Federal Legislation for Child Care and Early Learning Initiatives
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Updated August 20, 2010
Support for Child Care in Congress
Child Nutrition
ESEA Reauthorization
Issues in Focus
Families Earning, Children Learning: Support for Child Care in Congress
ECEC has worked with national and state organizations dedicated to improving the quality of our nation's child care in developing a national agenda for child care. This "Vision" would expand families' access to high-quality learning opportunities for their children and help ensure all children are cared for in child care settings that enhance their readiness for and success in school.
Child Care and Development Block Grant: Investment and Reauthorization
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.
The Administration’s FY11 Budget Proposal calls for a $1.6 billion increase for CCDBG! These increased investments would make a meaningful difference to both access and quality of child care. Click here for more information about the Families Earning, Children Learning campaign and about investments in chilld care.
CCDBG has been due for reauthorization in Congress since 2002. This policy review would offer an important opportunity to improve the quality of care and to reach more families through improvements to the subsidy program, However, Congress has no plans to reauthorize the legislation this year.
Early Learning Challenge Fund
The Early Learning Challenge Fund concept focused on bith-to-five, encouraged states to develop early childhood systems, supported program providers and aimed at increasing the number of low-income children in high-quality programs.
The House of Representatives passed the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) in September 2009. This bill proposed using savings from college student loan reforms to establish the Early Learning Challenge Fund. It would have provided $1 billion per year for 8 years in competitive grants to states.
Unfortunately, in March 2010, this potentially game-changing initiative was not included in the Senate package of student loan reform measures (which was attached to the “Reconciliation” package in which Congress enacted health care reforms).
As we look ahead to other ways to move the concepts forward, the most immediate and sure way to support quality is to support the proposed $1.6 billion increase in funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant.
Resources:
ECEC's Summary of the Early Learning Challenge Fund
ECEC Radio interview with Dr. Ruth Friendman, Senior Education Policy Advisor to Chairman George Miller
ECEC's letter to Chairman George Miller
Promoting Employer-sponsored On-Site Child Care
U.S. Representative Nita Lowey (D-NY), introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to help support high-quality child care in the workplace. The “Child Care Public-Private Partnership Act of 2009,” (HR 2041) introduced on April 22, seeks to establish a business incentive grant program, offering matching funds to businesses to provide on-site child care. ECEC supports this creative way to help working parents and young children access to high-quality child care.
Dependent Care Tax Credit
Another strategy for helping families with the cost of child care is the Dependent Care Tax Credit, which working parents can use to offset their work-related child care expenses.
Support Working Parents Act (H.R. 5260)
On May 11, Representatives Allyson Schwartz (D-PA 13th) and Mike McMahon (D-NY 13th) introduced the Support Working Parents Act (H.R. 5260), which would expand the existing Dependent Care Tax Credit (DCTC) so that families of all incomes eligible for the credit could claim 35% of their child care expenses. This would nearly double the current credit allowed for many families from $1,200 to $2,100 per family. ECEC supports the legislation as it can make a significant difference for many families in being able to afford high-quality child care.
Resources:
Representative Schwartz's Press Release on H.R. 5260
Representative McMahon’s Press Release on H.R. 5260
Middle Class Task Force Recommends Supports for Children and Families
On February 26, the Middle Class Task Force, a group convened by President Obama to gather ideas about how to address challenges faced by middle class families, released its recommendations to nearly double of the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and to increase funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant to help more families access child care assistance.
Resources:
ECEC submitted a letter to the Task Force supporting its initiatives.
Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization and CACFP
The Child Nutrition Act, which includes the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), is currently being considered in Congress. A thoughtful reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act can help to reduce hunger, reduce childhood obesity, improve child nutrition and health overall, and enhance child development and school readiness if it includes provisions to strengthen CACFP. For more information about CACFP, please see our Issues in Focus page.
| The Early Care and Education Consortium has joined 127 other organizations urging Congress to pass a strong child nutrition bill. |
Child Nutrition: An Administration Priority
The Administration’s Budget Proposal calls for $1 billion in FY11 ($10 billion over 10 years total) for child nutrition programs, including CACFP as well as school breakfast and lunch, and other programs included in the Child Nutrition Act.
Latest News: Senate Passes Child Nutrition Reauthorization Bill
On August 5, the U.S. Senate passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. The bill is paid in part through funds previously directed to SNAP ("food stamps"), a move that has generated controversy among anti-hunger advocates. ECEC and partner organizations are urging the House to take up their version of the bill.
Take Action Today! Urge your Representative to complete work on a robustly-funded Child Nutrition Act!
Child Nutrition Legislation Action in the House of Representatives
On July 15, the House Education and Labor Committee passed the Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act, which calls for an increase of $8 billion over ten years for crucial child nutrition programs to improve the quality of meals for children in child care and school settings and to increase the numbers of children served by these programs. The legislation includes a pilot to offer an additional meal or snack to CACFP in five states, to be selected by USDA. ECEC applauds the inclusion of this pilot, which will make a meaningful difference in the selected states.
Resources:
Chairman Miller's Press Release on Committee Passage of H.R. 5504
ECEC Summary: House Education Committee's Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act
ECEC Letter of Support to Chairman Miller for the Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act
House Committee on Education and Labor's Press Conference on the Bill
The Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act (bill text)
Testimony of Carolyn Morrison, President of National CACFP Forum at House Education Committee Hearing
Child Nutrition Act Action in the Senate
On March 24, 2010, the Senate Agriculture Committee passed the Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act of 2010 (S. 3307), the Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization bill. It proposes $4.5 billion (over ten years) increase and includes provisions for the Child and Adult Care Food Program, National School Lunch Program, Summer Food Service Program, and WIC. The provisions for CACFP are focused on the promotion of nutrition and wellness, reducing paperwork, and increasing access to after-school meals for school-age children.
Resources:
ECEC’s detailed summary of the legislation and how it impacts CACFP
Senator Lincoln's Press Release on Committee Passage of S. 3307
ECEC's Priorities for the Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization
The Access to Nutritious Meals for Young Children Act (S. 2749 and H.R. 4402) calls for significant investment in CACFP to increase access and help providers serve more children with good nutritious meals and snacks in child care. ECEC supports this legislation.
Resources:
ECEC Fact Sheet on the Access to Nutritious Meals for Young Children Act
Senator Gillibrand's Press Release about S. 2749
Representative Tonko's Press Release about H.R. 4402
U.S. Representatives and Senators Co-sponsoring H.R. 4402/S. 2749 (as of July 13, 2010)
In addition to these critical efforts to expand access to CACFP, the program has many onerous and often duplicative paperwork and administrative requirements. ECEC is working with Congress and USDA to streamline and simplify many of these details while maintaining accountability and integrity of program operations.
Resources:
ECEC Program Administration Recommendations
ESEA Reauthorization
Since 1965, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) has been the federal government’s primary legislative vehicle supporting and influencing K‐12 public education in more than 16,000 local school districts across the country. Periodically “reauthorized” – revised and extended – its 2002 iteration, the “No Child Left Behind Act” ushered in “high stakes testing” and a focus on school accountability among other changes.
What is Title I and How are Funds Used for Preschool?
Congressional Hearings on ESEA
ESEA is up for reauthorization in Congress this year, which means the House and Senate have the opportunity to review and propose changes to the law. Part of the review process includes hearings with experts to help educate the Committee members about the issue details. So far, there have been two hearings in the Senate specifically about the role of early childhood education in ESEA.
The first was a field hearing in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, to learn about the success of Pennsylvania’s PreK Counts program and what could be done within ESEA to encourage further collaboration between community-based providers and school districts.
The second took place in Washington, DC. One of the themes was "Ready Schools" and Dr. Larry Schweinhart, President of HighScope Educational Research Foundation and a member of the ECEC Board of Directors, was one of the expert witnesses testifying. “With ESEA reauthorization,” he told the committee, “we have an opportunity to kick off a national ready school movement” to help school stakeholders measure the level of readiness in their school and to improve their school’s readiness over time.
For more information about these hearings, please visit the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee website.
Administration Listening Tours on Early Learning
In April and May, officials from the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services are traveled to select locations across the country on a “Listening and Learning About Early Learning Tour” to discuss early learning. Topics included understanding preschool, workforce and professional development, family engagement, and standards and assessments.
Several ECEC members provided feedback at those hearings that have already been held, including ECEC Board President Bob Siegel, of Easter Seals Child Development Network. Additional information about the Listening Tour has been posted by the U.S. Department of Education.
Issues in Focus
For more information about ECEC's work on these and other issues, please see the Issues in Focus page.
