eNotes
January 26, 2018In this Issue:
- DEC Seeks IDEA Reauthorization Feedback Source: Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children
- Child Well-Being: Key Considerations for Policymakers Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
- The State of America's Children 2017 Report Source: Children's Defense Fund
- Validation of QRIS Ratings: A Synthesis of State Studies Source: Child Trends & Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation (OPRE)
- Survey Questions for Families of Young Children Source: ZERO TO THREE
- Promoting Self-Regulation in the First Five Years Source: Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation (OPRE)
1. DEC Seeks IDEA Reauthorization Feedback
DEC is requesting comments on 15 proposed recommendations for IDEA reauthorization. The recommendations are based on input from a meeting of past members during the 2017 DEC Conference. Visit the online survey to contribute your feedback. Comments are due February 9, 2018.
2. Child Well-Being: Key Considerations for Policymakers
The GAO released its Child Well-Being Report (November 2017) that examines what is known about the state of child well-being, and discusses recommendations from federal officials and experts from 18 organizations for how to address it. In recent years, the data reflects improvement in the well-being of U.S. children in some areas but not in others. Well-being continues to be generally worse for children who are minority, living in poverty, and/or from single-parent families. A PDF of this report is also available.
3. The State of America's Children 2017 Report
The Children's Defense Fund has published a new edition of its annual report on the well-being of children. The State of America's Children 2017 Report (December 2017) provides data on child population, poverty, family structure and income, housing, child nutrition, early childhood, education, and more. Its corresponding state fact sheets offer one-page snap shots of each state's child well-being status. Some key findings are listed below:
- In 2015, the cost for center-based child care of an infant was more than public college tuition in 31 states and the District of Columbia. However, since 2006, the number of children that received child care subsidies decreased by more than 370,000.
- In 2015, 20% of all children lived in food-insecure households. Black and Hispanic households with food-insecure children are more than doubled that of White households.
- In 2016, 49% of all children were children of color, and the majority of children were under age 5.
4. Validation of QRIS Ratings: A Synthesis of State Studies
OPRE has released its Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) validation study (December 2017). QRIS validation studies are one type of QRIS evaluation that examine how well the measurement and rating processes are working to identify meaningful levels of early childhood education (ECE) program quality, and is a requirement for states that received Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge grants.
Among the findings, a significant association was found in three of six states (California, Delaware, and Wisconsin) between QRIS rating and executive function. And, four states (Massachusetts, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin) found significant evidence linking the QRIS rating and social-emotional development.
5. Survey Questions for Families of Young Children
ZERO TO THREE just released a Spanish version of its survey of families with young children designed for states to gather information about their families' experiences with various services and supports. This survey accompanies the Infants and Toddlers in the Policy Picture: A Self-Assessment Toolkit for States published in December 2016. Note: the survey is located in the "Additional Resources" section of the page linked above.
6. Promoting Self-Regulation in the First Five Years
This practice brief from OPRE (October 2017) explains what self-regulation looks like in children from infancy through preschool age, and teaches caregivers how to co-regulate with their child(ren) to support development of this important skill. If applied systematically and proactively, a self and co-regulation framework can promote a solid foundation in skills needed for successful social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes throughout the child's life.
The brief is based on work administered by the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), and further described in this four report Self-Regulation and Toxic Stress series:
- Report 1: Foundations for Understanding Self-Regulation from an Applied Developmental Perspective
- Report 2: A Review of Ecological, Biological, and Developmental Studies of Self-Regulation and Stress
- Report 3: A Comprehensive Review of Self-Regulation Interventions from Birth through Young Adulthood
- Report 4: Implications for Programs and Practice