NHSA Update Week of May 14, 2010
Date Posted: 05/14/2010
Week of May 14, 2010
Dear Friends:
Please read this email and share it with others in your network. It contains an NHSA Update, a Legislative Update, an Administrative Update, some Additional Resources just for you, and a Call to Action!
NHSA UPDATE AT A GLANCE
- NHSA Update
- NHSA Affiliate Relations…Working for You
- NHSA’s 37th Annual Head Start Conference a Huge Success
- SAVE THE DATE for the Next NHSA Leadership Institute!
- NHSA Members Participate in Children’s Leadership Council Fly-In
- Head Start Alumni Needed for a High Profile Initiative
- Legislative Update
- NHSA Executive Director Yasmina Vinci Testifies Before Congress
- House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI) Announces Retirement
- Administrative Update
- ACF Issues New PI on Determining Eligibility
- Task Force on Childhood Obesity Plan Released
- HHS Soon to Release Home Visiting Guidance
- Resources for You
- Dr. Edward Zigler Provides His Perspective about the National Head Start Impact Study Findings.
- Now Playing on NHSA Radio: National Head Start Impact Study—Are We Making a Difference?
- Head Start Legal Advisory Service Webinar: Head Start Eligibility
- Head Start Legal Advisory Service Webinar: Procurement Fundamentals
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Recalls You Need to Know
- Call To Action
- Give to Dollar Per Child
NHSA UPDATE
NHSA Affiliate Relations…Working for You
Calling All State and Regional Association Leaders! NHSA is pleased to launch an outreach effort to engage regional and state association leadership – volunteer boards and professional staff. Our goal is to re-imagine the new NHSA network of relationships - local, state, regional, and national - and articulate its purposes, including quality improvement of programs and services to children and their families.
To start, NHSA Affiliate Relations will conduct four major learning events and establish a Learning Network featuring leading authorities in prioritized skill areas in four different geographic regions of the country. Topics will include (but not be limited to) negotiation, persuasion, leveraging emerging technologies, ethics, data-driven decision making, social marketing, and change leadership. A web-based platform for virtual convening and online collaborations will be established to enhance the resources available for ongoing collaborative learning. Technical assistance to emerging state and regional associations will be offered, along with information on association best practices and providing connections to colleagues heading viable associations. In addition, a communications campaign featuring profiles of Head Start leaders and state efforts related to program collaboration and quality will be utilized to expand understanding of emerging policy opportunities.
If you have questions, please contact Edward Condon, Director of Affiliate Relations – econdon@nhas.org to learn more and work collectively to move Head Start forward.
NHSA's 37th Annual Head Start Conference a Huge Success!
A million thanks to each and every one of you who joined us in Dallas, Texas for this year’s National Conference. It was a great success thanks in large part to your participation. We had many informative trainings and panel discussions, strongest attendance in six years, and successful opportunities to gain valuable insights and make long lasting connections within our Head Start community. Carmen Nazario, Assistant Secretary of the Administration for Children and Families, and Yvette Sanchez-Fuentes, Director of the Office of Head Start headlined the conference.
We are already planning for next year’s Conference coming to Kansas City, Missouri in April 2011! For preliminary information on that and all of our upcoming events, please visit http://www.nhsa.org/events.
RESOURCES FOR YOU
SAVE THE DATE for the Next NHSA Leadership Institute!
Building on the high attendance and success of the January 2010 Leadership Institute, a bigger and better NHSA Leadership Institute will be held from Monday, September 20 through Thursday, September 23 at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC. During the Leadership Institute on Wednesday, September 22, a Gala will be held to celebrate Head Start’s 45th Anniversary. Additional information about the Leadership Institute and Gala will be posted in the upcoming weeks on www.nhsa.org.
NHSA Members Participate in Children’s Leadership Council Fly-In
The Children’s Leadership Council (“CLC”) is a coalition of child advocates representing over 50 leading national policy and advocacy organizations who are working everyday to improve the health, education, and well-being of children and youth in order to prepare them for school, work, and life. NHSA is an active member of the CLC. The CLC paid for about 30 child advocates to participate in a “fly-in” from across the country to visit their members of Congress and discuss with them the pending federal budget and child nutrition legislation under consideration by Congress.
Of the 30 representatives from nearly 15 targeted states, seven members came from the Head Start community. The Head Start advocates held over 30 meetings with their Senators, Representatives, and congressional staff in the two days they were in Washington. The Head Start representatives included Kesha Curry and Penny Lingle from Iowa, Laura Harrison and Tameka Henry from Nevada, Heather Brown from New Hampshire, Dennis DeMers from Minnesota, and John Filz from Montana. NHSA is proud of their leadership and tremendous advocacy efforts!
Through their meetings, it became increasingly evident that the Head Start community is facing an uphill climb to ensure Congress will pass the President’s budget and we will need your help over the coming months. Please keep reading these updates to see what you can do!
For more information on the Children’s Leadership Council, please visit this website.
Head Start Alumni Needed for a High Profile Initiative
We are still looking for great alumni! 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 Tom Sheridan at NHSA at tsheridan@nhsa.org.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
NHSA Executive Director Yasmina Vinci Testifies on Head Start Appropriations Before Congressional Subcommittee
This week, NHSA Executive Director Yasmina Vinci testified before the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies regarding FY2011 budget priorities. Yasmina addressed the need for adequate appropriations for Head Start programs throughout the country and affirmed NHSA’s strong support for the President’s Budget Proposal for FY 2011. She commented to Chairman David Obey and the Members of the Subcommittee the importance of the additional $986 million (over this fiscal year’s appropriation) provided in the President’s budget which would allow Head Start programs to maintain the recent gains and make additional strides in improving the health, safety, and outcomes for children across the country.
A special thank you to the many state associations and individual programs -- including those in Wisconsin, California, Minnesota, Montana, Kansas and New York -- that rushed to our aid and provided wonderful data, examples and stories for NHSA to include in our Congressional testimony (on a very tight time frame). These examples made NHSA's comments stand out from others by providing real-life appeal. Although we were limited in the amount we could include, we plan to use all of the stories and data as we move forward in our continued advocacy efforts for Head Start. To read Yasmina Vinci's testimony, please click here.
House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI) Announces Retirement
After over 40 years in public office, Wisconsin Representative David Obey (D-WI) announced last week that he would not be seeking reelection come November. Representative Obey has been long known as a skilled appropriator and a champion of expanded federal support for education and early childcare initiatives and received NHSA’s Lady Bird Johnson Award last year for his efforts. He is currently serving as the House Appropriations Chairman and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.
After the November midterm elections occur and Representative Obey officially leaves Congress when the new Members take office in the winter, the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee will recommend a candidate for the vacated House Appropriations Chairmanship to the full Democratic Caucus. Representative Norm Dicks (D-WA) currently serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Defense and ranks second in seniority among the Appropriations Committee’s thirty-seven members, making him likely to be the favored contender for Obey’s seat. However, various news agencies are reporting other Members who may throw their hats in the ring. Stay tuned!
ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATE
ACF Issues Important New PI on Determining Eligibility
This week, ACF issued PI-HS-10-02, Income Eligibility for Enrollment, clarifying some important elements in determining eligibility for Head Start. This is an especially salient issue, as the Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) has recently been reviewing how Head Start programs determine eligibility and Chairman Miller of the House Education and Labor Committee has called a hearing to discuss a pending GAO report next week. To read the new Program Instruction on Eligibility, please visit this website. For more on Head Start Eligibility, please see our training options below.
Task Force on Childhood Obesity Plan Released
Earlier this year, First Lady Michelle Obama took a major step forward in fighting the childhood obesity epidemic with the initiation of the Let’s Move! campaign. In tandem with the First Lady’s campaign, President Barack Obama created the Task Force on Childhood Obesity to examine the current obesity epidemic within children and then develop a strategic action plan for our nation’s classrooms and early child care centers. This week, the Task Force’s Plan was released and stated an ultimate goal of ending childhood obesity within a generation and returning to the pre-1970s childhood obesity rate of just 5 percent by 2030. The plan, among other items, includes key benchmarks and 70 clear, concrete steps to be implemented in and out of the classroom throughout the country. Two items of particular note for our Head Start and Early Head Start Community:
- “A comparison of meal quality among licensed early learning sites in California found that children eating meals provided in Head Start had the highest meal quality scores, followed by those eating in non-Head Start under CACFP.”
- A Head Start implemented approach to childhood obesity in preschool classrooms, “I am Moving, I am Learning, that seeks to increase moderate to vigorous physical activity every day, improve the quality of movement activities intentionally planned and facilitated by adults, and promote healthy food choices” named one of three “innovative early childhood programs.”
For more information on these and a copy of the plan, please click here.
HHS Soon to Release Home Visiting Guidance
The Health Resources and Services Administration (“HRSA”) and the Administration on Children and Families (“ACF”) just released introductory information about the implementation of the new Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program that was created as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. To read this information, please visit this site.
HRSA and ACF will soon release a funding announcement/guidance for this new program. Stay tuned!
RESOURCES FOR YOU
Dr. Edward Zigler Provides His Perspective about the National Head Start Impact Study Findings
In a recently published Dialog Brief, Dr. Edward Zigler, one of the founders og Head Start and a child development scholar for over half a century, places the National Head Start Impact Study in proper perspective. To read this Dialog Brief, please click here. You can receive a hard copy of this Dialog Brief by subscribing to the NHSA Dialog journal. To subscribe to this journal, please click here.
Now Playing on NHSA Radio: National Head Start Impact Study—Are We Making a Difference?
Is Head Start making a difference? The new National Head Start Impact Study is very different than past studies. Listen to this panel of experts discuss how the study provides compelling answers to the question of how Head Start is making a difference in young lives and parenting practices. Click here to listen.
Get the Word Out
NHSA Radio segments are meant to be shared! We encourage you to share this important information with your school community, professional circles and social networks. Act today to get the word out!
- Post the program link on your Facebook, Twitter or any social media site:
http://www.nhsa.org/nhsa_radio - Build your own library via iTunes (for free) http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/nhsa-radio-national-head-start/id329058740
Head Start Legal Advisory Service Webinar: Head Start Eligibility
As we mentioned above, eligibility for Head Start is a particular hot topic right now and is receiving additional scrutiny by the GAO and Congress. Yet 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 know about prioritizing homeless children? Join Ted Waters on this webinar Wednesday, May 26 at 3pm eastern time to discuss:
- The recently released Program Instruction;
- 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 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: Procurement Fundamentals
When your Head Start program makes procurements—that is, when you buy goods or services for your program, do you know all the in’s and out’s of the regulations you must comply with? There are specific items your agency should include in its procurement policy. On Thursday, June 10 at 3pm eastern time, Ted Waters of the Legal Advisory Service will tell you the scoop on procurement fundamentals to make sure your program stays in compliance. During this webinar, we'll talk about:
- The in’s and out’s of the procurement regulations you must comply with;
- What your agency should include in its procurement policy; and
- How codes of conduct intersect with procurements.
Don't miss out! Please click on the link above to register.
Please note that the Head Start Legal Advisory Service will be taking a breather for most of the summer and will be back as programs return to the classroom in late summer.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Recalls You Need to Know
NHSA is dedicated to making sure our Head Start children and families remain safe. To do so, we are bringing you the “Most Wanted” recall list from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) to make sure your program staff and families are aware of the latest and most relevant recalls from the CPSC. Check out this list and links with additional information below:
Most Wanted List:
Delta Cribs (Safety Peg)
Simplicity Bassinets
Simplicity Cribs
Stork Craft Cribs
Dorel Asia Cribs
Kolcraft Play Yards
Simplicity Bassinets
Simplicity Cribs
Stork Craft Cribs
Dorel Asia Cribs
Kolcraft Play Yards
For more information on these and other recalls, please visit http://www.cpsc.gov/
CALL TO ACTION
Give to Dollar Per Child
Dollar Per Child Donations received April and May 2010
Dollar Per Child Donations received April and May 2010
Attendees of the NHSA Annual Conference Closing Session, Dallas, Texas
Neighbors In Need Of Services (NINOS), Texas
Goodwill Homes Community Services, Tennessee
Wateree Community Action, Inc., South Carolina
PPS Policy Council Head Start, Oregon
Williamsburg “Y” Head Start, New York
Warren County Head Start, New York
New York State Head Start Association, New York
El Grito, Inc., New Mexico
Central Nebraska Community Services, Nebraska
St. Veronica’s Head Start, Maryland
Holyoke, Chicopee, Springfield Head Start, Massachusetts
Kansas Head Start Association, Kansas
Upper League of Madison County Head Start, Indiana
Catholic Charities, Illinois
ECS Head Start Parents, California
Region IX Head Start Association, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Arizona, & Pacific Rim Islands
Head Start of Eastern Orange County, California
Bushwick, California
ECC of Nassau Parents, California
Pinal Gila Community Child Services Inc., Arizona
JCCEO, Alabama
NHSA would like to give a big thanks to all of the programs who have donated to the Dollar per Child Campaign ("DPC") so far.
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.
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.
NHSA continues to work for you and with you on your behalf on matters of importance to the Head Start community.
* * *
© National Head Start Association, 2010. All rights reserved.
Please feel free to redistribute this NHSA Update in its entirety to your networks. When you do so, please ensure that NHSA is credited with its contents. Forwarding this email in this original form is sufficient observation of the copyright.