eNotes
March 29, 2018In this Issue:
- Atypical Brain Development Observed in Preschoolers with ADHD Symptoms Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- From Saving Babies to Protecting People Source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD)
- Omnibus Bill Brings Good News for Early Childhood Source: New America
- Child Care in the FY 2018 Omnibus Spending Bill Source: Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
- State Policies for Assessing Access Source: Early Childhood Data Collaborative (ECDC)
1. Atypical Brain Development Observed in Preschoolers with ADHD Symptoms
A recent press release from the NIH (March 2018) shares findings from a study that observed significant differences in brain structure in children as young as age 4 with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). High-resolution brain scans provided solid evidence of less brain volume matter for the children with ADHD as compared with their peers without ADHD. This is the first comprehensive study of brain structure changes in preschoolers struggling with ADHD, and appears in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.
2. From Saving Babies to Protecting People
The NCBDDD recently released its 2017 annual report (January 2018) listing its accomplishments and publications for the 2017 fiscal year, as well as, its future goals, funding and state-based activities. Through funding, research, and prevention initiatives, the NCBDDD strives to save infants struggling with birth defects, advance our understanding of developmental disabilities, and protect the health and well-being of those living with disabilities.
3. Omnibus Bill Brings Good News for Early Childhood
New America reviews the recent omnibus spending bill passed by Congress on March 23, 2018. The bill offers the largest increase to the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act ($2.37 billion) in the program's history, and could result in child care access to nearly 200,000 additional children. The extra funding will also allow the 2014 reauthorization of CCDBG to be fully implemented to include significant health and safety standards, and proposed increases to provider reimbursement rates. Read the full education policy brief for further information.
4. Child Care in the FY 2018 Omnibus Spending Bill
CLASP released this fact sheet (March 2018) about the positive impact that the recent omnibus spending bill passed by Congress will have on child care. A data table provides the breakdown of additional funding by state and additional children served via the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) increase.
5. State Policies for Assessing Access
This analysis of states' 2016-2018 Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) plans from the ECDC (March 2018) examines how states are addressing new access to early care and education (ECE) service requirements of the CCDF reauthorization law. The summary covers state policies for increasing access to ECE for specific populations, payment rates for care, and methods for increasing the supply of high-quality care. Some key findings in the report include:
- 75% of states implemented policies that prioritized services for children in high-poverty areas
- inconsistent methods were used for measuring child care supply
- tiered payment rates were the most common metric used for identifying whether or not reimbursement rates provided equal access
Also provided are recommendations to strengthen states' methods for using more extensive data and analysis to address access in future child care development plans.