eNotes from

1. Invitation to Comment -- Proposed Priorities Impacting Early Child Care and Children with Disabilities
     Source: U.S. Department of Education
2. OSEP Funds New Centers Focused on Early Childhood
     Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
3. CDC Launches New Milestone Tracker App
     Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
4. Updated Guidance for Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Management of Infants with Congenital Zika Virus
     Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
5. Preschool Development -- States' Efforts for Sustainability
     Source: Preschool Development Grant Technical Assistance Program (PDGTA)
6. Three Principles to Improve Outcomes for Children and Families
     Source: The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

Source: U.S. Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education is inviting comments on the Secretary's 11 proposed priorities and definitions for use in existing or future discretionary grant programs affecting the work of educators, parents and other collaborating partners, and the outcomes for children. Note: Priorities 1, 5 and 6 contain specific language regarding children with disabilities. The Department is interested in comments that help assess the impact of these proposed priorities. Comments must be received by November 13, 2017. To learn more, see the Federal Register Notice.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)

OSEP has announced three new investments in early childhood (October 2017). The following technical assistance centers help states, practitioners and families to improve outcomes for young children at risk for developing or who have disabilities.

• The Early Childhood Systems Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• The Early Childhood Personnel Center (ECPC) - University of Connecticut Health Center
• The National Center for Pyramid Model Innovation - University of South Florida

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The CDC recently launched a free Milestone Tracker app (October 2017) for easily tracking child development. The app also provides parents tips to assist their child's learning and growth, recognize delays, and share information with their healthcare provider. Early care and education practitioners can use the app to advance their understanding of their students' abilities and engage families in monitoring developmental progress. For further details and downloading instructions, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones-app.html.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Per recent clinical findings, the CDC updated its guidance for health care providers caring for infants with possible congenital Zika virus infection (October 2017). The guide provides updated recommendations for initial testing, evaluation and follow-up care for both pregnant women and infants at risk for infection or who have contracted the virus.

Source: Preschool Development Grant Technical Assistance Program (PDGTA)

The September 2017 issue of PDGTA's Quarterly Newsletter reviewed innovative approaches the 18 grant funded states are using to sustain successful preschool policy development and program expansion. Examples are provided in five key areas: infrastructure, community collaborations, data collection and analysis, workforce development, and birth to 3rd grade alignment.

Source: The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

The Center on the Developing Child has released a new resource (October 2017) describing the following three principles that policy makers and practitioners can use for optimizing outcomes for children and their families, and identifying obstacles that prevent these from being addressed. Also available in PDF.

1. Support responsive relationships for children and adults.
2. Strengthen core life skills.
3. Reduce sources of stress in the lives of children and families