Legislative Update Week of May 26
Date Posted: 05/26/2009
NHSA LEGISLATIVE UPDATE AND CALL TO ACTION
Week of May 26, 2009
Dear Friends:
Please read this email and share it with others in your network. It contains an NHSA Update, a Legislative and Administrative Update, and a Call to Action. We hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!
NHSA UPDATE
NHSA Sends Letter to OHS Regarding ARRA Expansion RFAs
As you all know, a portion of the funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 1009 ("ARRA") are for Head Start and Early Head Start Expansion. NHSA is so pleased that these opportunities exist and we hope that you are working hard on your applications!
NHSA also really appreciates the very hard work that the Office of Head Start has put into drafting the Requests for Applications ("RFAs") on a very tight timeframe. The RFAs for these expansion funds were issued on May 8th. Upon analyzing them, we determined that certain issues required clarification. We know that as all of you put your applications together, some additional information would be helpful. Specifically, on behalf of our membership, NHSA:
(1) noted our concern that the Early Head Start ("EHS") RFA does not fully implement § 645A(e) of the Head Start Act which requires that ACF give priority in the selection and award of Early Head Start grants to "entities with a record of providing early, continuous, and comprehensive childhood development and family services." We therefore asked that ACF amend the EHS RFA to include a process for determining which entities have "a record of providing early, continuous, and comprehensive childhood development and family services" and explained that we believe that all Head Start and Early Head Start grantees and delegate agencies in good standing meet this standard.
(2) asked for clarity on the Early Head Start RFA in terms of defining the open service areas and how applications for parts of service areas will be assessed.
(3) noted that while the Head Start Act specifically addresses conversion of slots from part-day to full-day and Head Start to Early Head Start, the RFAs are clear that expansion funds cannot be used for conversion purposes. We therefore asked that current and pending conversion requests from programs be acted upon expeditiously.
(4) explained that while we understand that the Head Start Act requires programs to prioritize children for enrollment based on eligibility, we do not believe that under the Act, entities receiving expansion funds would be prohibited from serving some children in the 100 to 130% of poverty range as implied by statements in the RFAs. We asked for confirmation that ACF will apply the statutory eligibility provisions to the expansion grants and that recipients of such grants will be able to, assuming compliance with the provisions of the Head Start Act, enroll children above poverty if necessary.
(5) asked that certain statements in the RFAs that do not comport with the Head Start Act's limitation on 20% non-federal share be removed from the RFAs.
NHSA is optimistic that we can receive some further clarity for the field and possibly corresponding amendments for the RFAs. In fact, after NHSA sent its letter to ACF, ACF published some additional clarifications on the RFAs on the Eclkc website (see Administration Update below). While we hope for further clarifications on the specific issues we raised, keep your applications moving forward as the deadlines are coming up shortly. Stay tuned!
Thanks for Your Participation in the Dodd-Snowe Sign On Letter
NHSA would like to thank you for helping to ensure that we had numerous Senators sign on to the Dodd-Snowe early childhood Dear Colleague that circulated recently. Senators Dodd and Snowe and many others requested that the Senate Appropriations Committee provide Head Start with an additional $1 billion for FY 2010. This would be over and above our current annual $7.1 billion appropriation and in addition to the $2.1 billion Head Start and Early Head Start received in the ARRA.
We are delighted there is as much support on Capitol Hill for our recommended request. As we explained in the March 30, 2009 Legislative Update, in light of the substantial influx of funds through the ARRA for Head Start and Early Head Start for FY 2009 and FY 2010, NHSA reevaluated its FY 2010 Appropriations request. After reviewing numerous scenarios and taking into account the current economic climate, we decided to request an appropriation of $8, 112,786,000 for FY 2010, which is $1 billion over Head Start's annual appropriation for FY 2009. This is the amount that the Dodd-Snowe letter requested for us.
This amount would make a down payment on the President's Zero to Five Plan and build on the recent investments in early childhood education and care in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. It would flow through the existing Head Start funding formula and foster sustainable growth in Head Start, Early Head Start, American Indian/Alaska Native Head Start and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start. It would also allow programs' base funding to keep up with the pace of inflation since 2002.
Although the Appropriations process for FY 2010 is far from over and there is much work to be done to attempt to have Head Start receive any significant funding on top of the ARRA funds we are to receive this fiscal year and next, we at NHSA are pleased that the field worked to help get your Senators to sign on and support our requested amount. Stay tuned for next steps as they unfold over the next few months.
Introducing SupportHeadStart.org
We received feedback from many of you that the www.saveheadstart.org website, by its very name, sent an outdated message about our program. We listened, agreed with you, and responded. We are very pleased to announce the new www.SupportHeadStart.org website! Please visit the site, send a letter to your Members of Congress, and check back often for updates and information. Together, we can make a difference.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Senate Appropriations Request
To read a copy of the final Dodd-Snowe letter mentioned above, please click here.
Coming Your Way
Many Members of Congress and Senators are in their home districts this week. They will then return to Washington to continue work on the pending issues they are in the midst of at the beginning of June.
Bills to Watch
NHSA is currently tracking, reviewing and analyzing a variety of bills that could have an effect on Head Start, including child care facilities bills, e-rate, and tax deductions for classroom staff for out of pocket expenses. Stay tuned as we clarify our positions on these bills... More info to follow.
In addition, NHSA has signed onto a support letter for Senators Lincoln and Snowe's introduction of the Family Tax Relief Act of 2009. The legislation will make quality child care more accessible and affordable for our nation's working families by increasing the size of the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and making it refundable.
ADMINISTRATION NEWS
Still no word on when President Obama will announce the new Director of the Office of Head Start. We give thanks to Pat Brown who has held that position for some time and look forward to learning who we'll be working with in that role in the near future.
As mentioned above in the NHSA update section, the Office of Head Start has posted some clarifications in the form of questions and answers on the expansion RFAs. These can be found at: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/Program%20Design%20and%20Management/Expansion. Please review these for help on your applications.
CALL TO ACTION
Please take a moment to thank the 31 Senators who signed on to the Dodd-Snowe Dear Colleague for Early Childhood funding for FY 2010. They are: Akaka, Bingaman, Boxer, Brown, Burris, Cantwell, Cardin, Casey, Dodd, Feingold, Gillibrand, Johnson, Kennedy, Kerry, Klobuchar, Lautenberg, Leahy, Levin, Lieberman, Lincoln, Menendez, Reed, Rockefeller, Sanders, Schumer, Snowe, Stabenow, Udall (Tom), Warner, Whitehouse, and Wyden.
This is important because Members of Congress and Senators can't only hear from us when we have concerns. We have to make sure they hear from us when we are pleased too.
To contact your Senators, call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or if you'd like to email them, go to: www.senate.gov and click on your Senator's website. On each website, there is a contact or feedback form which will allow you to email him/her directly.
DOLLAR PER CHILD
Thanks to all of you who donated to the Dollar per Child Campaign this year. All the work that NHSA did on the ARRA and is doing on other current legislative efforts is paid for by Dollar Per Child funds. That's why we need you to continue to support the Dollar Per Child Campaign. Without a robust source of funds, NHSA can't lead the way in our advocacy efforts that benefit all Head Start programs. It is through these dollars that we can advocate for you and with you on your behalf. Don't wait. Please send your contributions, whatever amount you can afford, whether it is $1 per child, $5 per child, or $10 per child. You can even easily donate online on our new, improved website at: https://www.nhsa.org/get_involved/donate.
Dollar Per Child funds will ensure that NHSA can continue to lead the way in all of the future advocacy efforts coming up-from regulatory issues with the Office of Head Start, to additional fiscal year appropriations, to the next Head Start Act reauthorization which is not far off.
Please know that NHSA continues to work for you and with you on your behalf on matters of importance to the Head Start community.
This Legislative E-Update has been sent to Head Start Directors, the NHSA Board, Head Start State and Regional Association Presidents, Executive Directors, and Parents. Please share it with others in your network.
