legislative and policy update

1July 27, 2010Legislative and Policy Update

Legislative and Policy Update

Yasmina Vinci

California Head Start Association

July 27, 2010


Agenda

• Federal Policy Environment Actors - Their Values and Constraints

• Head Start Issues and Opportunities

• Action


Actors

• Obama AdministrationDomestic Policy Council and Office of

Management and BudgetWhite House Office of Public LiaisonU.S. Department of Health and Human

Services, ACF, OHS, MCHB, OPRE, ASPEU.S. Department of Education


Actors (continued)

• U.S. Congress

House of Representatives

Senate

GAO


Actors (Continued)

• CoalitionsChild Care and Early Learning CoalitionChildren’s Leadership Council

• Think TanksNew America FoundationBrookings InstitutionHeritage FoundationAmerican Enterprise Institute


Actors (Continued)

• FoundationsPew Charitable TrustKellogg FoundationFoundation for Child DevelopmentAnnie E Casey

• Media


Actors (Continued)

• Voters

• NHSA, NMSHSA, AIAN, state and regional Head Start associations


Head Start Issues and OpportunitiesHead Start and Early Head Start ExpansionFY 2011 Appropriations Impact Study and GAO InvestigationHead Start Regulatory RevisionsTraining and Technical Assistance SystemEarly Learning Challenge FundHome Visiting Provisions in the Health Care

Bill


Head Start and Early Head Start Expansion

• Fiscal Year (FY) 2009: $7.1 billion.

• The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 provided $2.1 billion in new funds for Head Start and Early Head Start.


Head Start and Early Head Start Expansion (Continued)

New Head Start and Early Head Start Slots from ARRA Funds in California

New Head Start Slots 1,573

New Early Head Start Slots 5,729

Total Estimated New Slots 7,302

Source: Office of Head Start


Head Start and Early Head Start Expansion (Continued)

• Jobs Created• Funds not sufficiently drawn down


Federal Funding in FY 2011

• NHSA and its coalition partners asked for a $3.74 billion increase for Head Start and Early Head Start in the FY 2011 regular appropriations bill.

• This increase would have sustained the ARRA enrollment gains and made an additional payment on President Obama’s “Zero to Five” Plan.

• Given the harsh fiscal climate, the President’s budget request of $989 million increase to maintain the gains of Head Start/Early Head Start was a great start.


Federal Funding in FY 2011 (Continued)

• House appropriations – subcommittee – $866M

• Senate mark-up• Continuing resolution• FY 2012 budget thoughts


Head Start Regulatory Revisions

• Revisions of the Head Start Program Performance Standards and Other Regulations Addressing: In-kind local match Collaboration with local educational agencies Program governance (Policy Council and Policy Committee) Children with disabilities Child outcome assessments Lead screening Transportation


Regulatory Revisions (Continued)

• Creation and implementation of a process to determine the re-designation or re-competition of Head Start grantees – expected out very soon.


Early Learning Challenge Fund (ELCF) Legislation

• President Obama proposed investing $1 billion per year for 10 years to provide incentives to states to develop state early education and learning systems as part of SAFRA.

• High resolve to at least get it started at a lower funding level


ELCF Legislation (Continued)

• Legislation had a maintenance of effort provision to ensure that the state does not decrease funding for early education.

• Encouraged the development of Quality Rating Systems.

• Provided an important role for State Advisory Councils on Early Learning with Head Start community participation.


Home Visiting Legislation

• The health care reform legislation in Congress contains language to create this new program.

• Home visitation program must be evidence-based, and Early Head Start programs might be eligible (see notice for criteria to be considered evidence-based in Federal Register)


What Are Your Thoughts and Suggestions?


• Build a robust grassroots capacity, program by program, community by community

• Help us make advocacy interesting, natural, organic, an integral part of the Head Start families and staff commitment

• Get intentional about all communications• Utilize www.supportheadstart.org• Start discussions about the vision for Head

Start 2012

Action

http://www.supportheadstart.org/


[email protected]

Tomorrow…

• The New Language of Head Start


legislative and policy update

Documents

policy updatehead

policy updatelegislative

great start

policy updateactors

policy updatefederal

new early head

office of head startnew

gains of head startearly