eNotes
September 23, 2016In this Issue:
- Joint Policy Statement - State Advisory Councils on Early Childhood Education and Care Source: U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Education - September 21, 2016
- New Materials on Using Linked Early Childhood Data For Program Improvement Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - September 21, 2016
- Full-Day Kindergarten: A Look Across the States Source: Education Commission of the States - September 16, 2016
- Appendix A of the 2015 State of Preschool Yearbook Source: National Institute for Early Education Research - September 23, 2016
- Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program Source: National Institutes of Health - September 21, 2016
- Kids' Share 2016: Federal Expenditures on Children through 2015 and Future Projections Source: Urban Institute - September 20, 2016
1. Joint Policy Statement - State Advisory Councils on Early Childhood Education and Care
The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Education have released a Joint Policy Statement (September 21, 2016) to provide guidance to State Advisory Councils on Early Childhood Education and Care on sustaining federal and state investments, and advancing work that supports the coordination of quality, comprehensive systems of early care and education at the state level. The new policy statement, as well as reports and resources related to the work of the State Advisory Councils, can be found at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/ecd/early-learning/state-advisory-councils.
2. New Materials on Using Linked Early Childhood Data For Program Improvement
The Building Capacity to Use Linked Early Childhood Data Project has released a number of short, easy-to-read resources that are meant to build the capacity of early care and education programs to: (1) link their data with data from other agencies, and (2) use these data to improve the quality of services for children and families. The resources include a research brief, 5 case studies, 5 "data directions," a data linking planning guide, and a compilation of existing resources.
The project was funded by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), in partnership with the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
3. Full-Day Kindergarten: A Look Across the States
A new report Full-Day Kindergarten: A Look Across the States, provides a 50-state review of the spectrum of full-day kindergarten program requirements across the country, as well as the different models of funding implemented by the states. Some key findings show that:
- In 13 states plus the District of Columbia, districts are required to offer full-day kindergarten.
- In 27 states, the length of full-day kindergarten (required or optional) is the same as the length of day for first grade.
- The definition of full-day kindergarten and the level at which it is funded varies considerably from one state to another.
4. Appendix A of the 2015 State of Preschool Yearbook
The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) recently published Appendix A of its 2015 State of Preschool Yearbook. Appendix A provides many interesting state-by-state details on important aspects of states’ public preschool programs.
5. Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program
Experiences during sensitive developmental periods can have long-lasting effects on the health of children. These experiences can include a broad range of exposures, from environmental factors like air pollution and chemicals, to societal factors such as stress, to individual behaviors like sleep and diet. On September 21, 2016, the National Institutes of Health announced $157 million in awards in fiscal year 2016 to launch a seven-year initiative called Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO). The ECHO program will investigate how exposure to a range of environmental factors in early development, from conception through early childhood, influences the health of children and adolescents.
6. Kids' Share 2016: Federal Expenditures on Children through 2015 and Future Projections
The Urban Institute's tenth annual report, Kids' Share 2016: Federal Expenditures on Children through 2015 and Future Projections (September 2016), provides an updated analysis of federal, state and local expenditures on children through 2015 and an updated projection of children's spending in the future. The report finds that Federal spending on children has been fairly flat over the past four years, in real dollars, and spending on children is projected to decline from 10 to 8 percent of the federal budget over the next decade.