Strengthening Children, Youth and Families

In Focus

Apr 03, 2013 | Permalink »

States Strengthen Work Support Strategies in First Year of Initiative

In the midst of tighter budgets and cuts in benefits spending, some states are focusing on more effective administration of public benefits that support working families. They're doing so because they know that these benefits, which include programs focused on nutrition, health care and child care, help families become and stay employed and promote children's success in school and life. By streamlining eligibility processes and cutting red tape for these programs, states can reduce administrative costs and make it less daunting for working families to get the help they need.

For example, states involved in the Work Support Strategies (WSS) project are making administrative and programmatic decisions that help families more easily acquire benefits for which they're eligible. Reports on the initial planning year of the project (2010-2011), released by the Urban Institute today, indicate that participating states have made progress in simplifying application processes, streamlining eligibility policies, and coordinating the administration of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP - formerly Food Stamps), Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and child care assistance.

As a partner in the WSS project, CLASP provides technical assistance to states to strengthen the administration of their child care assistance programs in the context of the broader WSS focus on coordinating across multiple programs. In the first year of the project, WSS states took steps to reduce barriers to families' enrollment in child care assistance programs and to improve continuity of care for children. Read More >>

Apr 01, 2013 | Permalink »

Sequestration, Budgets, and Continuing Resolutions: The Story Continues

By Stephanie Schmit

Recently, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the work of the federal government through the remainder of fiscal year 2013 (FY13). The CR contained small increases for both child care ($50 million) and Head Start ($33.5 million). For child care, it is estimated that the additional funds will serve 9,000 children and help to lessen the blow of the estimated sequestration cuts still in place. However, for Head Start most additional funds are for activities related to the designation renewal systems, also known as re-competition, and will not fund many additional slots.

Unfortunately, the CR did not eliminate sequestration. Therefore, harmful cuts from the sequestration will continue to affect children and families across the country as Head Start and child care programs cut their 2013 budgets by about 5 percent by reducing the number of children served, cutting back schedules, and making many other difficult choices.

New Jersey Preschool Study Findings Bolster Call For Expanding Early Education Programs

By Emily Firgens

President Obama's announcement of a national, early childhood initiative in his State of the Union Address turned the country's attention to early education. The initiative's most discussed element has been the expansion of state-funded preschool to reach families below 200 percent of the poverty line by supporting state efforts with federal funds. The President's early childhood initiative recognizes the research demonstrating both the short- and long-term benefits of providing children and families, particularly those who are low income, with access to high-quality early childhood programs.

An excellent example of the kind of program envisioned by President Obama is New Jersey's Abbott preschool programs, which offer high-quality early-learning experiences to all children in 31 high-poverty New Jersey communities. The recently released Abbott Preschool Program Longitudinal Effects Study: Fifth Grade Follow-Up shows that children who participated in the Abbott preschool programs increased their achievement in language arts and literacy, math, and science on fourth and fifth grade New Jersey standardized tests. Additionally, participation in the Abbott preschool program decreased the likelihood of grade retention and special education placement. Children who participated in Abbott for two years saw larger gains across subject areas, but similar rates of grade retention and special education placement as children who only participated in Abbott for one year.

First offered in 1999 in response to the New Jersey Supreme Court school-funding case, Abbott vs. Burke, Abbott preschool programs are offered to both 3- and 4-year-olds and are designed to help children be school ready. The Abbott Preschool Program Longitudinal Effects Study (APPLES) is following the cohort of 4-year-old children who completed preschool in 2004-2005. The APPLES studies have found continued positive gains from preschool attendance.

As we await more details and action around the President's initiative, the most recent Abbott preschool study adds to the evidence demonstrating the importance of access to high-quality preschool and the positive impact preschool programs have on children's education and lives.