In Focus: Child Care Subsidies
May 17, 2013 | Permalink »
The Most Important Problem Facing Children in the US Today
In the early 1950's, polio crippled tens of thousands of people in the United States each year, shut down public facilities, and struck fear among parents everywhere. But thanks to a massive public health effort that reached into every community, by 1979 polio had been eliminated from the U.S.
What if we tackled child poverty with the same determination and commitment that we put into eliminating polio? At a time when one in five children lives in poverty, income inequality is growing, and the severe negative long-term consequences of childhood poverty are known, the analogy is not farfetched.
This week, the Academic Pediatric Association (APA) Task Force on Childhood Poverty declared that childhood poverty is "the most important problem facing children in the US today" and issued a Strategic Road Map for addressing it as a public health issue. The APA Task Force commits to raising the voice of pediatricians to build public support for policies that will both reduce childhood poverty and address the negative effects of poverty on children's physical and mental health and development. This builds on similar statements from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
May 16, 2013 | Permalink »
Feds Propose New Child Care Regulations
This morning, Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, unveiled the Administration's newly proposed draft child care regulations. With this first revision to the regulations since 1998, the federal government seeks to improve quality and increase accountability in child care programs funded by Child Care and Development Block Grants (CCDBG).
The proposed changes address the following areas:
- Health and safety standards, including comprehensive background checks of care providers
- On-site monitoring for compliance with health and safety standards
- Accessibility of child care health, safety and licensing information
- Eligibility determination policies for families seeking child care subsidies
The proposed regulations are complex. CLASP will be analyzing the proposal, and providing comments during the 75-day public comment period.
For more information on child care subsidies, visit the CLASP website>>
For data on participation and spending on child care subsidies, visit the CLASP DataFinder>>
May 14, 2013 | Permalink »
CLASP Heads to White House to Thank President Obama for Early Learning Proposal
On Monday, CLASP was proud to visit the White House with our partners from the Strong Start for Children Campaign to deliver 30,000 letters and pictures to Cecilia Munoz, Director of President Obama's Domestic Policy Council. Children and advocates delivered these messages to thank President Obama for proposing his early learning initiative.
The President's early learning initiative calls for historic investments to expand access to high-quality early learning programs through a comprehensive birth-to-five early education agenda. His initiative calls for a new federal-state partnership to provide low- and moderate-income four-year-old children with high-quality preschool. It expands voluntary home visiting programs that support parents with young children. It also provides increased access to comprehensive, high-quality child care for infants and toddlers through investments in Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships.
Thanks to all of you who shared your letters, pictures, and drawings of appreciation! The White House was impressed with our strong showing and appreciates the hard work of so many to help bring this initiative to reality.
Stay tuned for campaign updates and successes as the White House's proposal works its way through Congress.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Martin/photosbyjeffrey.com.