eNotes
October 11, 2017In this Issue:
- Indispensable Policies & Practices for High-Quality Pre-K Source: New America
- Pathways to High-Quality Child Care Source: Committee for Economic Development (CED)
- One Quarter of Hispanic Children in the U.S. Have an Unauthorized Immigrant Parent Source: National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families
- New Translations for Families and Practitioners Source: Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University
- Using Medicaid and other Federal Funds to Finance Home Visiting Services Source: National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) & Alliance for Early Success
- The Effects of Accountability Incentives in Early Childhood Education Source: Stanford Center for Education Policy Analysis (CEPA)
- National Profile of ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment among U.S. Children (Aged 2 to 5) Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
1. Indispensable Policies & Practices for High-Quality Pre-K
This September 2017 report from New America examines recent research and studies regarding preschool programs and quality standards, and summarizes those policies and practices essential for sustaining high-quality pre-K education. There are six core themes covered in the report: Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment, Family Engagement, Funding, P-3 Alignment, Program Improvement and Workforce Support.
2. Pathways to High-Quality Child Care
In August 2017, the CED published a brief to address the prevalent low compensation to the early care and education (ECE) workforce, its high turnover rate, and the significant implications our investments in ECE have over a child's lifelong learning. The brief also discusses how Louisiana's approach to reward professional development within the ECE workforce with an incremental wage increase (without increasing parent fees), offers a model for other states to follow. For further details, visit the entire policy brief or its executive summary. Also, provided is an infographic and social media toolkit for promoting high-quality child care.
3. One Quarter of Hispanic Children in the U.S. Have an Unauthorized Immigrant Parent
Of America's Latino children, 1 in 4 (4 million) are at risk for experiencing parental separation, due to the parent's unauthorized immigrant status. "This kind of uncertainty, stress, and trauma can threaten children's well-being, affecting their brain development, physical health, and more. Additionally, should large numbers of parents be deported, states may be faced with placing their children in foster care, a public system that in most states is already overextended." Read the full report (October 2017) for additional details.
As a resource, National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families is providing a webinar on their Culturally Responsive Guide
4. New Translations for Families and Practitioners
The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University has recently expanded its online library to include Spanish translations of the Center's InBriefs and Portuguese translations of From Best Practices to Breakthrough Impacts, as well as their activities guide for helping children build self-regulation and executive function skills.
- View Spanish resources
- View Portuguese resources
5. Using Medicaid and other Federal Funds to Finance Home Visiting Services
Some states currently use Medicaid and other federal funding, such as the Maternal and Infant Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) fund, to finance effective evidence-based home visiting programs. These programs typically include screening, case management, and family support and counseling for pregnant women and children from birth through kindergarten. This new brief (August 2017) explains how federal funding is used for this purpose and explores new opportunities for integrating home visiting into state health reform initiatives.
6. The Effects of Accountability Incentives in Early Childhood Education
In September 2017, CEPA published this working paper that provides empirical evidence on how Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) operate using data from North Carolina, a state with a long established QRIS. To enhance the quality of early childhood education (ECE) widespread, nearly all U.S. states have recently adopted QRIS to give child care providers and parents information on program quality, and generate reputational and financial incentives for strengthening programs.
7. National Profile of ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment among U.S. Children (Aged 2 to 5)
According to the CDC a recent study (July 2017) published by the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, estimates that ADHD diagnosis for U.S. children aged 2 to 5 increased 57% from 2007 to 2012. Among these children, only about 50% received behavioral treatment for their diagnosis. The study confirms that parent training and behavior therapy intervention has the most evidence of being affective for treating ADHD in young children. View the study's video abstract for more details.