National Head Start Association

NHSA Update

Week of April 2, 2010

 

 

Dear Friends:

 

As we considered topics to include for this week's NHSA Update, nothing seems more important than the historic passage of health reform. This initiative will provide coverage for over 32 million currently-uninsured Americans and has been decades in the making.

 

While there has been much criticism of late regarding our nation's legislative process, we would like to take a moment to note that while it might move slower than we'd like at times, it does move, and in this case ?  in a very interesting way. Please take a moment to read our special coverage of this historic moment for our nation's healthcare system to learn how it happened, who it impacts, and why it matters to our Head Start family.  

 

In addition, please read the other elements of this NHSA Update and share the contents with others in your network. This Update contains our special coverage of Health Reform, an NHSA Update, a Legislative Update, an Administration Update, a Call to Action, and some Additional Resources. These sections are chock-full of important information on our upcoming NHSA Training Conferences and some recent activities, pending legislation on Capitol Hill, a U.S. Census reminder, training opportunities, and much more!

 

 

FINAL 31 DAYS TILL NHSA's 37th ANNUAL HEAD START CONFERENCE IN DALLAS, TEXAS! May 3-May 8, 2010!

 

Have you signed up yet for this year's Head Start Conference, Reaching Higher? There are only 31 days left until we hit the road to Dallas, Texas, bringing many excellent programs specially designed just for you.  Spots are filling up fast so do not wait! We have scoured the country looking for influential speakers and hottest topics in our field that you need to know. With over 200 educational sessions, you will have innovative and practical ideas and tips to bring back to your program. There is something for everyone. For agency and program leaders, a series of special issue forums, focus groups and organized discussions will bring new information and share insights; your programs will be able to meet their training needs through a series of exceptional pre-conference Special Tracks; and networking along with special events and celebrations will be fun for all. We look forward to seeing you in Dallas!

 

For Special Tracks Information, please click here.

 

For more information and to register, please visit the event website here.

 

Annual Training Conference Policy and Research Events

We will be holding a number of policy and research events at our upcoming annual training conference "Reaching Higher" on May 3-8, 2010 in Dallas, TX. These events include:

• Policy Luncheon: Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and Carmel Martin, Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development at the U.S. Department of Education have been invited to speak there. The Policy Luncheon will be fromNoon to 2 pm on Friday, May 7.
• Research Luncheon: Dr. Jens Ludwig of the University of Chicago will be discussing "What Do We Know about Head Start's Impacts on Children?" The Research Luncheon will be from Noon - 2 pm on Wednesday, May 5.
• Daily Focus Forums: The Daily Focus Forums are unique opportunities to hear and share perspectives on topics that matter to you, including:
  • New Early Head Start Grantee Issues
  • Head Start and Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
  • Improving Skills of Seasonal, Migrant, American Indian and Alaskan Native Head Start Teachers 
  • Head Start, State Pre-K, and Child Care Perspectives on State Advisory Councils 
  • Monitoring and Recompetition Issues Facing Head Start Directors 
  • Maternal Depression 
  • Home visiting
  • Response to Intervention (RTI)
  • Rural Issues

 

Survey

For one of the seminars at our annual training conference titled Accountability Matters: Discussing Data to Improve Programs and Communicate Outcomes, please complete a survey to gauge preconference perceptions regarding this topic and session.  This informal, online survey will help us gather anonymous information about the challenges collecting, communicating, and using meaningful data the Head Start Community must face. These responses will springboard group discussions related to various accountability challenges. To complete this survey, click here.

 

 

NHSA SPECIAL COVERAGE: HEALTHCARE REFORM IN AMERICA

 

The Road to Reform

When historians look back at President Obama's first term in office, the momentous passage of health reform is likely to be one of the most prominent stamps next to his name. In a process that specifically began months ago, (although many reform experts will date reform efforts to the better part of the last century), at times it seemed unlikely that a bill would ever pass both houses of Congress to be signed by the President into law. With the House passing its healthcare reform bill back in November, 2009 and the Senate following suit a month later in December, it seemed like full steam ahead for reform. A month later, Senate Democrats lost their filibuster-proof majority with the election of Senator Scott Brown (R-MA), leaving 59 Senators to figure out just how they would accomplish President Obama's top domestic priority. Then, White House congressional leaders revved new life into the reform process, deciding on a two-prong course of action.  The process was different than most had considered and one we thought important to explain to you, because it may have looked confusing at the time. Below is a breakdown of Congress's two-step plan and how it happened in practice, as well as a summary of key reform provisions and why they matter:

 

THE PLAN Step One:

 

The House would abandon its original bill from November ("Affordable Health Care for Americans Act", H.R. 3962), and would instead work on passing the paired down Senate-approved version ("Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act", H.R.3590). The bill would then be sent directly to the President to be signed into law, eliminating the need for another Senate vote.

 

IN PRACTICE

• March 21, 2010: House passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R.3590).
• March 23, 2010: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R.3590), now passed by both the Senate and the House, was signed by President Obama, making it Public Law No: 111-148.

 

THE PLAN Step Two:

 

Next, both the House and the Senate would use the Budget Reconciliation process to pass a package of fixes to the already-approved H.R. 3590. As we mentioned in our last Update, the key to the Budget Reconciliation process for supporters of healthcare reform is that in addition to being filibuster-proof, it only requires a 51 vote approval in the Senate, instead of the usual 60. The content of Reconciliation amendments must deal with budgetary and finance items. The bill was to originate in the House, be sent to the Senate and then move on to the President to be signed into law.

 

IN PRACTICE

• March 21, 2010: House created the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872), which makes a number of budgetary changes to H.R. 3590 and includes additional provisions overhauling the student loan system. Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 is then passed by the House. 
• March 25, 2010: Back in the Senate, Senate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin ruled that there were two minor provisions, stemming from tacked-on student loan amendments, which violated chamber rules and thus could not be included in the final bill. (Importantly, this meant that changes must be made, and since the House and the Senate must pass the same bill for it to be sent to the President for signature, this added an extra step to the process.) 
• March 25, 2010: 16 lines were removed from the bill, and under the special Reconciliation rules, the Senate passed the bill 56-43. The amended bill was sent back to the House for approval.
• March 25, 2010: The House approved amended Reconciliation bill by a 220-207 vote. 
• March 30, 2010: President Obama signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 into law.

 

What Healthcare Reform Means and Why it Matters:

Healthcare reform has been the center of debate and subject of news stories all over the country. With all of this discussion, many are still wondering what the legislation actually means and what will matter to them. We have a few items of note about the bill:

 

• By the numbers: The bill provides access to health coverage for at least 32 million people- this includes 95% of children in America. 16 million children, parents, and single adults with incomes below 133% of the federal poverty level ($29,400 for a family of 4) will now be eligible for Medicaid. 1.6 million CHIP children eligible for Medicaid will be transferred to Medicaid, receiving its guaranteed and comprehensive benefits. The number of eligible CHIP children will be doubled from 7 to 14 million due to extended funding through 2015.
• Who gets coverage: Immediately, insurance companies will no longer be able to deny children under 19 with pre-existing conditions; eventually this will be extended to all Americans. Children and young adults will be covered on their families' private insurance or Medicaid until they are 26 years old; this includes foster children who have "aged out" of the system.
• What it costs: The Congressional Budget Office estimates that bills' passage will initially cost $940 billion but will ultimately cut $138 billion from the federal deficit over the next decade and save as much $1.2 trillion over the following decade.
• What it does to increase preventive health: Provides funding for home visit program to at-risk families with young children based on the Nurse-Family Partnership program (see further discussion below); insurance will be required to offer 100% coverage of preventive services such as immunizations and diabetes testing, and includes additional incentives to states to reduce childhood obesity and other health issues. 
• Education Opportunities: Makes higher education more affordable through a government-run student lending program.

For More Information on Health Care Reform:

 

To view the bills, please click here <http://thomas.loc.gov/> and type in H.R. 3590 and H.R. 4872.   

 

To read the White House break-down of what healthcare reform means to you, visit this website. 

 

 

NHSA UPDATE

 

Head Start Alumni Needed for a High Profile Initiative

 

Are you or someone you know a Head Start graduate with a success story to tell? NHSA is looking for stellar Head Start Alums to feature in an upcoming project! Please take a minute to nominate yourself or someone you know who was made ready for life through Head Start by contacting Hannah Griffin at NHSA at hgriffin@nhsa.org <mailto:hgriffin@nhsa.org> .

 

National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers - K-12 Core Standards

The National Governors Association ("NGA") and the Council of Chief State School Officers ("CCSSO") are jointly developing K-12 Common Core Standards and are accepting public comments on them. For more information on the K-12 Common Core Standards, please click here. Public comments are due by Friday, April 2, 2010. To date, 5,000 public comments have been submitted on this website.

 

Last week, the NGA and CCSSO held a meeting last week with the National Head Start Association ("NHSA") and other organizations in the early childhood community to discuss the development of K-12 Common Core Standards and to explore the implications of these standards for the learning and development of children from birth through third grade. Ben Allen represented NHSA at the meeting. Several items of note were discussed in relation to the standards including their breadth, implementation, developmental appropriateness, and the role of parents in the execution of the standards. NHSA offered to share with NGA and CCSSO the Head Start Program Performance Standards, the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework, the role of parents in Head Start and Early Head Start, and examples of where Head Start and Early Head Start programs have successfully collaborated in providing Pre-K-3 services and programming. In about two months, the NGA and CCSSO will begin to develop standards for children from birth to age 5.

 

On Tuesday, March 30th NHSA held a conference call and briefed Head Start leaders from across the country about the NGA-CCSSO meeting. There was a discussion of what next steps NHSA should take regarding this issue. NHSA will continue educating the NGA and CCSSO about the value of Head Start to the development of K-12 standards and will submit brief comments on the K-12 Common Core Standards by the April 2^nd deadline.

 

Please note, the Alliance for Childhood is calling for a temporary stop to the release of these standards, for more information please click here.

 

Virginia Head Start Association Conference

NHSA's Yasmina Vinci and Tommy Sheridan attended the Virginia Head Start Association conference by taking part in a luncheon. The luncheon gave Yasmina a chance to connect with hundreds of people from the Virginia Head Start community and to applaud the wonderful work occurring each day in Head Start programs. Thanks to our Virginia friends for the invitation and we hope they had a successful (rest of their) conference!

 

 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

 

Home Visiting Program in the Healthcare Reform Bill (Section 2951) 

As mentioned above, the healthcare reform bill that was signed into law includes a provision for maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting programs to improve coordination of services for at-risk communities. Under Section 2951 of the law, States will conduct statewide needs assessments (which must be coordinated with Head Start communitywide strategic planning assessments under Section 640(g)(1)(C) of the Head Start Act) and submit the results to the Secretary of HHS. Then, HHS can make grants to entities to provide early childhood home visitation services to improve maternal and prenatal health, infant health, child health and development, school readiness, and the socio-economic status of such families, and reductions in child abuse, neglect, and injuries. Each funded grant program will need to demonstrate quantifiable, measurable benchmarks for improvements and if these are not met, will have to develop corrective action plans to meet these benchmarks. Section 2951 outlines the service delivery models that can be used as well as additional requirements. Stay tuned for information from HHS on this Section and its requirements!

 

Update on the Early Learning Challenge Fund 

First and foremost, we would like to thank each and every one of you for your continued efforts to enact change and further legislation on behalf of the Head Start/Early Head Start community. We know how much hard work went into contacting your members of Congress and letting them know how important passing legislation like the Early Learning Challenge Fund ("ELCF") is to children. Additionally, we would like to thank the legislators on the Hill for all their efforts to further funding for children across the nation.

 

While there has been much focus on the passage of healthcare reform, there is one item of note that did not make it through the legislative process this time and this is the ELCF. ELCF was pared away from the final Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. This likely occurred because of the cost of the new program and that Congress had to find the funds available for it. In the current funding environment, this is obviously difficult to do. While the Reconciliation bill turned out not to be the vehicle for the ELCF's passage, we have not given up hope! We will continue to work to help find a proper vehicle and continue to support the ELCF.

 

Keeping All Students Safe Act

Representative George Miller, Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, sponsored the Keeping All Students Safe Act (H.R. 4247) which was passed by the House earlier last month. Provisions of the bill, which also apply to Head Start, include:

 

• Preventing and reducing inappropriate restraint and seclusion in schools through creating minimum safety standards;
• Requiring states to establish their own policies and monitoring standards to ensure safety within two years of the bill's passage; and
• Requiring states to provide support and training for staff and to report data annually to the government regarding the oversight and enforcement of abuse prevention.

The bill has been sent to the Senate and was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Stay tuned!

 

For more information, please click here and type in H.R. 4247.

 

 

Sessions McCaskill Amendment

The Sessions McCaskill Amendment fell quietly on March 18^th, 2010 when it was deemed in violation of section 306 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. This meant that the amendment never received a second vote, after its initial defeat by one vote in the beginning of March, because it did not go through the proper process. In case you don't remember from the last update, the Sessions McCaskill Amendment (Amendment 3453 to HR 1586, Sen. Rockefeller's (D-WV) Federal Aviations Administration Reauthorization vehicle bill) sought to cap all defense and non-defense discretionary spending through FY 2013. It was potentially harmful to Head Start, as it would have prevented any significant funding increases for Head Start or Child Care for several years, including those increases proposed in President Obama's FY 2011 budget. Thanks again to everybody who called their Senators on this amendment!

 

For more information about what happened to the amendment, click here to see the Congressional Digest for March 18^th, 2010.

 

 

E-Rate Legislation

Introduced by U.S. Representatives Edward Markey (D-MA), Lois Capps (D-CA), and Doris Matsui (D-CA), H.R. 4619, the E-Rate 2.0 Act of 2010, would amend the Communications Act of 1934 and create a pilot program with funding number greater than $150 million annually to increase access to advanced telecommunications and information services for Head Start programs and community colleges. This legislation would provide E-Rate discounted telecommunications and information services to Head Start programs throughout the United States, not just for Head Start programs in states that currently permit Head Start programs to have access to E-Rate services.

 

 

Congress Enters Spring Recess Beginning Monday, March 29

The House and Senate entered their District Work Periods, also known as "Recess," Monday, March 29th and will return to the hill Monday, April 12th. With your legislators back in their home districts, now is a wonderful time to meet with them. Please see the Call to Action below!

 

 

ADMINISTRATION NEWS

 

Head Start Cost of Living Adjustments in FY2010

As many of you know, on December 16, 2009, President Obama signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010 into law, which included the $7,234,783,000 appropriation for programs under the Head Start Act. This amount includes an increase of $122 million over the FY2009 appropriations, which was used to make the 1.84% cost of living adjustment ("COLA") increase provided to grantees in FY 2009 with ARRA funds. There will not be additional COLA for FY 2010 because we had deflation in FY 2009, but NHSA supports President Obama's budget proposal to provide a 2 percent COLA for FY 2011. 

 

For more information and to see COLA in FY 2010, please click here.

 

Administration for Children and Families- Rural Early Childhood Institute

Last week, the Administration for Children and Families held the Rural Early Childhood Institute in Overland Park, KS. NHSA's Yasmina Vinci was an invited guest to the Institute that focused on issues facing rural families and providers of early care and education. Yasmina was especially impressed with the prominence of Head Start throughout the various panels and resources presented at the conference. 

 

To view the resources distributed to attendees of the Institute click here.

 

Arne Duncan Testifies before Senate HELP and House Education and Labor Committees

Last Wednesday, March 17, the US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan spent his St. Patrick's Day on Capitol Hill testifying before the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions ("HELP") Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee. His testimony focused on the President's Blue Print for Success, which outlines the Administration's plan for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act ("ESEA") or No Child Left Behind as it is commonly known. NHSA staff attended the hearings and was pleased to hear the Secretary, several Representatives, and multiple Senators emphasize the importance of early learning on a child's educational and career success. NHSA will continue to monitor the development of the ESEA reauthorization bill. The bill is expected to be drafted and developed over the next year, but it has not been introduced yet. We will keep you updated!

 

Click here to see the President's Blueprint for Success

Click here to see Secretary Duncan's testimony from the Senate HELP committee

Click here to see Secretary Duncan's testimony from the House Education and Labor Committee

 

 

CALL TO ACTION

 

Thank you to Congress and the Administration

With this past week's momentous healthcare reform, now is a perfect time to thank your legislators for all that they do in Washington. As you may have heard throughout the course of this debate, many tensions have run high as constituents and politicians alike have argued what is best to strengthen our country's health care delivery system and the well-being of our people. While there are many on both sides of the aisle who have varying ideas about how best to accomplish reform, one thing is certain; regardless of where you stand, civil discourse, respectful compromise, and open discussion are critical and unique aspects of our legislative process. Without the important back and forth of ideas and proposals, the American people would be short-changed of comprehensive and fair legislation.

 

It may be difficult to listen and respect lawmakers and fellow citizens when we disagree with one another, but it is so important not to let one's passions dictate actions in a vacuum or lose sight of the fact that we all play a role in bringing thought, reasoned opinion, and balance to our civil system. As such, NHSA would like to thank Congress and the Administration for all of their hard work in hopes of bettering our nation and the lives of our children and families.   We hope that you will also reach out to your Representatives and Senators and thank them for their hard work.

 

Keep Things Moving in Washington- Meet with your Members of Congress over Recess!

Seize the opportunity to join us in our thanks and to remind our lawmakers to keep things moving in the right direction for children and families when they get back to Washington. With the House and Senate in Recess back in your home districts, make sure to call their local offices and set up an appointment to meet with your Representative and Senators. Help them understand what makes Head Start great and what your current challenges are - this reminder to lawmakers is especially important for when they return to Washington to continue their work on budget and appropriations. They head back to the Hill on April 12^th, so between now and then, let's make sure that they hear that Head Start needs the funding that it deserves!

 

To find your lawmaker's contact information, 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/feedback form which will allow you to email him/her directly, as well as the phone numbers for their local district offices so you can call them directly while they are home for Recess. So long as they are not currently campaigning for office, consider inviting them to your program for a site visit to learn more about what it is you do for children and families every day. 

 

TELL WHAT HEAD START MEANS TO HEAD START CHILDREN AND PARENTS!

Thank you to those who have submitted Head Start success stories to us! However, we still need more stories especially about how Head Start has helped children and families in the areas of health, disabilities, parent involvement, and economic self-sufficiency. Please email stories with your contact information to Hannah Griffin at hgriffin@nhsa.org or 703-828-9036. Hannah may follow up and interview many of the individuals who submit success stories about their children or themselves. We are using these stories for a national report on Head Start that we are producing and for other NHSA advocacy and educational materials.

 

 

RESOURCES FOR YOU

 

Don't Forget: The Census is Here (April 1)

Did you fill out your census form yet? Take a minute this week to fill out your 10 question survey to make sure that every child and community gets the funding that they deserve. Remember that every child must be counted and keep in mind that on average, each child helps deliver more than $14,000 in federal funding to the community over 10 years. We can't move forward, till you mail it back!

 

For more information about the campaign, please visit this website. 

 

Head Start Legal Advisory Service Webinar: Head Start Eligibility

The Head Start rules for determining eligibility can be confusing and difficult to follow. Is your staff ready to handle family questions about program eligibility? Are you contemplating allowing children up to 130% of the federal poverty level into your program?  Do you understand the in's and out's of how to prioritize homeless children? Join Ted Waters of the Legal Advisory Service on Thursday, April 15 at 3 pm eastern time to discuss:

• What the Head Start eligibility rules are (and, which are mandatory or optional);
• Where the pitfalls lie for your program in determining eligibility;
• Tips for best practices; and
• How to ensure your program is in compliance with the requirements of the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 and the Head Start Policy Clarifications. 

 

Sign up today to learn about NHSA member discount pricing for both this webinar and the one below by clicking here. Then click on "Read More/Register" under "For Head Start Organizations."

 

Head Start Legal Advisory Service Webinar: The Scoop on Non-Federal Share

As many of you know, Head Start programs are required to provide a 20% match of non-federal funds for the operation of their programs. This match (or "non-federal share") applies to regular Head Start and Early Head Start funds, as well as those received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. On Thursday, May 13 at 3pm eastern time, Ted Waters will tell you the scoop on non-federal share. We'll talk about:

 

• What items and services your program can count as match;
• How to document matching share;
• Why showing "overmatch" makes sense; and
• Common and not-so-common pitfalls to avoid.

 

Don't miss out! Please click on the link above to register.

 

 

Register Now for Head Start's 10th National Research Conference!

NHSA encourages you to attend Head Start's 10th National Research Conference, which will be held June 21-23, 2010 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. Conference registration is free. There will be sessions about the Head Start Impact Study findings at the conference, and we encourage the Head Start community to come and attend these session.

 

The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, in conjunction with the Office of Head Start; Administration for Children, Youth and Families; and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is sponsoring this national research-to-practice conference. Yasmina Vinci is a member of the conference planning committee and a panelist for one of the sessions.

 

The conference focuses on identifying and disseminating new research relevant to young children (0-8 years) and their families while expanding dialogue and fostering partnerships among researchers, practitioners, and policy makers. The conference focuses especially on research relevant to low-income families who are Head Start's population. The title for the 10th Conference is "Research on Young Children and Families: Launching the Next Decade for Policy and Practice." To register for the conference, click here.

 

 

GIVE TO DOLLAR PER CHILD

 

NHSA would like to give a big thanks to all of the programs who have donated to the Dollar per Child Campaign ("DPC") in February and March!

 

NINOS

Cen-Clear Child Services

Child Parent Centers, Inc.

Detroit ISD

Clarksville Head Start, Red River County Head Start

Rancho Del Cielo

 

This is a special reminder for your program to send in its DPC funds in time for our Annual Conference beginning May 3, 2010 - remember, this is when public presentations will be made to the NHSA Campaign. Make sure your State's contributions are at the top of the list! 

 

As you know, the funds from Dollars per Child help NHSA pay for all of our legislative efforts, including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Head Start Appropriations, Early Learning Challenge Fund, and other legislative efforts. Your support of the DPC Campaign is vital to NHSA's advocacy efforts on behalf of the Head Start Community.  We cannot do our work without your support!

 

Our work is far from done. With an ever-challenging budget situation in Washington, the struggle to preserve the gains of the ARRA will undoubtedly be even more strenuous in the coming years. So 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 website: 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 your 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.

 

 

*   *   *