Legislative Update Week of September 18, 2009
Date Posted: 09/28/2009
NHSA LEGISLATIVE UPDATE AND CALL TO ACTION
Week of September 18, 2009
Dear Friends:
Please read this email and share it with others in your network. It contains an NHSA Update, a Legislative Update, and a Call to Action.
NHSA UPDATE
There’s Still Time to Join Us for the Fall Leadership Institute!
The NHSA Leadership Institute is next week: September 21-24 followed by the NHSA Board Meeting on September 24-25. We look forward to having Head Start leaders from the field--including program directors, parents, senior management, board members, state Head Start association leaders, Policy Council members, and others join us for what should prove to be a full program. We'll discuss the latest legislative and regulatory action, make educational visits to Members of Congress, hear from key individuals on Capitol Hill and in the Obama administration, and more. Click here to register: http://www.nhsa.org/?e=events.detail&event_id=38. Don’t miss out!
Mark Your Calendar for the 26th Annual Parent Training Conference!
Save the date and register today: the 26th Annual Parent Training Conference is December 4-8 in San Jose, California. Our Parent Training Conference is designed to help parents and those who work with or on behalf of parents and their children to advance their knowledge, skills, and abilities. This conference provides a valuable opportunity to gain a better understanding of developmentally appropriate practices, learn critical new skills, broaden awareness, and acquire resources that will enable participants to help Head Start children and their families reach new heights!
Click here to register now: http://www.nhsa.org/?e=events.detail&event_id=39
Legal Advisory Service: The Scoop on Non-Federal Share
Head Start programs are required to provide a 20% non-federal match for all federal funds. Join Ted Waters of Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP, who leads the Head Start Legal Advisory Service, on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 3pm eastern time to learn:
- What your program can count as match;
- How to document non-federal matching share; and
- Common and not-so-common pitfalls to avoid.
To learn about NHSA-member discount pricing for both this webinar and the one below and to sign up today, please go to http://www2.eventsvc.com/FTLF/fths/.
Legal Advisory Service: Head Start Governance
Governance in Head Start has always been very important to programmatic compliance. With the 2007 reauthorization of the Head Start Act, governing bodies have more requirements and additional information they need to know. Invite your Board and Policy Council members, as well as your senior staff, to join Ted Waters on Tuesday October 6, 2009 at 3pm eastern time when he’ll explain:
- The unique roles and responsibilities of the Governing Board and Policy Council;
- How to handle Conflicts of Interest;
- Composition requirements; and
- What you need to do for your program to be in compliance.
Don’t miss out! Please click on the link above to register.
Send Us Your Links
If you or your program receives a write-up or interview in local media outlets about your proposed or actual uses of ARRA funding, please let us know. Or, if you’ve had a great news story about something special your program is doing, let us know that too. Send your links to Gregg Porter at NHSA at gporter@nhsa.org. We’d like to post them to our website and help spread the word!
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Congress Returns to Washington; Health Care Debate Takes Center Stage
As our Members of Congress return to Washington after an eventful August recess, many of them have a renewed focus on health care reform. Between the passing of Senator Kennedy and the President’s national address on health reform last week, Senators and Representatives are under pressure to rapidly move health care reform legislation through Congress and the Senate. Senator Baucus plans to unveil his proposed bill this week and we understand that the goal is to pass a bill through the Senate Finance Committee as soon as possible. Leadership has signaled that they would like to a bill sent to President this fall for his signature. Stay tuned!
Senator Harkin takes the Gavel for the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
Last week, Senator Dodd (who was next in line due to his seniority) decided to turn down the opportunity to succeed Senator Kennedy as Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (“HELP”) Committee. In choosing to retain his role as Chairman of the Banking Committee, Senator Dodd set the stage for the HELP gavel to pass to Senator Harkin (D-Iowa). Senator Harkin now has an extremely influential dual role for Head Start. In addition to his new position chairing the HELP Committee which oversees the Head Start program’s authorization, he will continue to chair the Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees Head Start funding (the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee). However, Senator Harkin has agreed to Senator Dodd continuing to lead the HELP Committee’s efforts on health reform through the current debate while Harkin begins to assume his new role on all other matters. NHSA congratulates Senator Harkin on his new Chairmanship and we look forward to continuing to work with him on issues of importance to the Head Start community.
Early Learning Challenge Fund Legislation
As we explained in the July 24th NHSA Legislative Update, one of President Obama’s educational priorities was to establish an Early Learning Challenge Grant program to provide funds to states to increase the quality of early learning efforts. Chairman Miller (D-CA) of the House Committee on Education and Labor introduced a bill on July 15, 2009, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (H.R. 3221) that includes a section (Title IV) to authorize an Early Learning Challenge Fund (“ELCF”). The ELCF would provide $8 billion over 8 years in the form of competitive grants to states to build a comprehensive, high quality early learning system for children ages birth to five and would establish quality standards. The House is scheduled to vote on HR 3221 this week and the Senate is expected to introduce companion legislation very soon. NHSA supports the ELCF.
FY 2010 Appropriations
As we’ve mentioned in prior NHSA Legislative Updates, the House has already voted on the FY 2010 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill and Senator Harkin’s Appropriations Subcommittee has completed work on the Senate bill. We understand that the full Senate is expected to take up the bill either this week or next. A conference committee with the House will occur shortly thereafter. For more information, please see http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app10.html and stay tuned!
CALL TO ACTION
As noted above, the House and Senate are back in session after their August recess. Now that they have returned to Washington, it is the perfect time to contact them about Head Start issues!
Tell them:
- Thank you for your strong and continued support of Head Start and Early Head Start (collectively “Head Start”), the nation’s premier early childhood education and care programs providing comprehensive school readiness, education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children ages birth to five and their families.
- Continuation of ARRA expansion funding for Head Start and Early Head Start will be important to their community. We don’t want to let Head Start children and families fall off the ARRA funding cliff when the ARRA funds are finished!
- I also understand the need for Early Learning Challenge Fund legislation and I support it.
To contact your Senators and Representatives, 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 or www.house.gov and click on your Representative’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. Remember, raise you hand! Use your words! Together we can make a difference.
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.