crime as a young adult increased by almost 50 percent. Between 1979 and 1984, pregnant women living in poor areas of Cincinnati were recruited to provide the sample for the study. The women and their children's lead blood levels were tested. Public Library of Science |
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| May 30, 2008 | Developing an Advocacy Strategy for New Jersey’s PK3 Agenda (March 2008) |
The Association for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) identifies steps that the state and key educational stakeholders must take to plan for Prekindergarten expansion and to connect that expansion with PK-3 approaches in schools throughout the state. The brief also advocates for a strong state infrastructure that supports the development of successful PK-3 approaches. Association for Children of New Jersey |
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| May 30, 2008 | Embracing the Big Pitcure: The State of New Jersey's Road Toward a PK3 Continuum (December 2007) |
This brief examines New Jersey's newly developing systems, at the state and district levels, that provide a continuum of quality educational experiences. It also documents steps taken to create an aligned and coordinated system that links quality Prekindergarten programs with Kindergarten and the early primary grades (PK-3). Association for Children of New Jersey |
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| May 23, 2008 | A Case Study of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care |
This report provides an instructive and sometimes cautionary tale for states considering bringing early care and education under one governance system. Funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the study documents the challenges encountered in creating the nation's first state-level independent department that consolidates early education and care. It highlights the critical role played by engaged stakeholders, champions in the legislature and strong research in making the case for consolidating governance of early care and education. It also underscores the need to deal with polarization that can contribute to mistrust between the two areas. Strategies for Children and the Rennie Center for Research & Policy |
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| May 23, 2008 | Reducing Poverty through Preschool Interventions |
In this Future of Children article, the authors explain how providing high-quality care to disadvantaged preschool children can help reduce poverty. In early childhood, they note, children's cognitive and socio-emotional skills develop rapidly and are sensitive to "inputs" from parents, home learning environments, child care settings, and the health care system. The authors propose an intensive two-year, education-focused intervention for economically disadvantaged 3- and 4-year-olds. The Future of Children |
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| May 23, 2008 | Like Taking Candy From a Baby: How Young Children Interact with Online Environments |
An observational study of children interacting with web sites like Club Penguin, Webkinz and Nick Jr. shows that children and their parents are often manipulated by the web sites, leading to frustration and tears on the part of the kids. Children’s Technology Review editor Warren Buckleitner, author of the study, says after watching 10 hours of typical web play he was "shocked" by the manipulation. Consumer Reports WebWatch and MediaTech Foundation |
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| May 23, 2008 | Right Start in Michigan — 2008: Targeting Disparity in Infant Mortality Other reports and local data |
Among the 10 key Kids Count indicators of child well-being, Michigan earns its worst ranking among the states on its infant mortality rate. Newborns in 33 other states had a better chance of surviving to their first birthday than those in Michigan in 2005. Michigan League for Human Services |
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| May 23, 2008 | Michigan Child Care: Spaces and Rates and an analysis. |
| A collected child care cost data from the child care provider databases of the 16 regional 4C offices on the average cost of child care. Michigan 4C Association | |
| May 16, 2008 | Meaningful Investments in Pre-K: Estimating the Per-Child Costs of Quality Programs |
Meaningful Investments
in Pre-K: Estimating the Per-Child Costs of Quality Programs estimates
the costs of quality improvements in public and private pre-kindergarten
settings in the United States at varying levels of quality. The report
adapts a cost estimateion model developed |
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| May 16, 2008 | Quality Programming: Everyone's Concern |
There are a variety of well-known instruments that are often given as points of reference in the measurement of quality, some of which have been used in a variety of cultural settings. Two examples include the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) developed by Thelma Harms and Richard Clifford (1980)i, and Developmental Appropriate Practice (DAP), an approach articulated by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the largest ECCD professional organization in the USA. Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development |
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| May 9, 200 | A Vision for the Reauthorization of Child Care |
National and state organizations
dedicated to improving the quality of our nation’s child care
have developed a “Vision” blueprint for the reauthorization
of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and the strengthening
of the Dependent Care Tax Credit (DCTC). This “Vision,” when
realized, will expand families’ access to high-quality learning
opportunities for their children and help ensure all children are cared
for in child care settings that enhance their readiness for and success
in school. |
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| May 9, 200 | Early Care and Education Legislation Database |
This searchable database
tracks related early care and education legislation from the 2008 session.
Issues include child care and child care financing, early childhood
services, prekindergarten, professional development, home visiting,
infants and toddlers, and financing early education. Search legislation
by state, topic, status, primary sponsor, bill number or keyword. National
Conference of State Legislatures |
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| May 9, 2008 | Covering the Map: Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies Providing Vital Services to Parents Throughout the United States |
The report presents findings
on the activities carried out by local child care resource and referral
agencies (CCR&Rs) as described in a May 2007 NACCRRA survey. CCR&Rs
carry out a range of services for parents and providers including child
care referrals, consumer education, assistance with accessing child
care subsides, parent trainings and workshops, and referrals to additional
community services. National Association of Child Care Resource
and Referral Agencies |
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| May 9, 2008 | Does Readiness Matter? How Kindergarten Readiness Translates Into Academic Success |
A new report from the
Santa Clara Partnership for School Readiness examines longitudinal data
on school readiness and academic achievement in five high-needs school
districts in San Mateo, California. San Mateo and Santa Clara counties
have been collecting data on school readiness through kindergarten assessments
since 2001 and 2004 respectively. Does Readiness Matter? provides information
for these two communities on what skills at kindergarten entry best
predict later academic achievement. CLASP |
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| May 9, 2008 | Child Development Fund: Report to Congress for FY 2004 and 2005 |
The report provides the
latest information about Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG)
expenditures and participation in those years as well as additional
information about training and technical assistance, and child care-related
research. The report contains administrative data that has not previously
been released. Child Care Bureau |
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| May 2, 2008 | When Quality Counts and Money Matters |
Policymakers across the
country have begun to implement statewide quality rating systems (QRS)
to measure and improve the program quality in early care and education
settings. A quality rating system is a systematic approach to assess,
improve, and communicate the level of program quality. Currently, there
are 15 states implementing statewide quality rating systems; approximately
30 more states are in the design or pilot stages of QRS development.
As QRS pilots are taken to scale through statewide implementation, it
becomes clear how money matters when quality counts. McCormick Tribune
Center for Early Childhood Leadership, National-Louis University |
|
| April 25, 2008 | Building on the Promise: State Initiatives to Expand Access to Early Head Start for Young Children and their Families |
This report examines actions
states have taken to build on Early Head Start. Less than 3 percent
of babies
and toddlers who are eligible for Early Head Start (EHS) - a federal
program with promising results - are reached at current federal funding
levels. The paper also discusses opportunities and challenges facing
state policymakers and provides recommendations for state leaders interested
in promoting better futures for at-risk children through building on
Early Head Start. CLASP & Zero to Three |
|
| April 25, 2008 | Trends in Infancy/Early Childhood and Middle Childhood Well-Being, 1994-2006 |
This report presents the
first wide-ranging picture of how children in their first decade of
life are
faring the the U.S. It is the first report to look comprehensively at
the overall health, well-being, and quality of life of America's youngest
children - from birth through eleven years old, using the FCD Child
Well-Being Index (CWI), and to track and compare child well-being across
three primary stages of development - early childhood, middle childhood,
and adolescence. Foundation
for Child Development |
|
| April 18, 2008 | Taking Stock: Assessing and Improving Early Childhood Learning and Program Quality |
Based on their core recommendations
(e.g., develop a unified system of early childhood education), the Task
Force designed four approaches that
states can use to collect data and report on program performance and child
learning. Over the next eighteen months, the Council of Chief State School
Officers, with funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts, will use the Task
Force's findings to help states document and strengthen preschool program
performance. National Early Childhood Accountability Task Force |
|
| April 18, 2008 | Geography Matters: Child Well-Being in the States |
This report shows the wide
gaps in key indicators of child well-being from state to state. |
|
| April 18, 2008 | Preschool teachers’ talk, roles, and activity settings during free play |
Five-year-olds did
better on motor tasks when they talked to themselves out loud (whether
prompted by teachers or talking spontaneously) than when they were silent,
says George Mason University psychology professor Adam Winsler. This
finding came from his study that looked at teachers' involvement and
roles in activity settings and free play time in pre-K classrooms. By
equipping teachers with remote microphones and taping them, he discovered
teachers are most often in the role of play enhancers, playmates and
stage managers. Teachers exhibiting different patterns of involvement
differed in how they talked to the kids ... with implications for the
kids. Early Childhood Research Quarterly |
|
| April 18, 2008 | Think Tank Review Project Pans Lexington Institute Pre-K Report |
This new report
from the Lexington Institute, “How sound an investment? An analysis
of federal prekindergarten proposals,” considers current proposals
for federal involvement in prekindergarten (pre-K). It is misleading,
however, with respect to both the provisions and likely consequences
of those proposals. The report attempts to disparage the potential benefits
of pre-K by presenting inaccurate information about public pre-K programs
and |
|
| April 18, 2008 | Pathways From Brain Research to Policy: Highlights from the National Summit on America’s Children |
In May 2007, Speaker
of the House Nancy Pelosi invited researchers from across the country
to a National Summit on America’s Children to present research
on the development of young children to policymakers. Pathways From
Brain Research to Policy: Highlights from the National Summit on America’s
Children, summarizes the research findings and implications for policy
development. |
|
| April 18, 2008 | State Early Care and Education Budget Actions FY 2007 - FY 2008 |
State appropriations for early education programs increased over $1 billion from FY 2007 to 2008, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures’ first-ever survey of state child care and early education appropriations. The survey asked state fiscal staff to report appropriations in the areas of child care, pre-kindergarten, parent education/home visiting, and other early learning strategies. National Conference of State Legislatures |
|
| April 18, 2008 | Early Childhood Educator Competencies: A Literature Review of Current Best Practices, And a Public Input Process on Next Steps for California |
This report presents
the findings of an extensive literature review of state and national
work on developing early childhood educator competencies in order to
identify best practices, trends, and gaps. The report also includes
findings from a public commenting process, which included an online
survey and public meetings throughout California, to inform future development
of California’s own set of core competencies. |
|
| April 18, 2008 | Early Learning Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers: Recommendations for States |
This report provides 17 recommendations for the process of creating and developing content guidelines for infants and toddlers. Early Learning Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers (ELG/ITs) describe what infants and toddlers at different age ranges are generally expected to know and be able to do, and how processes like attention, memory, curiosity, and persistence build the foundation for later learning. Zero to Three |
|
| March 21, 2008 | The State of Preschool 2007 |
The 2007 State Preschool Yearbook is the fifth in a series of annual reports profiling state-funded prekindergarten programs in the United States. This latest Yearbook presents data on state-funded prekindergarten during the 2006-2007 school year. National Institute for Early Education Research |
|
| March 21, 2008 | Dedication Doesn't Have to Mean Deadication |
Being an administrator of an early childhood program is not just a state of employment; it is a state of mind. So many individuals who don the director's hat with noble intentions of creating exemplary centers end up leaving the field frustrated, depleted, and disillusioned. They burn out. They find that there is simply too much to do and too many people tugging on their sleeve for help, advice, and support. Are you at risk of burning out? The Director's Link |
|
| March 21, 2008 | Aligning the early years and the early grades |
Three studies support
the notion that an aligned and coordinated set of policies and practices
linking early learning with the early elementary |
|
| March 21, 2008 | PK Inclusion: Getting Serious about a P-16 Education System |
A P-16 system must pay particular attention to the P-3 years, from early childhood through third grade, because learning during these years lays the foundation for everything that follows. PHI DELTA KAPPAN |
|
| March 14, 200 | Challenging Behaviors and the Role of Preschool Education |
Curricula associated with deterring the development of negative behavior among young children are those that incorporate social skills training within the broader context of high-quality preschool education. National Institute for Early Education Research |
|
| March 14, 2008 | Who’s Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Spring 2005 Detailed Tables |
The U.S. Census Bureau released detailed data tables on the child care participation of children under age 15 with working mothers. Data show that in the spring of 2005, 72 percent of children under age 5 had a primary non-parental care arrangement. Relative care was the primary child care arrangement for 27 percent of young children. A quarter of all young children attended a center-based child care program, including a preschool or Head Start program, as their primary care arrangement. Eleven percent of children of working mothers had no regular child care arrangement. The data are broken down by age, income, race, and other variables. United States Census Bureau |
|
| March 14, 2008 | Designing Subsidy Systems to Meet the Needs of Families: An Overview of Policy Research Findings |
The report identified three general types of strategies states have undertaken to improve and maintain access to subsidies.The Urban Institute |
|
| March 14, 2008 | Parents And The High Price of Child Care: 2007 Update |
This report found that the price of child care is still burdensome for many families in America. Findings from this nationwide survey of state and local child care resource and referral agencies revealed that the average annual price for a 4–year-old in a child care center ranges from $3,794 to $10,920. For infants, the average child care center price for one child was even higher, ranging from $4,388 to $14,647 per year. Other findings reveal that the price of child care has increased more than twice the rate of inflation from 2005 to 2006; and in many cases child care costs are higher than other family expenses such as food or rent. National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies |
|
| March 14, 2008 | Racial-Ethnic Inequality in Child Well-Being from 1985-2004: Gaps Narrowing, but Persist |
An analysis of child well-being data released by the Foundation for Child Development (FCD) shows that from 1985 to 2004 child well-being increased for all groups of children. Gaps in overall well-being between white and black children and between Hispanic and white children have narrowed, yet large gaps remain. Foundation for Child Development |
|
| March 14, 2008 | Partnering for Preschool: A Study of Center Directors in New Jersey’s Mixed-Delivery Abbott Program |
The studies' findings revealed that directors implementing the Abbott program had positive experiences overall. They also identified areas of needed improvement. The Center for Child Care Employment |
|
| March 7, 2008 | Teacher education and PK outcomes: Are we asking the right questions |
Results from seven studies of preschool programs. Child Development, 78, 558–580), raising questions about the impact of the degrees and certifications of PK teachers on children's learning. The researchers note that these findings do not support the conclusion that teacher education does not matter for children's learning. Early Childhood Research Quarterly |
|
| March 7, 2008 | Quality Counts - Michigan Highlights 2008 |
The 12th annual edition of Education Week’s Quality Counts continues the cradle-to-career framework launched in last year’s report. But it also reintroduces some of the categories in which we have graded states in the past, though some of the indicators and the grading have changed. The cradle-to-career perspective emphasizes the connections between K-12 education and other systems with which it intersects: preschool education, other social and economic institutions, and further education and training. Education Week |
|
| March 7, 2008 | Transitions and Alignment |
This chart ranks states' efforts to align all parts of their education system - from pre-k through post-secondary education - and help children transition from one stage of their education to the next. Education Week |
|
| March 7, 2008 | Economic Costs of Early Childhood Poverty |
A report on the long-term benefits of adopting anti-poverty policies focused on poor children, prenatal through age 5. Partnership for America's Economic Success |
|
| March 7, 2008 | Quality in Early Childhood Care and Education Settings: A Compendium of Measures |
Program evaluation is a critical component of any pre-k program, but good data can only come from sound measures. Child Trends has published a compendium of measures that provides an overview of instruments that assess the quality of early childhood education settings. Child Trends |
|
| March 7, 2008 | Mathematics Education for Young Children: What It is and How to Promote It |
This study finds that, although young children have an innate interest in and potential to grasp both concrete and abstract mathematical concepts, teacher practices tend to focus on the most basic aspects of math education such as counting and learning the names of common shapes. Social Policy Report |
|
| March 7, 2008 | The Congressional Budget Resolution: Recommendations for a Blueprint in Support of Low-Income Individuals and Families |
For example, a sizeable increase could be used to increase funding for Head Start. In December 2007, Congress reauthorized the Head Start program. On a bipartisan basis, the new legislation expanded access to Head Start and Early Head Start, increased quality in the program, and improved coordination. The program is authorized to grow dramatically. The budget resolution should allow for substantial growth in this program to allow programs to serve additional children in both Head Start and Early Head Start, as well as begin to make needed investments in quality as outlined in the 2007 reauthorization. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| March 7, 2008 | How Sound an Investment? An Analysis of Federal Prekindergarten Proposals |
The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the U.S. Secretary of Education, awards not more than one 3-5 year grant per state. Grants are awarded to eligible partnerships, which must be governed by a majority of private-sector membership on their boards. They are to strengthen financing of early childhood development services including Head Start, Early Head Start, state or local prekindergarten programs, child care centers and home visiting and other parent education programs. Lexington Institute |
|
| February 29, 2008 | The Dynamic Relationship Between Child Care Work Environments and Learning Environments |
The child care industry has long struggled with poor working conditions, low wages, a lack of benefits, and low status, all contributing to an unstable and undereducated workforce. Research has shown that the ability to recruit and retain qualified teachers is impacted not only by wages and benefits, but the quality of the work environment. There has been little empirical research, however, on the relationship between the child care work environment and classroom global quality. What is the relationship between program administration and global quality? What is the relationship between organizational climate and global quality? What is the relationship between a program's administrative practices and staffs' perceptions of organizational climate? These questions were the focus of a recently published study, Child Care Work Environments: The Relationship with Learning Environments, by researchers Lower and Cassidy. Research Notes |
|
| February 29, 2008 | Paying the Price: The Impact of Immigration Raids on America's Children |
This study conducted by The Urban Institute and funded by the National Council of La Raza, documents the impact of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) worksite raids on the children of undocumented workers. The findings are based on a study of three communities that experienced large-scale worksite raids in 2007: Greeley, Colorado; Grand Island, Nebraska; and New Bedford, Massachusetts. Pre-K Now |
|
| February 22, 2008 | Funding the Future:States’ Approaches to Pre-K Finance 2008 Update |
One important funding
trend is to include pre-k programs in states’ school funding formulas. |
|
| February 22, 2008 | Do small Kids Need BIG Government? A Look at the Research Behind Government Preschool |
To help determine the efficacy of early education programs, we examined the results of some of the programs considered to be early education models—including Perry Preschool, the Chicago Parent-Child Program, Abecedarian, the Georgia universal pre-k program, and Head Start. We find the widespread adoption of pre-k is unlikely to improve student achievement. Texas Public Policy Foundation |
|
| February 22, 2008 | Challenging Common Myths About Young English Language Learners |
This FCD Policy Brief highlights six commonly held beliefs about the development and learning of young children who are learning English as their second language and presents research evidence that can better guide education policies. Foundation for Child Development |
|
| February 22, 2008 | Making the Most of Our Investments: How PK-3 Alignment Can Close the Achievement Gap from the Start |
This report demonstrates the need for aligning education for children from three to eight years, outlines the elements of an aligned PK-3 system and highlights effective grantmaking strategies. Foundation for Child Development |
|
| February 15, 2008 | President’s Budget Disregards Sound Investments for Young Children |
Every administration uses the budget to send a signal about its priorities for the coming year. In this period of economic downturn, when our most vulnerable children and families need access to comprehensive supports, the message of this budget is simple and stark: children in low-income working families don’t matter. Center for Law and Social Policy |
|
| February 15, 2008 | Reducing Maternal Depression and Its Impact on Young Children: Toward a Responsive Early Childhood Policy Framework |
This study finds that maternal depression may negatively impact healthy early development and school readiness by negatively influencing critical early relationships, impairing parental safety and health management, and increasing the risk caused by other negative environments such as poverty. The developmental barriers and harmful cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral impacts associated with maternal depression often go undetected and are more prevalent among low-income children. National Center for Children in Poverty |
|
| February 15, 2008 | Investing in Children and Partnership for America’s Economic Success/Invest in Kids Working Group |
Partnership for America’s Economic Success has released two research presentations on the public perception of government investments in early education. The two documents: Investing in Children by Overbrook Research and Partnership for America’s Economic Success/Invest in Kids Working Group |