Investments in early childhood are vital to the success of our nation's youth. Extensive research has shown that early childhood programs significantly increase a child's chances of avoiding the prison pipeline. Furthermore, these programs have well-documented economic and societal value. Studies have shown that investments in quality early education can produce a rate of return to society significantly higher than returns to most stock market investments or traditional economic development projects.

Despite these encouraging reports, thousands of children across the country are still waiting for the chance to participate in quality early childhood programs. CDF fully understands the need for consistent, quality education and care beginning at birth. Our nation simply can’t afford not to significantly increase investments in early childhood development and care, or to keep leaving so many poor babies and toddlers behind.

50 States. Every Child. Every School.

In the 21st century, we have new common core standards setting high expectations for every child including kindergarteners. We need to prepare all of our children to compete in this global economy but for millions of children in the United States there is a missing half-step in their early learning years. Full-day kindergarten (Full-Day K) boosts children’s cognitive learning, creative problem-solving skills, and social competence. Join us in our campaign to ensure every state and the District of Columbia guarantees every child with access to high-quality, publicly funded Full-Day K. Click on our interactive map to find out the status of Full-Day K in your state and download your state-specific fact sheet to arm yourself with the latest information.

Be sure to check out the 2012 Children in the States one-page fact sheets which provide the most recent and reliable information on children in your state. Find out how often a child is born into poverty in your state. The information includes child population, educational achievement, child welfare statistics, state rankings and more. Share our 2012 Children in the States map and fact sheets at your next community or school board meeting.

Promising Developments for Early Childhood, But There Are Challenges on the Horizon!

FY2012 Appropriations

In mid-December, House and Senate negotiators agreed on an omnibus spending bill for FY2012 which funds the federal government through September of this year. Early childhood advocates have reason to celebrate the outcome for young children and families. In this harsh funding climate, a number of important early childhood programs and services were protected or expanded:

• Head Start received an increase of $424 million.
• Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) received an increase of $60 million.
• Title I received an increase of $60 million.
• Part C Early Intervention received an increase of $5 million.
• Race to the Top received $550 million, which is less than last year's $698 million. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will determine how much of the $550 million will be dedicated to the Early Learning Challenge. The Statement of Managers accompanying the bill says they "expect that the Secretary will include a robust early childhood component."
• Striving Readers received $160 million with 15% of the funding directed at birth to age five literacy in early childhood programs (community and school-based settings).

When compared to other programs that impact children of all ages, early childhood scored a big win. Current slots for Head Start and Early Head Start were maintained, including those created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In addition, the CCDBG increase came as a surprise since both the House and Senate had previously proposed no funding increase at all. We can briefly celebrate this small victory for young children because of the tenacity and hard working spirit of the many advocates across the country who spoke with legislators in their home offices, participated in call and email alerts, and spoke up at public forums. For now, let’s all take a moment to relish this recent victory before gearing up for our next fight.

Challenges Ahead

As we enter into this election year, it is important to remember that children do not get a vote and there are not many politicians who place them on their list of talking points. It will be up to us to make the needs of young children and families a priority for those who are running for elected positions. Here are a few things you can do now:

• Participate—Attend town hall meetings and debates. Ask questions and provide information about early childhood development and the importance of investing in this youngest age group.
• Take action—CDF, along with other organizations, will give you plenty of opportunities to email, sign-on to letters and call your legislators this year. Remember the old adage, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” The more pressure we put on legislators, the more they feel compelled to act!

Also, we cannot forget President Barack Obama will soon release his budget for FY2013. We must be the voice for the youngest citizens in our country as budget negotiations begin once again.

President Obama Announces New Rule for Head Start Grantees

While recently visiting a Head Start program in Philadelphia, President Obama announced new regulations that will introduce competition into the Head Start grant process. These regulations are designed to continue to raise the level of quality for the million children and families served by Head Start each year.

The new rule builds upon requirements of the bipartisan Improving Head Start Act of 2007, as well as on recommendations from a National Advisory Committee of child development experts and early education leaders. The committee’s report called on the administration to implement a system to assess Head Start grantees that was “transparent, valid, and reliable.” The Designation Renewal System uses an evidence-based, rigorous classroom evaluation tool to measure classroom quality along with clear standards of financial integrity and compliance with Head Start rules to determine which programs are—and are not—meeting key indicators of program quality and integrity. The final rule will go into effect on December 8.

Over the next three years, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will review the performance and program quality of all 1,600 Head Start grantees. Grantees that don’t meet the quality benchmarks will be required to compete for continued funding. Based on analysis of current data related to program performance, roughly a third of grantees will be required to compete. The first group of Head Start grantees that will be required to compete for continued funding will be notified in December 2011. Click here for more information.

Data on Early Childhood Education and Care

The State of America's Children® 2011, a compilation of the most recent and reliable national and state-by-state data on key child indicators, including early childhood education and care. Among other selections, the Early Childhood section of the report includes state data Head Start enrollment, the cost of child care and child care subsidies, the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, the Child Care and Development Fund, Pre-K enrollment, and state-by-state comparisons of child care center regulations. Only 13.8 percent of three-year-olds and 38.9 percent of four-year-olds were in state funded pre-kindergarten programs, Head Start or special education in 2008-2009.

A Strong Start

The Addressing Achievement Gaps Symposium “A Strong Start: Positioning Young Black Boys for Educational Success” which took place in June 2011, was devoted to the challenges facing Black boys in their early years. The event took place earlier this month. CDF partnered with ETS to explore the challenges facing this vulnerable population and the opportunities to position young Black boys for educational success.

Learn more about the event and speakers and watch video of the symposium.

Legislative Update: Good News for Early Childhood in the Budget Deal

There is some good news on the federal front for early care and education programs. Despite major spending cuts in the FY2011 budget deal, Congress increased funding for Early Head Start, Head Start, and child care in the final FY2011 budget. Learn more with our legislative update.

Child Care Under Attack

States and cities across the country are responding to pressure to balance budgets by cutting child care services for working families. In 36 states and the District of Columbia the annual cost of center-based child care for a 4-year-old is more than annual in-state tuition at a public four-year college. With costs continuing to rise and families continuing to struggle through this fragile economy, now is the time for state and local governments to expand rather than cut early learning opportunities for our children.

When New York City Mayor Bloomberg announced in February his plan to cut 17,000 child care slots from the budget, the Children’s Defense Fund—New York joined dozens of other organizations to form the Emergency Coalition to Save Children and issued a report to outline the devastating impact the cuts would have on working families and their children. The coalition organized protests and raised a ruckus while securing strong support from City Council members. Their efforts paid off as the Mayor retreated from cutting so many child care slots last Friday. Read the latest news from Crain’s in which Rev. Emma Jordan-Simpson, executive director of CDF—New York, is quoted as saying there is still work to be done to ensure early childhood education and children are a priority in the city's budget.

Angie Salazar - From Head Start to Harvard

Head Start has proven results. Children who participate are school ready, less likely to need special education, more likely to graduate high school and go on to college. Check out Angie’s story, and tell Congress, don’t cut Head Start.

Working to Improve Early Childhood State Data Systems

The Children’s Defense Fund hosted Data Driven Decisions: Separating Fact from Fiction in Building Early Care and Education Systems, a learning institute that brought together representatives from Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Carolina to discuss the importance of using coordinated early childhood data systems as tools for policy makers. Early childhood data are often scattered throughout multipale state agencies or departments, making it difficult for policymakers and advocates to develop efficient strategies to meet the needs of children and families in their state.

This conference gave state teams the opportunity to:

• Participate in presentations and discussions about the use of data in driving policy decisions.
• Share their lessons learned and challenges faced in making improvements to their states data systems.
• Discuss the best strategies to implementing effective early childhood data systems.

Click here for a complete summary of the Institute, videos, meeting resources and presentations.

CDF Early Childhood Newsletter

Each month, the Children's Defense Fund sends out a newsletter with updates on the latest happenings in Early Childhood policy. Be sure to check out the latest edition!

 Budget Watch

The federal budget is an important moral statement of what we value as a nation and where our priorities lie. This year, the federal budget process is more important than ever. Many states are facing budget shortfalls and the deficit is at a record high. CDF believes investing in our children is the long-term answer to our country’s budget problems. Visit our Budget Watch page, which includes information specific to funding for early childhood, to learn more about the federal budget process.