Head Start is a federally funded program that supports early learning, health, and family well-being for children ages birth to 5.  While it began as a program for preschoolers (ages 3-5), it has expanded to include Early Head Start which serves pregnant woman, infants, and toddlers.  The overall program seeks to promote school readiness by supporting optimal development in all areas of a child’s life.

According to a recent study conducted by the Center for American Progress, many rural counties would not have a child care center if it were not for Head Start.  This means that hundreds of thousands of children would not have access to any early learning prior to Kindergarten.  We know how detrimental this is for young children from low-income homes where many enter Kindergarten already two years behind their more fortunate peers.  This also means that many young children don’t have access to the other services provided through Head Start, such as medical and dental care.

Access to appropriate early care and education is an important step in making sure all of our children start life ready to succeed and Head Start is one of the clearest examples of success in our country.  Having been in operation for over 50 years, there is a plethora of data that has followed families and children who have participated in the program noting gains in social-emotional and cognitive development.  They are also more likely to enter Kindergarten ready to learn and stay on track throughout high school.

We love that Head Start is such a valuable asset to families and young children in all communities!  To learn more about Head Start, visit their website at  https://www.nhsa.org/.

There is quite a bit of research to support the idea that immigrants are a valuable resource for our country, both culturally and economically.  After all, we are a nation of immigrants.  But let’s take a moment to focus on some statistics specific to the profession of early care and education:

• Immigrants account for 25% of all children under the age of 6 in our country.
• Immigrants also account for 20% of the early care and education workforce.

These numbers are simply staggering.  What will happen to early care and education if many in the workforce are deported?  What will happen to the families of children left without care?  The leaders of our country must consider these queries when determining the impact of social policy and legislation surrounding immigrants and their families.

CLICK HERE to view the research.  You can also freely download a full copy of this report from this website.

Recently, Child Care Aware released its 2017 annual report on the high cost of child care and the impacts it has on families across the country.  For some families, it costs more to send children to child care facilities while continuing to work than it does for a parent to just stop working and become the primary caregiver.  In the Midwest, a typical family with two children will spend more money on child care than on their rent or mortgage!  Every child deserves the opportunity to attend a high quality early education program.  Higher academic achievement, appropriate social-emotional development, and a family environment with less financial stress are just a few of the benefits of making high quality programs affordable for families.  Our country can and should do more for families.  We all deserve better.

We’re in the midst of another election year and some of the political statements being made seem even louder and angrier than usual. If you’re concerned about the effect this might have on your child, we’ll be featuring a series of posts over the next few weeks that will help you explain the news. We start today with an article from CNN that covers several aspects of this including how to “De-fang hate speech and fear-mongering.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is actively engaged in advancing the enrollment of children into Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. According to InsureKidsNow.gov:

“InsureKidsNow.gov is a website operated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It provides information about Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for:

• Families seeking health insurance coverage for children and teens and families needing help locating a dentist
• Organizations interested in getting involved in the Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign, a national outreach and enrollment initiative initially funded under the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and now through the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA).

In addition, “The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign, a national outreach and enrollment initiative funded under the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), reaches out to families with children and teens eligible for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to:

• Raise awareness about health coverage available under these programs;
• Create opportunities for families to get their eligible children and teens signed up for coverage;
• Motivate parents to enroll their children and teens and renew their coverage; and
• Provide outreach guides and toolkits that can be used to help states, community organizations, schools, health care providers and others organize and conduct successful outreach activities.”

For additional information on such topics as coverage basics such as eligibility, what’s covered or how your organization can help spread the word, please go to InsureKidsNow.gov.