Early Childhood Development

Investing In America’s Children

• Investing in America’s children is an investment in America’s future

• Supplying early childhood development programs can help break the cycle of poverty

• Parents need access to reliable child care in order to work

• We focus our efforts on quality early education and child care

Investing In America’s Children

James Heckman, a Nobel-prize winning economist, found that every dollar invested in Head Start yields between $7 and $9 as the program's alumni enter the work force and start contributing to the economy.

Heckman Equation

Video: Dr. James Heckman

“Why Early Investment Matters”

Video: Ounce of Prevention Fund

“Change the First Five Years and You Change Everything”

Early Childhood Development

Research shows that pre-school and early education programs :• Offer most promising way to ensure school readiness• Contribute to decreasing student achievement gap• Can have long-term positive effects (ex. consistent employment, college education, less use of public assistance )

Head Start

Federally funded program, provides comprehensive child development services to disadvantaged preschool children (ages 3-6) and their families. These services include:o School readiness and cognitive development services o Frequent medical screening, immunizations, and dental

services o Healthy nutritional assistance o Referral services for a range of individual child and family

needs o An opportunity for parents to participate in school decision-

making

Head Start

• In 2010, due to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Head Start received a $2.1 billion increase in funding

• In 2010, Head Start served 949,003 children, about 20,000 more than in 2009.

• Even with this increase, Head Start still serves less than 50 percent of children eligible for the program

Early Head Start

Federally funded program with a mission to promote healthy prenatal outcomes for pregnant women, enhance the development of children ages 3 and under, and promotes healthy family functioning. These services include:o Quality early education both in and out of the home o Parenting education o Comprehensive health and mental health services, including

services to women before, during, and after pregnancy o Nutrition education o Family support services

Early Head Start

In 2010, Early Head Start received $1.1 billion from the increase ARRA gave to Head Start.

• Early Head Start served120, 433 children and 13,538 pregnant women, an increase of 40,000 participants.

• Nationally, Early Head Start still serves less than 4 percent of children eligible for the program.

Child Care

Affordable and quality child care is crucial to parent’s productivity at work and children’s intellectual development

Vital for working families, especially low-income families who want to move out of poverty

But, the cost of child care is often too expensive for low income and moderate-income working families

Child Care

Funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) comes from three sources:1. CCDBG funding is included at a mandatory level

specified in the welfare law2. Congress annually appropriates a discretionary

amount3. States may choose to use part of their federal

welfare block grant. The amount varies from year to year and has decreased dramatically because of states’ fiscal crises.

CCDBG currently serves one in six children eligible.

Fiscal Year 2011 Funding Baseline

• Head Start: FY 2011 budget included an increase of $340 million for Head Start over the FY 2010 levels, this meant that all children currently in Head Start- including those funded by ARRA will remain enrolled. [See state-level data in CLASP’s state fact sheets ].

• A $100 million increase in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) from FY2010.  The bill provides $2.227 billion in total for the CCDBG. NWLC Report

2012 Policy Goals

• Continue to build support for these services by requesting:• $325 million increase in Head Start and Early

Head Start Funding• $825 million increase in CCDBG Funding

• Funding for recompetition, an incentive to increase quality of care by allowing the centers to compete and having the best centers receive funding

• Expansion for Early Head Start

Early Childhood and the President’s Budget Proposal

• For Fiscal Year 2013, the President requests• $8.1 billion for Head Start and Early Head Start,

which will be about an $85 million more than was allocated in FY 2012

• $2.3 billion for CCDBG , an increase of $825 million.

• Both increases will help maintain current services, and support these programs reaching more eligible participants

FY 2013 Deficit Reduction Obstacles

House Republican Budget: The House Republican Budget would eliminate slots for about 200,000 children in 2014, according to an analysis by the National Education Association

Sequestration (Automatic Cuts): Even if Congress does nothing, a new Coalition on Human Needs report finds that 75,000 children would lose Head Start services with automatic cuts scheduled to be enacted this year.

What Congress Must Do This Year

• Increase funding and expand service levels for Head Start, Early Head Start and CCDBG in FY 2013. This will support these programs reaching more eligible families, increase both worker quality and quality of life for Childcare workers, and quality of care for children.

• Key Players – House and Senate leadership, and: o Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations

Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS).

o House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Danny Rehberg (R-MT) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT).

Make Your Voice Heard!

TAKE ACTION: Call Senate offices and ask for the aide who handles early childhood development programs -- specifically Head Start and child care. Tell them (in person or in voicemail) that you are a constituent, why you care about these programs, and:1.Urge them to protect funding for child care, Head Start, and Early Head Start to help us build a smarter, healthier, and stronger America.

2.Specifically, ask that they work to sustain funding for Head Start/Early Head Start and child care. And, urge others in your community to do the same.

3.Tell them you want the senator to reject the House's cuts and work with Senate leaders to make early childhood development a priority.

How You Can Get Involved

1. Get involved in RESULTS!

2. Make your voice heard: lobby Congress, generate media coverage, educate others.

3. Submit your story of how early childhood programs have played an important role in your life, the life of those you work with, or in the life of your business at: www.halfinten.org.

The time to stand up for these programs and the people they support is NOW.

RESULTS/RESULTS Educational Fund 1730 Rhode Island Ave NW

Washington DC 20036

RESULTS Early Childhood Development Campaign Contacts:

Meredith Dodson, dodson@results.org, (202) 782-7100, x116Jos Linn, jlinn@results.org, (515) 288-3622

www.results.org