Hannah Matthews: Publications
- Nov 16, 2012 | Hannah Matthews, Christine Johnson-Staub, and Leanne Barrett Reaching Children Through Comprehensive Services: Exploring Local Partnerships and Federal Funding This presentation, given at the 2012 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia, looks at opportunities and strategies for using federal funding streams to support the availability of comprehensive services for young children in child care and early education settings. Download PDF
- Nov 01, 2012 | Hannah Matthews Comments on the Child Care and Development Fund Plan for States/Territories for FFY 2014-2015 CLASP comments on the revisions made to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Preprint in FFY 2012-2013 as well as makes suggestions on how to improve the FFY 2014-2015 Preprint. Download PDF
- Oct 31, 2012 | Emily Firgens and Hannah Matthews State Child Care Policies for Limited English Proficient Families The most recent set of CCDBG state plans for FFY 2012-2013 offer insight into how states' activities and policies are targeted toward LEP and immigrant families, children, and providers. We provide in this paper summaries of state responses to questions about engaging with LEP families and providers and better serving them through state child care assistance programs. Download PDF
- Sep 07, 2012 | Hannah Matthews At Risk: Early Care and Education Funding and Sequestration Sequestration was created in August 2011 as part of the Budget Control Act of 2011, which ended that year's showdown over raising the federal debt ceiling. Because Congress failed to come up with a deficit reduction plan, the Budget Control Act calls for $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts over the next decade, divided equally between defense and "non-defense discretionary" programs. This fact sheet explains how these cuts will impact federal early care and education funding and what can be done to prevent them. Read Online | Download PDF
- Sep 06, 2012 | Christine Johnson-Staub and Hannah Matthews Webinar: Putting it Together: Financing Comprehensive Services in Child Care and Early Education This webinar focuses on CLASP's new publication, which details how states can look beyond the major sources of child care and early education funding and consider alternative federal financing sources to bring comprehensive services into early childhood settings. Learn about the different federal funding streams, hear examples of what other states and communities have done to finance comprehensive services, and begin exploring how to use the funding streams in your own state. Read Online | Download PDF
- Aug 01, 2012 | Hannah Matthews Testimony for the Record on CCDBG Reauthorization: Helping to Meet the Child Care Needs of American Families CLASP submitted testimony for the record after the July 26th hearing on CCDBG reauthorization held by the subcommittee on Children and Families of the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Download PDF
- May 02, 2012 | Hannah Matthews and Stephanie Schmit Finding and Using Data to Advocate Effectively for Children and Families This presentation, given at the 2012 National Smart Start Conference in Greensboro, North Carolina, provides a range of data to use to make the case for investing in young children and their families. Download PDF
- May 02, 2012 | Christine Johnson-Staub and Hannah Matthews Reaching Children Where They Are: Using Federal Funding to Support Comprehensive Services in Child Care This presentation, given at the 2012 National Smart Start Conference in Greensboro, North Carolina, looks at opportunities and strategies for using federal funding streams to support the availability of comprehensive services for young children in child care and early education settings. Download PDF
- Apr 26, 2012 Quality Rating and Improvement Systems: A Conversation with Center Directors CLASP's Hannah Matthews and NWLC's Karen Schulman discuss how Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) work and how they could work as effectively as possible from the perspective of three child care center directors participating in QRIS. Read Online | Download Audio | Additional PDF
- Apr 05, 2012 | Hannah Matthews and Emily Firgens Child Care and Development Block Grant Participation in 2010 Based on preliminary data from the Child Care Bureau, this fact sheet provides a snapshot of participation in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program in 2010. CCDBG served a monthly average of 1.7 million children. While 27 states increased the number of children served, 22 states served fewer children in 2010 than in the previous year. This fact sheet reviews data, including the ages of children receiving assistance, the types of child care settings used, and the reasons families receive assistance. Download PDF
- Apr 05, 2012 | Hannah Matthews and Emily Firgens Infants and Toddlers in CCDBG: 2010 Based on preliminary data from the Child Care Bureau, this fact sheet provides a snapshot of participation of infants and toddlers in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program in 2010. Less than a third of children served in CCDBG are under the age of 3, but the share of children receiving CCDBG who are infants and toddlers varies from state to state. This fact sheet includes state-by-state information on the ages of children served in CCDBG and other information on the participation of infants and toddlers in the program. Download PDF
- Apr 05, 2012 | Hannah Matthews and Emily Firgens School-Age Children in CCDBG: 2010 Based on preliminary data from the Child Care Bureau, this fact sheet provides a snapshot of participation of school-age children in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program in 2010. About a third of children served in CCDBG are between ages 6 and 13. This fact sheet includes state-by-state information on the ages of children served in CCDBG and other information on the participation of school-age children in the program. Download PDF
- Feb 23, 2012 | Karen Schulman, Hannah Matthews, Helen Blank and Danielle Ewen A Count for Quality: Child Care Center Directors on Rating and Improvement Systems Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) are designed to give providers incentives and supports to improve quality and parents information about child care quality. With the growth in QRIS, CLASP, together with the National Women's Law Center, interviewed child care providers participating in QRIS in several states. This report provides findings on the key components of QRIS, cross-cutting lessons on QRIS strategies, and recommendations for policymakers from the perspective of child care center directors. Download PDF
- Feb 06, 2012 | Hannah Matthews Challenges and Opportunities: Child Care and Early Education in Difficult Times Child poverty is growing. Families continue to struggle in a difficult economy. Despite broad recognition of the importance of the earliest years, debates at the federal level focus on reducing spending rather than addressing the needs of children and families. These daunting challenges make the need for comprehensive birth to five services even more critical and must be a call to action for those who work on behalf of the most vulnerable children. This presentation was given at the Region IV Head Start Annual Conference. Download PDF
- Nov 17, 2011 | Danielle Ewen and Hannah Matthews Caring for Babies: How State Child Care Policies Can Support Continuity Quality, stable child care arrangements support the healthy development of infants and toddlers. This presentation from the 2011 NAEYC Annual Conference in Orlando, FL describes how state subsidy policies can support retention of child care subsidies and continuous care for infants and toddlers. Download PDF
- Nov 17, 2011 | Hannah Matthews Integrating Systems: Improving Access to Better Serve Families Families seeking assistance often face multiple, complex needs and that require the services of more than one program. Integrated service systems help to provide a more family-centered, seamless service delivery system, a system that offers a broad continuum of services and tailors these services to the strengths and needs of individual families. This presentation given at the 2011 State and Territory Administrators and the Child Care Policy Research Consortium Joint Meeting in Bethesda, MD looks at how to create an integrated system and the challenges and opportunities of doing so. Download PDF
- Oct 05, 2011 | Hannah Matthews Meeting the Early Learning Challenge: Supporting English Language Learners CLASP's "Meeting the Early Learning Challenge" series provides information and policy options for states as they develop their applications for the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge. Download PDF
- Sep 19, 2011 | Hannah Matthews and Danielle Ewen Meeting the Early Learning Challenge: Better Child Care Subsidy Policies CLASP's "Meeting the Early Learning Challenge" series provides information and policy options for states as they develop their applications for the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge. Read Online | Download PDF
- Jul 12, 2011 | CLASP AND OTHER NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge Comments on Selection Criteria CLASP wrote and submitted comments with other national organizations to the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services on the draft Early Learning Challenge proposal. Download PDF
- Jun 14, 2011 | Teresa Lim and Hannah Matthews Expand Monitoring and Technical Assistance To protect and promote the growth and development of very young children, providers and caregivers need to demonstrate constant vigilance over signs of potential harm and maintain clean, nurturing spaces. All babies and toddlers in child care need healthy and safe environments in which to explore and learn. To support this goal, CLASP recommends that states conduct routine monitoring of infant and toddler child care in centers and family child care settings at least twice a year, provide technical assistance to help providers with licensing compliance, and use information on provider compliance to inform parents and ensure ongoing improvements in monitoring systems and child care quality. Read Online | Download PDF
- Jun 03, 2011 | CLASP and other national organizations Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Comments to Administration These comments were sent to the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services as recommendations for designing the Early Learning Challenge. Download PDF
- May 23, 2011 | Beth Davis-Pratt, Hannah Matthews, and Heath Prince CLASP Comments on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Family Educational Rights and Privacy These comments, submitted to the Department of Education, were in response to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Family Educational Rights and Privacy. CLASP's comments commend the Department for proposing changes to FERPA regulations that appear to greatly facilitate the sharing of data across systems and clarifying earlier interpretations of FERPA that created barriers to using education data for evaluation and research purposes. CLASP asks for clarification on the definitions proposed to better understand what agencies will be allowed to access the data and for what purposes. CLASP also encourages the Department to consider making important changes to facilitate data sharing at the individual level between child welfare and education agencies to improve outcomes for children in foster care. Download PDF
- May 10, 2011 | Hannah Matthews Young Children of Immigrants and The Changing Landscape for Early Education This presentation from the 2011 National Smart Start Conference describes how state child care and early education policies can better address the needs of children of immigrants and their families. Download PDF
- May 06, 2011 | Hannah Matthews and Christine Johnson-Staub Caring for Babies: How State Subsidy Policies Can Support Continuity This presentation from the 2011 National Smart Start Conference describes how state subsidy policies can support retention of child care subsidies and continuous care for infants and toddlers. Download PDF
- Mar 15, 2011 | Hannah Matthews Financing a Birth to Five Program: The Appleton Area School District Model Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, also known as No Child Left Behind or NCLB) funds long have been used to provide preschool services for at-risk children. This paper focuses on the Appleton Area School District (AASD) in Appleton, Wisconsin and their efforts to use Title I funds to finance a comprehensive birth-five program. Read Online | Download PDF
- Mar 09, 2011 | Hannah Matthews Child Care Assistance in 2009: Spending Update This analysis details state child care expenditures from the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant programs. We find that spending on child care assistance decreased slightly in 2009. Thirty-three states increased overall spending, while 18 states made cuts. Without ARRA funds, more states would have made greater cuts. The number of children receiving assistance, however, remains far lower than the number of children eligible for assistance. Download PDF
- Feb 14, 2011 | Hannah Matthews and Danielle Ewen House, President Propose Budgets: Divergent Views on Early Childhood Funding CLASP analysis of the early childhood provisions in the House CR for FY 2011 and the President's proposed FY 2012 budget. Read Online
- Feb 03, 2011 | Hannah Matthews and Teresa Lim Child Care and Development Block Grant Participation in 2009 Based on preliminary data from the Child Care Bureau, this fact sheet provides a snapshot of participation in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program in 2009. CCDBG served a monthly average of 1.63 million children. While 24 states increased the number of children served, 23 states served fewer children in 2009 than in the previous year. This fact sheet reviews data, including the ages of children receiving assistance, the types of child care settings used, and the reasons families receive assistance. Download PDF
- Feb 03, 2011 | Hannah Matthews and Teresa Lim Infants and Toddlers in CCDBG: 2009 Based on preliminary data from the Child Care Bureau, this fact sheet provides a snapshot of participation of infants and toddlers in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program in 2009. Fewer than a third of children served in CCDBG are under the age of 3, but the share of children receiving CCDBG who are infants and toddlers varies from state to state. This fact sheet includes state-by-state information on the ages of children served in CCDBG and other information on the participation of infants and toddlers in the program. Download PDF
- Feb 03, 2011 | Hannah Matthews and Teresa Lim School-Age Children in CCDBG: 2009 Based on preliminary data from the Child Care Bureau, this fact sheet provides a snapshot of participation of school-age children in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program in 2009. About a third of children served in CCDBG are between ages 6 and 13. This fact sheet includes state-by-state information on the ages of children served in CCDBG and other information on the participation of school-age children in the program. Download PDF
- Jan 25, 2011 | Hannah Matthews Federal and State Budgets: Implications for Funding Early Childhood Programs This presentation was presented at the National Head Start Association (NHSA) Leadership Institute. It provides an overview of the federal budget process for FY 2011 and 2012 and the political and economic context that may impact funding for early childhood programs. Download PDF
- Jan 06, 2011 | Hannah Matthews U.S. Child Care Assistance Profile 2009 This fact sheet presents state reported information on child care spending through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds used for child care. Download PDF
- Nov 10, 2010 | Danielle Ewen and Hannah Matthews Finding and Using Data to Advocate Effectively for Children and Families This presentation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) 2010 annual conference provides a range of data to use to make the case for investments in young children and their families. Download PDF
- Oct 27, 2010 | Danielle Ewen and Hannah Matthews Adopting 12-Month Subsidy Eligibility: Impacts on Children, Families, and State Child Care Programs Under federal regulations, states have a great deal of flexibility in setting child care assistance policies. Adopting 12-month subsidy eligibility, with limited interim reporting requirements, is one strategy states can implement to promote sustained access to subsidies and continuous care arrangements for children. This paper lays out the associated impacts of adopting an annual redetermination policy on children, parents, and state subsidy systems. Read Online | Download PDF
- Sep 23, 2010 | Hannah Matthews Child Care Assistance in 2008 This analysis details state child care expenditures from the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant programs. We find that spending on child care assistance decreased slightly in 2008. Thirty states increased overall child care spending, while 21 states made cuts. The number of children receiving assistance, however, remains far lower than the number of children eligible for assistance. Download PDF
- Aug 31, 2010 | Hannah Matthews and Danielle Ewen Early Education Programs and Children of Immigrants: Learning Each Other's Language This paper was written for the Urban Institute's roundtable on Young Children in Immigrant Families and the Path to Educational Success. It discusses the federal and policy landscape for serving young children of immigrants in early care and education and includes policy recommendations for improving access for immigrant families. Read Online
- Aug 31, 2010 | Hannah Matthews U.S. Child Care Assistance Profile 2008 This fact sheet presents state reported information on child care spending through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds used for child care, and information on children and families participating in CCDBG. Download PDF
- Feb 22, 2010 | Hannah Matthews Immigrant Families and Child Care Subsidies: What Federal Law and Guidance Says One in four young children in the United States lives in an immigrant family. Federal law establishes policies on immigrant eligibility for child care assistance, yet questions regarding eligibility remain at the state and local level. Most child care assistance is funded through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, which have differing rules regarding immigrant eligibility. This fact sheet lays out rules and guidance related to immigrant eligibility for child care subsidies through both funding streams. Download PDF
- Feb 02, 2010 | Hannah Matthews Addressing the Needs of Children of Immigrants: Opportunities for State Policy and Early Childhood Advocates This presentation reviews key findings from CLASP's research on the challenges immigrant families face in accessing child care and early education and presents strategies and policy recommendations for addressing these challenges. Download PDF
- Feb 01, 2010 | Hannah Matthews and Danielle Ewen Administration Reverses a Decade of Indifference The President's FY 2011 budget proposal provides resources for expanding quality child care and early education opportunities for children and families. Read Online
- Jan 25, 2010 | CLASP Federal Policy Recommendations for 2010 Our nation faces many domestic challenges, including improving access to affordable health care, improving access to education as well as education outcomes, and providing debt and foreclosure relief. CLASP's 2010 federal policy recommendations are equally essential to achieving healthy and thriving families and improving the nation's prosperity. Read Online | Download PDF
- Jan 21, 2010 | Hannah Matthews and Danielle Ewen FAQ: Using Title I of ESEA for Early Education This paper provides answers to frequently asked questions on using Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act funds on early education. Read Online | Download PDF
- Dec 17, 2009 | Hannah Matthews Infants and Toddlers in CCDBG: 2008 Based on preliminary data from the Child Care Bureau, this fact sheet provides a snapshot of participation of infants and toddlers in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program in 2008. Fewer than a third of children served in CCDBG are under the age of 3, but the share of children receiving CCDBG who are infants and toddlers varies from state to state. This fact sheet includes state-by-state information on the ages of children served in CCDBG and other information on the participation of infants and toddlers in the program. Download PDF
- Dec 17, 2009 | Hannah Matthews School-Age Children in CCDBG: 2008 Based on preliminary data from the Child Care Bureau, this fact sheet provides a snapshot of participation of school-age children in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program in 2008. A third of children served in CCDBG are between ages 6 and 13. This fact sheet includes state-by-state information on the ages of children served in CCDBG and other information on the participation of school-age children in the program. Download PDF
- Dec 01, 2009 | Hannah Matthews Child Care and Development Block Grant Participation in 2008 Based on preliminary data from the Child Care Bureau, this fact sheet provides a snapshot of participation in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program in 2008. CCDBG served a monthly average of 1.6 million children. While 19 states increased the number of children served, 29 states served fewer children in 2008 than in the previous year. This fact sheet reviews data, including the ages of children receiving assistance, the types of child care settings used, and the reasons families receive assistance. Download PDF
- Nov 21, 2009 | Danielle Ewen, Hannah Matthews, and Elizabeth Hoffmann Finding and Using Data to Advocate for Children and Families Effectively This presentation introduces participants to a range of state and federal data on young children and their families and demonstrate how to put data together to paint a picture of child and family well-being. Download PDF
- Sep 21, 2009 | Hannah Matthews Child Care Assistance in 2007: Spending Update This analysis details state child care expenditures from the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant programs. We find that spending on child care assistance increased slightly in 2007. Thirty-one states increased overall child care spending, while 20 states made cuts. The number of children receiving assistance, however, remains far lower than the number of children eligible for assistance. Download PDF
- Sep 01, 2009 | CLASP Federal Policy Recommendations for 2009 and Beyond The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) has developed an extensive federal policy agenda for President Obama and the 111th Congress directed at improving the lives of low income people. That agenda is outlined in this document. Download PDF
- Jun 23, 2009 | Danielle Ewen and Hannah Matthews Early Childhood Education In The ARRA: Opportunities For Helping Low-income Children And Their Families This presentation highlights funding opportunities in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for supporting young children and their families, quality early learning experiences, and healthy and supportive communities. Download PDF
- May 07, 2009 | Hannah Matthews Supporting Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Families In Early Care Policies And Practice This presentation provides recommendations for state policymakers and local programs to help culturally and linguistically diverse families access high quality comprehensive early care and education. Download PDF
- Mar 23, 2009 | Hannah Matthews Ten Policies To Improve Access To Quality Child Care For Children In Immigrant Families While children in immigrant families represent a rapidly growing segment of the nation's child population, they are less likely to access child care and early education settings compared to their peers in native-born families. Part of CLASP's "Reinvesting in Child Care" series, this paper presents ten policies for state policymakers to implement now with economic recovery funds to improve access to quality child care for children in immigrant families. Download PDF
- Mar 04, 2009 | Hannah Matthews Provide Information on Infant/Toddler Care Choosing child care for their very young children is often a difficult and emotional task for parents. All babies and toddlers in child care need their families to have access to quality options for their care. To support this goal, CLASP recommends that states provide all parents of infants and toddlers with culturally and linguistically appropriate information on choosing high-quality care and subsidy eligibility. This document presents research supporting the recommendation to provide information on infant/toddler care. Read Online | Download PDF
- Feb 13, 2009 | Hannah Matthews Impact of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 on Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Funding State Allocations for $2 Billion in CCDBG Funding. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 includes $2 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). CLASP has estimated the state allocations for the child care funding as well as the share of funds states will receive for quality initiatives. Download PDF
- Jan 23, 2009 | Hannah Matthews Child Care Assistance: A Program That Works As the economic recovery package moves through Congress, it is critical that it include a $3 billion increase in the federal child care assistance program, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). Child care is a program that works. Research shows that child care assistance makes a significant difference in the economic health and security of families. It helps families sustain their participation in the workforce, reduce instability in care arrangements that can impact work, and move out of poverty. Download PDF
- Nov 21, 2008 | Hannah Matthews Child Care and Development Block Grant Participation in 2007 Based on preliminary data from the Child Care Bureau, this fact sheet provides a snapshot of participation in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program in 2007. CCDBG served a monthly average of 1.7 million children. While 22 states increased the number of children served, 27 states served fewer children in 2007 than in the previous year. This fact sheet reviews data, including the ages of children receiving assistance, the types of child care settings used, and the reasons families receive assistance. See also Infants and Toddlers in the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program: 2007 Update for a snapshot of participation of infants and toddlers in CCDBG. Download PDF
- Nov 21, 2008 | Hannah Matthews Infants and Toddlers in the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program: 2007 Update Based on preliminary data from the Child Care Bureau, this fact sheet provides a snapshot of participation of infants and toddlers in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program in 2007. Over a quarter of children served in CCDBG are under the age of 3, but the share of children receiving CCDBG who are infants and toddlers varies from state to state. This fact sheet includes state-by-state information on the ages of children served in CCDBG. See also Child Care and Development Block Grant Participation in 2007 for an overview of CCDBG participation by children of all ages. Download PDF
- Nov 21, 2008 | Hannah Matthews U.S. Child Care Assistance Profile 2007 This fact sheet presents state reported information on child care spending through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds used for child care, and information on children and families participating in CCDBG. Download PDF
- Nov 05, 2008 | Hannah Matthews U.S. Child Care Assistance State Profile 2006 This fact sheet presents state reported information on child care spending through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds used for child care, and information on children and families participating in CCDBG. Download PDF
- Nov 03, 2008 | Hannah Matthews and Danielle Ewen Child Care Assistance in 2006: Insufficient Investments Spending on child care assistance increased slightly in 2006. Thirty-two states increased spending, while 19 states made cuts to their child care programs. Meanwhile, federal funding for child care has remained nearly flat for six years. Analysis of expenditure data from the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant show that states will need more help just to maintain current service levels. Download PDF
- Sep 30, 2008 | Hannah Matthews Support a Diverse and Culturally Competent Workforce Child care providers and caregivers need a set of skills to work effectively and respectfully across cultures. All babies and toddlers in child care need nurturing, responsive providers and caregivers they can trust to care for them as they grow and learn. To support this goal, CLASP recommends that states ensure the diversity and cultural competence of infant and toddler providers and caregivers in order to meet the needs of the state’s children under three and their families. This document presents research supporting the recommendation to support a diverse and culturally competent workforce. Read Online | Download PDF
- Aug 08, 2008 | Hannah Matthews Child Care and Development Block Grant Participation in 2006 This fact sheet provides a snapshot of participation in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program in 2006. CCDBG served a monthly average of 1.8 million children. While 29 states increased the number of children served, 22 states served fewer children in 2006 than in the previous year. This fact sheet reviews data, including the ages of children receiving assistance, the types of child care settings used, and the reasons families can receive assistance. Download PDF
- Jul 30, 2008 | Hannah Matthews and Rachel Schumacher Ensuring Quality Care for Low-Income Babies: Contracting Directly with Providers to Expand and Improve Infant and Toddler Care The supply of high-quality infant and toddler child care is limited, particularly for low-income families. While most states provide child care assistance through vouchers or certificates, states have the option of contracting directly with providers to expand infant/toddler care for low-income families. Based on interviews with state policymakers, this paper explains how states are using contracts to create or stabilize care in particular communities or for specific populations; to create child care slots meeting quality standards important for infants and toddlers; to extend the day for infants and toddlers served in Early Head Start; and to improve the quality of infant/toddler family child care. Download PDF
- Feb 11, 2008 | Hannah Matthews Incorporating Cultural Competence in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems This presentation provides an overview of what cultural competence is; why cultural and linguistic competence is important in early childhood standards; and how quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS) can support cultural and linguistic competence. Download PDF
- Feb 04, 2008 | Hannah Matthews and Danielle Ewen President's Budget Disregards Sound Investments for Young Children Every Administration uses the budget to send a signal about its priorities for the coming year. In this period of economic downturn, when our most vulnerable children and families need access to comprehensive supports, the message of this budget is simple and stark: children in low-income working families don't matter. Download PDF
- Jan 30, 2008 | Danielle Ewen, Aaron Nelson, and Hannah Matthews CCDBG State Plan Reported Activities To Support Limited English Proficient (LEP) And Immigrant Communities This paper provides examples of activities that states reported within the Child Care and Development Block Grant program to better serve immigrant and LEP communities. CLASP reviewed FY 2006-2007 CCDBG state plans for references to initiatives that would support immigrant families and/or providers, Limited English Proficient (LEP) families and/or providers, English Language Learners, or linguistic and cultural diversity. We find that state reported activities in these areas were often vague and few states reported carrying out multiple strategies. Download PDF
- Dec 20, 2007 | Hannah Matthews Improving Access to Child Care and Early Education for Immigrant Families: A State Policy Checklist State policies can promote, or impede, access to high-quality child care and early education for immigrant families. CLASP has created a technical assistance tool for states that lists recommended policies that states can implement to address immigrant access to high-quality child care and early education programs. Policymakers will want to evaluate the current set of policies they have in place that support these recommended courses of action as well as to plan for future policy changes and improvements. Download PDF
- Dec 20, 2007 | Danielle Ewen and Hannah Matthews Selected State and Local Policies to Support Immigrant and Limited English Proficient (LEP) Early Care and Education Providers. As the young child population is growing in diversity, the early childhood field is facing a shortage of bilingual and bicultural providers. One way to increase the supply of qualified, bilingual and culturally competent early care and education providers is to assist providers from immigrant communities to gain the skills to become licensed child care providers, as well as to provide supports to immigrant providers in order to retain them in the early childhood field and to encourage further professionalization and credentialing. CLASP has created a checklist of selected policies that support immigrant providers, particularly those with limited English proficiency. This tool offers strategies and examples for improving policies in the areas of language access, training and professional development. Download PDF
- Oct 05, 2007 | Danielle Ewen and Hannah Matthews Title I And Early Childhood Programs: A Look At Investments In The NCLB Era This paper explores the wide range of ways in which school districts are using funds from Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) for early education through kindergarten and examines how the implementation of NCLB has impacted those investments. It also makes recommendations for local educational agencies interested in creating Title I-funded early education programs or thinking about how to sustain these types of investments in the face of policy and funding challenges. Download PDF
- May 17, 2007 | Danielle Ewen and Hannah Matthews Recommendations To Support High-Quality Early Education Programs Through Reauthorization Of The No Child Left Behind Act Unlike other early care and education funding sources, Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has seen some increases in funding levels since 2002. As a result, a number of policymakers interested in investing in high-quality early care and education programs have turned to Title I as a funding source. This publication, which draws from two years study of the relationship between Title I and high-quality early education, offers recommendations for the reauthorization of NCLB. Download PDF
- May 02, 2007 | Hannah Matthews and Deeana Jang Executive Summary: The Challenges of Change: Learning from the Child Care and Early Education Experiences of Immigrant Families Executive Summary of The Challenges of Change: Learning from the Child Care and Early Education Experiences of Immigrant Families Download PDF
- May 02, 2007 | Hannah Matthews and Deeana Jang The Challenges of Change: Learning from the Child Care and Early Education Experiences of Immigrant Families One of every five children in the United States is the child of an immigrant. Although these children stand to benefit from high-quality child care and early education programs, available data show that they are less likely to participate in all types of non-parental care than children of U.S.-born citizens are. To explore the reasons for the lower participation of children of immigrants, CLASP conducted site visits across the country to learn first hand about the challenges that immigrant families face. CLASP sought out immigrant leaders and direct service providers, immigrant parents, child care and early education providers, and policymakers. This report identifies multiple barriers that impede immigrant families from accessing high-quality child care and early education. It also highlights promising strategies being used in local communities to break down those barriers and to improve child care and early education programs so that they are more responsive to the needs of diverse immigrant families. It concludes with a set of recommendations for federal, state, and local policymakers, advocates, private foundations, and researchers. Read Online | Download PDF
- Feb 05, 2007 | Danielle Ewen and Hannah Matthews Families Forgotten: Administration's Priorities Put Child Care Low on List Despite evidence that child care assistance is critical to helping low-income families to work and to succeed financially, the President's FY 2008 budget proposal freezes discretionary child care funding for the sixth consecutive year. According to the Administration's own estimates, 300,000 children will lose child care assistance by 2010. This is in addition to 150,000 children who have already lost assistance since 2000. Download PDF
- Dec 08, 2006 | Danielle Ewen and Hannah Matthews The Potential Of Title I For High-Quality Preschool This presentation, funded by the Foundation for Child Development, provides a brief overview of Title I of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, explains how these funds may be used to support high-quality preschool, and offers several illustrative models of school districts using Title I funds for early education. It also provides background information making the case for investments in young, low-income children, along with relevant policy implications that may affect the availability of Title I funding for such programs. Download PDF
- Nov 02, 2006 | Hannah Matthews U.S. Child Care Assistance State Profile 2005 This fact sheet presents state reported information on child care spending through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds used for child care, and information on children and families participating in CCDBG. Download PDF
- Nov 01, 2006 | Hannah Matthews and Danielle Ewen Child Care Assistance in 2005: State Cuts Continue State spending on child care assistance declined in 2005 for the second consecutive year. Twenty-two states made cuts to their child care programs, as the number of children living in low-income families that received help from these programs continued to decline. Many families turn to child care assistance programs to get help paying for the child care they need in order to work and to succeed. This policy brief provides an overview of national expenditure data for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds directed towards child care. View the associated chart showing state-by-state changes in child care expenditures and CCDBG participation from 2004 to 2005. Download PDF
- May 10, 2006 | Mark Greenberg, Danielle Ewen, and Hannah Matthews Using TANF for Early Childhood Programs In recent years, states have made significant investments in pre-kindergarten programs in order to help young children enter school ready to learn. Federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds are among the sources states have tapped to support some or all of their early childhood initiatives. This brief, supported by the Foundation for Child Development, outlines when and how states can use TANF funds to support early childhood programs, and examines the impact of TANF changes included the 2006 federal budget (called the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005) on this use. Download PDF
- Apr 03, 2006 | Hannah Matthews Child Care Assistance Helps Families Work: A Review of the Effects of Subsidy Receipt on Employment Reliable and stable child care helps parents retain steady employment and reduces workplace absenteeism, but the high costs of care challenge many families, particularly low-income working parents. Child care assistance can help. This policy brief reviews relevant research and finds that low-income mothers who receive child care subsidies are more likely to be employed, to stay off welfare, and to have higher earnings. For that reason, increasing investments in child care assistance is necessary to help families move from welfare to work and to help low-income parents continue working. Download PDF
- Feb 10, 2006 | Danielle Ewen and Hannah Matthews Toward a Decade of Indifference: Administration Budget Ignores Child Care Needs of Working Families Child care assistance is critical to helping low-income working families succeed and find quality child care that fosters their children's well-being and healthy development. Yet the President's 2007 budget proposal, released on February 6, 2006, freezes discretionary child care funding for the fifth consecutive year. The result will be a 25 percent drop in the number of children from low-income working families who get help paying for child care by 2011, as compared with 2000 numbers. Download PDF
- Feb 07, 2006 | Hannah Matthews and Danielle Ewen Understanding Early Care and Education Participation Among Immigrant Families: A Brief Children born to immigrant parents often face multiple risk factors that make their participation in quality early education programs particularly beneficial--yet these children appear less likely to participate in such programs. This two-page brief summarizes the 26-page paper, Reaching All Children? Understanding Early Care and Education Participation Among Immigrant Families, part of CLASP's Breaking Down Barriers project intended to better understand and remedy the barriers immigrant families face to accessing high-quality early education programs. Download PDF
- Jan 19, 2006 | Hannah Matthews and Danielle Ewen Reaching All Children? Understanding Early Care and Education Participation Among Immigrant Families One in five children in the United States is the child of an immigrant. These children stand to benefit greatly from high-quality child care and early learning programs, yet appear less likely to participate in such programs. This paper summarizes evidence about the participation of young children of immigrants in early care and education programs as well as the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of immigrant families that likely influence participation. It then offers policy recommendations for state and local administrators of pre-kindergarten and other early care and education programs, and proposes areas for additional research. This paper is part of CLASP's Breaking Down Barriers project, which is supported by the Foundation for Child Development. Download PDF
- Mar 30, 2005 | Danielle Ewen, Jennifer Mezey, and Hannah Matthews Missed Opportunities: The Possibilities and Challenges of Funding High-quality Preschool through Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act This paper, funded by the Foundation for Child Development, provides general background on the legislation behind Title I and provides an overview of the available data on the use of Title I funds for preschool, as well as illustrative examples of how a few states and local communities have used Title I funds for these programs. It also examines the U.S. Department of Education's statutes, regulations, and guidance on the use of Title I funds for preschool and raises some unanswered questions. Finally, it discusses how the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act may affect the availability of Title I funding for preschool programs. Download PDF