federal funding
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Federal Funding For Early Education ProgramsBy Jennifer Kolbus
Early Education Programs
Early Head Start is the most common program
Proven to be effective for children birth to age 5
Programs are mostly there to support low income families and families with children who have disabilities
Importance
To prepare young children for primary school
These programs take into account the factors that contribute to a child's readiness in primary school
1. Ready Children
2. Ready Families
3. Ready Communities
4. Ready Health Services
5. Ready Early Care Services
6. Ready Schools
*These factors apply to low income families*
Importance
Federal funding only covers administrative costs
Highest cost is the evaluation and services
With previous cuts in budgets, this could leave children and families without access to services
In 2004 62,000 children under the age of 3 were served by early education classrooms.
Previously Proposed Ideas
Restricting eligibility has been and idea to reduce costs
Insurance revenue
Parent costs
Plans for the Future
Obama has proposed a budget for 2010 that will increase spending by the U.S. Department of Education by 2.8%
Plans to cut 12 programs that White House deems “ineffective”
Plans for the Future
Factors to an increase of about 1.3 billion dollars
300 million dollars of that budget will be incorporated into early childhood programs.
This separate from the stimulus package
Plans for the Future
Obama plans to invest in a universal preschool program
Reforming the Child and Dependent Tax Credit
Early Learning Challenge Grants
What This Means
Quadrupling the number of eligible children and families
Ensuring that families have the money to pay for child care needs
States will need to match federal funds
Challenges
Though many of these plans seem effective, it will take years for them to be put into effect.
Some programs that help a few families will be cut.
Money in this economy is hard to come by so adding funding to early education means decreasing funding elsewhere.
It is important to remember that change can take a while.
Early Education has been proven to be beneficial though-out life
Conclusion
References
Chalk Drawing, June 2, 2009 tiffanywashko
Image_4629, November 1, 2008 kaylhew
Free School Child Coloring With Green Pencil (unedited) Creative Commons, March 26 2009, Pink Sherbet Photography
"It looked like two rabbits and a sun, but it wasn't two rabbits and a sun”, January 12 2008, Mrs. Finger
References
Grant, R. (Winter 2005). State Strategies to Contain Costs in the Early Intervention Program: Policy and Evidence. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education. 25(4), 243-50.
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/ecarefunding.html
Klein, A. (May 13 2009). Budget Would Boost Incentive Pay, Turnaround Aid. Education Week. 28(31), 20.