The Early Care and Education Consortium is a voice for child care providers on Capitol Hill, focusing on issues including child care subsidies, quality rating systems, prekindergarten and early learning initiatives, and challenges for the early education workforce.

Federal Funding Updated July 2008
Child Care and Development Block Grant Updated May 2008
Higher Education Act Updated August 2008
Child and Adult Care Food Program Updated August 2008
Other Federal Policy News and Resources

FY09 Federal Funding
In February 2008, the President presented the FY09 budget proposal to Congress. The proposal froze child care funding.

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have each met to review and determine funding levels for programs for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. Their recommendations are as follows:

Program  House Appropriations Committee Bill for FY 2009  House Appropriations Committee Bill compared to current year House Appropriations Committee Bill compared to the President's request Child Care & Development Block Grant  $2,112,081,000  $50,000,000 more  $50,000,000 more Head Start  $7,120,000,000  $242,024,000 more  $93,429,000 more 21st Century Community Learning Centers  $1,131,166,000  $50,000,000 more  $331,166,000 more  Program Senate Appropriations Committee Bill for FY 2009 Senate  Appropriations Committee Bill compared to current year Senate  Appropriations Committee Bill compared to the President'srequest Child Care & Development Block Grant  $2,137,081,000  $75,000,000 more  $75,000,000 more Head Start  $7,104,571,000  $226,595,000 more  $78,000,000 more 21st Century Community Learning Centers  $1,081,166,000 same  $281,166,000 more

 

 

According to the House Committee Report, “The Committee believes that child care is a wise investment. First, child care assistance is essential to enable low-income parents to work and become self-sufficient. Single mothers who receive child care assistance are 40 percent more likely to remain employed after two years than those who do not receive assistance. Second, studies have shown that high-quality child care helps ensure that children enter school ready to succeed. By second grade, children who have received high-quality care demonstrate greater mathematical ability, greater thinking and attention skills, and fewer behavior problems than children who receive lower-quality care.”

The Senate Committee Report also emphasized the need for high quality care, explaining “The Committee has provided additional quality funds [in CCDBG] because of the considerable research demonstrating the importance of serving children in high quality child care settings which include adequately compensated, nurturing providers who are specially trained in child development.”

Child Care and Development Block Grant Act
The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is the primary federal funding stream for child care. Funds support quality initiatives in the states for all children, and funds provide subsidies to help eligible families pay for child care. CCDBG has been due for reauthorization in Congress since 2002. fore other major legislation. Opportunities in reauthorization include:

*Increasing funding levels so that more eligible families can access subsidies and quality initiatives can be expanded
*Supporting higher reimbursment rates
*Preserving parent choice and expanding mixed delivery in state early childhood programs
*Strengthening state requirements for child care and raising the bar on the quality of care

Starting Early, Starting Right Act (S. 2980)
On May 5, 2008, Senator Robert Casey (D-PA) introduced a new federal child care bill.
 
The Starting Early, Starting Right Act (S. 2980):
*Authorizes a $10 billion increase in the Child Care and Development Block Grant
*Requires states to reimburse at the 75th percentile of the current market rate or higher based on a market rate survey
*Includes provisions for access to and continuity of child care
*Requires states to increase licensing regulations
*Includes set-asides for quality initiatives with options to develop and implement quality rating systems, ensure full day programs, and to provide access for infants and toddlers
The bill is a much needed move forward for child care, focusing attention on funding while also addressing quality and Birth-to-Five.
 
For more information about the bill, visit Senator Casey's website. Watch your email inbox for ways you can support the bill!

 
Higher Education Act
The House and Senate passed the long-awaited reauthorization of the Higher Education Opportunity Act in July, and the President signed it in to law on August 14, 2008. The final bill includes: 

*  Expansion of loan forgiveness for prospective loan borrowers who work in licensed/regulated child care, Head Start and Early Head Start, and state prekindergarten programs
*  Expansion of Teacher Quality Partnership Grants, which may now include early childhood education programs (child care, Head Start, state preK). Grant funds may be used for compensation initiatives for early childhood educators who obtain an AA or BA
*  A new program of grants to states to create comprehensive professional development systems for early childhood educators working with children from birth to five

The loan forgiveness provisions in particular are a major victory for our field. While the BA alone is not the solution to the challenges of the workforce, the changes in this legislation will help our current ECE teachers keep pace with rising expectations.  ECEC applauds our partners for years of effort on this bill and will continue to work on these and other strategies to support the early childhood workforce as it faces rising expectations.

 
The Child and Adult Food Care Program (CACFP)
Created in 1968, the Child and Adult Food Care Program (CACFP) serves more than two million children in child care settings each day.  CACFP served some 1.85 billion meals and snacks last year alone. A pilot initiative that was made permanent in the 2004 reauthorization of the Child Nutrition bill makes it possible for for-profit child care programs to participate in CACFP. For-profit child care centers can participate so long as at least 25% of their children are in low-income families. Currently, at more than 1,330 child care centers across the country, ECEC members serve at least 107,000 children through the CACFP program – about five percent of the total!

With the increasing price of food , growing awareness of children’s health and obesity, and overall food insecurity among families and communities, CACFP is critical. Children who are hungry need to be served, and child care providers rely on the support of programs like CACFP to make it possible.

The Child Nutrition Act, which includes CACFP, is due for reauthorization in 2009. Priorities for strengthening CACFP include:

1. Increasing program access by expanding eligibility and increasing reimbursement
2. Streamlining operations and increase flexibility
3. Improving nutritional value of the meals and resources for nutrition education for providers, parents and children

Preparations are already underway and there are opportunities to get involved. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is hosting “Listening Sessions” in 2008, and is also accepting written comments.

Read ECEC’s Testimony here

For more details on how to get involved, please see the Food Research and Action Center website or contact ECEC directly.

 
Other Federal Policy News and Resources

ECEC Testifies at U.S. House Hearing on Early Education
Executive Director Eric Karolak testified before the House Committee on Education and Labor on "Investing in Early Education: Paths to Improving Children's Success," on January 23.  What one program is the answer? How much does a year of infant care in California cost? What's the role of community-based providers? What should policymakers consider when it comes to ECE workforce qualifications? View the archived hearing and read the written testimony online for answers to these and other issues.


Federal Legislative Report
Key early care and education legislation pending in the 110th Congress.

Federal Pre-K Legislation 
Links and summaries of major preK and early childhood education legislation

National Summit on America’s Children
ECEC’s summary of the May 20, 2007 congressional meeting convened by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to provide legislators with the best information and research to inform their actions in the 110^th Congress.