Legislative Update Week of September 4, 2009
Date Posted: 09/03/2009
NHSA LEGISLATIVE UPDATE AND CALL TO ACTION
Week of September 4, 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.
NHSA UPDATE
NHSA Mourns the Death of Senator Edward M. Kennedy: Champion for Head Start
NHSA mourns the death of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a tireless champion of the Head Start program and one the most effective U.S. Senators. Senator Kennedy had a tremendous impact on Head Start and was instrumental in the creation of the Early Head Start program in 1994. He was also awarded the very first Lady Bird Johnson Award and will forever be remembered as a “Head Start Hero.” To read our press release, please see: http://www.nhsa.org/news_
Register for the Fall Leadership Institute!
Mark your calendars and register today: the NHSA Leadership Institute is on 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/
Of note: NHSA is pleased to announce that Mr. Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President for Education Policy White House Domestic Policy Council, will be speaking at the NHSA Leadership Institute about “Perspectives from the White House” on Thursday, September 24, 2009 at 10:00 am. To see the full schedule and other session topics, click here.
Legal Advisory Service: What Did You Agree to When You Accepted Stimulus $$?
Most, if not all, Head Start programs have received funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Whether your program just accepted COLA money or you are about to receive expansion dollars, Head Start leadership may be asking yourselves, “now what?” On Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at 3pm eastern time, Ted Waters, of Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP, who leads the Head Start Legal Advisory Service, will help you understand what terms and conditions your program agreed to by accepting stimulus dollars and how to adapt your policies and procedures to remain in compliance. Join Ted next week for the online training “The Dog who Caught the Car: What Did You Agree to When You Accepted Stimulus Dollars?” to learn:
• An Overview of Special ARRA Terms and Conditions, including:
• Buy American, Davis Bacon, Required Disclosures, and More;
• Modifying Your Policies and Procedures to be in Compliance; and
• Reporting Requirements under ARRA.
To learn about NHSA-member discount pricing for both this webinar and the ones below and to sign up today, please go to http://www2.eventsvc.com/FTLF/
Legal Advisory Service: Procurement Fundamentals -- Is Your Program’s Procurement Policy Complete?
Procurements under federal grants can be complex. Join Ted Waters for another Head Start Legal Advisory Service webinar on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 3pm eastern time, to discuss Procurement Fundamentals. He’ll explain:
• The ins and outs of the regulations you must comply with;
• What your agency should include in its procurement policy; and
• Codes of Conduct.
Please click on the link above to register.
REPEAT WEBINAR: Recovery Act Reporting Requirements for Head Start Programs
Due to popular demand, on Thursday, September 17, 2009, from 3-5 pm Eastern Time, Ted Waters will be repeating a webinar for Executive Directors, Management Team, Finance and Accounting Staff. When Congress passed the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 ("ARRA") earlier this year to stimulate the economy, it imposed copious new reporting requirements on recipients of ARRA funds. All Head Start programs receiving ARRA COLA funds, Program Improvement funds, and/or Head Start or Early Head Start Expansion funds under ARRA have new data to report quarterly.
The first reporting deadline is in early October! Don't miss out. Join us on this online training to learn:
- What reporting requirements are for both grantees and delegates;
- Deadlines for reporting;
- Consequences of reporting mistakes; and
- Tips to ensure compliance.
To learn about NHSA-member discount pricing for this webinar and to sign up today, please go to http://www2.eventsvc.com/FTLF/
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
Recess
As we’ve explained before, the House of Representatives and the Senate have been in recess (their scheduled District or State “Work Period”). The House and Senate are set to reconvene right after Labor Day. Please see our “Call to Action” to see what you can do while your Representatives and Senators are still back in their home states and districts.
ADMINISTRATION NEWS
National Head Start Association Meets with Administration Leaders
Recently, NHSA leadership met with Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to President Obama for Education Policy. They discussed the future of early childhood education, Head’s Start’s role in it, and how NHSA and its members can be of assistance.
In addition, NHSA leadership also met last week with Dr. Jacqueline Jones, Senior Advisor for Early Learning to the Secretary of the Department of Education, regarding collaboration between the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services. They also discussed positive and productive relationships between Head Start/Early Heads Start programs and state-funded pre-k and child care programs.
CALL TO ACTION
As we mentioned in the last Legislative Update, the House and Senate are both in recess, which means that August is the ideal time to invite Members who are not currently running for office to come visit your center and see what you’re up to! If you aren’t a full-year program and you don’t have children in your center this summer, plan a trip to your Representative’s or Senators’ state office! Remind your Members of Congress how important Head Start issues are ? they need to hear from you!
When you see them, 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.
- That 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!
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. You can also find out the phone numbers for their local district offices on their websites and call them there directly while they are home for recess.
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_
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.