Child Care Safety

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2015 Year in Review

Early Childhood Program Year End Wrap Up          

As we come to a close in the calendar year, it is clear that 2015 marked enormous progress on the early learning initiative front!

Congress passed the FY2016 Consolidated Appropriations ActCartoon Capitol

The FY2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act (PL 114-113), enacted on December 18, included an increase of nearly $1 billion for programs operated through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) — primarily for the Child Care and Development Block Grant and Head Start.

What’s in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for early childhood?

Matching Budget Information with Context:

For more information on the most recent data for CCDBG program statistics (number of children receiving assistance, settings those children are in) and for information about TANF funding used for child care by state, click here.

Early Head Start/Child Care Partnerships: The FY2016 Consolidated Young woman playing with boyAppropriations Act included $635 million for EHS/CCPs. This means that previous grants will continue to receive funding and $135 million in additional funding will be available for a new competition. Stay tuned for competition criteria and proposal deadlines in 2016. Current awards finalized in March of 2015 are here.

Preschool Expansion/Development Grants: The FY2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act included $250 million to continue another year of funding for current grantees.

Every Student Succeeds Act and Preschool Development Grants

On December 9, the President signed the Every Child Succeeds Act into Pre schoollaw (P.L. 114-95), which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act- also known as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. The Every Child Succeeds Act includes many opportunities to better integrate early learning initiatives with K-12 education, including a new provision authorizing Preschool Development Grants. This new competitive grant program is designed to assist states to:

  • develop, update or implement a strategic plan to improve collaboration and coordination among existing early learning programs in a mixed delivery system across the state to prepare low income children to enter kindergarten ready to succeed;
  • encourage partnerships among Head Start providers, state and local governments, private entities (including faith and community based organizations), and local educational agencies, to improve coordination, program quality, and the delivery of services; and
  • to maximize parent choice among a mixed delivery system of early childhood education program providers.

The Secretary of HHS is in charge of the program to be operated jointly with the Secretary of the Department of Education. Watch for more details about the competition for funding in 2016.

Child Care and Development Block Grant Reauthorization Implementation:

November marked a year since the President signed the bipartisan CCDBG Act of 2014 into law. During that year, much progress has been made to promote more parent choice among high quality settings in every community.

CCDBG State Plan. In order for states to receive federal funds, each state must submit a state plan to HHS. The template for the state plan was published for public comment three times in 2015 (in January, in May, and in September). In December, the final state plan template was published.

Creative kids class

Many states have begun drafting their state plans, which are due on March 1, 2016. Some states have held public hearings already. HHS regularly posts updates on state plan public hearings under Key Resources Related to the Implementation of the CCDF Reauthorization Law.

CCDBG Regulations. On December 24, HHS published proposed CCDF regulations in the Federal Register. Public comments with regard to the proposed regulations are due on or before February 22, 2016. The regs play a key role in ensuring that states have a uniform interpretation of the law.

Head Start:

In June, HHS proposed the first major revision and reorganization of the preschool boy green shirtHead Start Performance Standards, which were open for public comment for several months. The proposed program performance standards will improve the quality of services, reduce bureaucratic burdens, and improve regulatory clarity and transparency. They provide a clear pathway for current and prospective grantees to provide high quality Head Start services and to strengthen outcomes for the children and families served. Read the proposed revisions and watch for final regulations in 2016.

Also Noteworthy for the Early Childhood Field: (Released in 2015)

Happy New Year! Wishing you all the best in 2016! We have come so far in 2015. 2016 will be the year to close the gap between research, policy, and practice… The opportunity is yours. Seize the day!

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2014 Year in Review

Early Childhood Program Year End Wrap Up                 Young woman playing with boy

As we come to a close in the calendar year, one thing is clear: It was a banner year for quality child care and early learning!

Congress passed the FY2015 “Cromnibus”

The legislation includes 11 FY2015 appropriations bills, including the Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill, that fund most of the government through September 30, 2015 and a continuing resolution (CR) funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through February 27, 2015. On Capitol Hill, the measure is referred to as the FY2015 “Cromnibus” – Continuing Resolution and Omnibus appropriations measure.

What’s in it for early childhood?

Miscellaneous federal budget information:

For more information on the most recent data for CCDBG program statistics (number of children receiving assistance, settings those children are in) and for information about TANF funding used for child care, click here.

Early Head Start/Child Care Partnerships: girl pigtails block table like legos

The FY2015 Cromnibus included $500 million for EHS/CCPs. This means that there will be sufficient funding for year 2 of the Early Head Start grants announced on December 10, but no funding for new applicants/new grants. To check out the list of preliminary award winners announced on December 10, click here.

Preschool Expansion/Development Grants: The FY2015 Cromnibus included $250 million for preschool development/expansion grants for year 2 of the awards announced on December 10. However, no new funds were provided for any new applicants/new grants. preschool report 2013

  • To see the score sheet (including state ranking of applications) for Preschool Expansion Grant applicants in RTT-ELCG states, click here.
  • To see the score sheet (including state ranking of applications) for Preschool Expansion Grant applicants in Non-RTT-ELCG states, click here.
  • To see the score sheet (including state ranking of applications) for Preschool Development Grant applicants, click here.
  • To see state applications, scores, and reviewer comments, click here.

 

Child Care and Development Block Grant Reauthorization (PL1113-186):

 On November 19, the President signed the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 into law (PL113-186). The bipartisan measure marks the first time in 18 years that Congress has passed legislation to strengthen the quality of child care. teacher and kids circle time

Happy Holidays. Wishing you all the best in 2015! This is the year to close the gap between research, policy, and practice… The opportunity is yours. Seize the day!

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Unlicensed Child Care Puts Children At Risk

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is allocated to states to both assist families in affording the cost of child care and to improve the quality of child care (such as through training or other activities). In October, new state reported child care data was released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with regard to the number of low income children in each state assisted through  CCDBG.  boy playing w blocks, verticle stock

Overall in FY2013, about 1.4 million children received assistance each month (about 47,500 fewer children in 2013 compared to 2012). The number of children receiving assistance is one part of the story. An equally important part of the story is the type of child care paid for by CCDBG.

In many cases, low income families who receive assistance are able to access quality child care that they would not otherwise be able to afford.  That’s good news for children who will be in a safe setting that promotes their healthy development. And, great news because research shows that high quality child care makes a difference for all children, but particularly for the school readiness of low income children.

What is troubling is that of the 1.4 million children receiving federal subsidies, about 15 percent (218,265) are in unlicensed care. This means that these children are in settings where little is known about the provider except that she receives a government check to care for low income children. In many states, these unlicensed providers are not required to have training, there are no minimum health and safety protections for children (or maybe there is a checklist that providers submit “self-certifying” compliance) and no inspections are required – unless there is a parent complaint.

In 11 states plus Puerto Rico, 25 percent or more of the children receiving a subsidy are in unlicensed care (Hawaii, Oregon, Alabama, Puerto Rico, Nevada, Illinois, Connecticut, Michigan, New York, Missouri, North Dakota, and Indiana).

unlicensed by percentage snapshot fy2013

In 18 states, of the children in unlicensed settings whose care is paid for through CCDBG, more than half of the children are with non-relatives.

Unlicensed NonRelative Care Declining FY2013

Why does it matter? Child care licensing serves to provide some minimum health and safety protections for children in child care. States may require minimum training for providers and an emergency plan in the case of a fire or simple things like working smoke detectors and a fire extinguisher. In the past month in Virginia, 3 babies have died in unlicensed at home child care programs where providers had no training for emergencies, no fire extinguishers, and no working smoke detectors.  For Virginia, 46 infants have died over the last few years in unlicensed care. In Missouri, more than 67 babies have died in unlicensed care.  In Indiana, 18 babies have died in unlicensed care. Maybe some of these children were on a subsidy, but we don’t know because current law does not require reporting of this type of data.

The death of any child is a tragedy. It’s an even greater tragedy when the deaths can be prevented. Licensing  serves to protect the health and safety of children. One would think that when taxpayer dollars are used to pay for the care of low income children, that the settings paid for would be safe. But, with unlicensed care, we just don’t know. What we do know is that unlicensed care poses risks to children since there are no minimum health and safety protections.

This week, the Senate will consider legislation to reauthorize (renew) the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). The bill was approved by the House of Representatives on September 15.  If approved by the Senate this week, the measure will be forwarded to the President to be signed into law. The bill includes important new health and safety protections for children. It requires more accountability for state expenditure of federal funds.  But, most importantly, it will help strengthen the quality of child care in every state so that parents have more choices among quality settings.

Arkansas, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, and Wisconsin, choose not to use subsidy dollars to pay for unlicensed care.  For the rest of the states, the bill will require a review of the policies to protect children when the states allow funding for unlicensed settings.  The bill requires:

  • a comprehensive background check (a fingerprint check against state and federal records, a check of the state child abuse registry and a check of the state sex offender registry) for all licensed or regulated care and unlicensed nonrelative care where subsidies are used;
  • States that choose to use subsidies to pay for unlicensed care to publicly explain why such care does not endanger the health, safety, or development of children;
  • At least one annual inspection of all providers receiving a subsidy, including unlicensed non-relative care;
  • Minimum training on important health and safety topics like safe sleeping practices and training related to the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of children; and
  • States to report deaths in child care, differentiated by type of setting and whether the setting is licensed or unlicensed.  Requiring the collection of this data is not to be morbid, but to better inform states and HHS about any trends and training that might make a difference.

The bill does not require assistance to families to be used for licensed care. However, it does require states to ensure that if they choose to use taxpayer dollars in unlicensed care, that children are safe. Children should be safe in child care – whether that care is paid for by a subsidy or not.

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Working Families Near Victory on Safe, Quality Child Care

On September 12, a bicameral, bipartisan agreement was announced on legislation to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), the federal law that allocates funds to the states to assist families with the cost of child care and to improve the quality of child care.  The last time that Congress reauthorized or made changes to CCDBG was in 1996 – 18 years ago. teacher and kids circle time

Much has happened since that time. Today, 74.7% of mothers with school-age children are working and 64% of mothers with children under age 6 are working. In fact, today, 57.3% of mothers with infants are working.  In today’s economy, mothers work to support their families.  Census Bureau data released on September 16 showed that the number of men and women working full-time, full year, increased by 1.8 million, suggesting a shift from part-year, part-time work status to full-time, year round work.

The fact of the matter is that mothers work. Working families, spurred by working moms, need child care in order to ensure that they can support their families.

In 1990, Congress passed the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). The law was historic at the time because it offered modest child care subsidies to low income families to support their effort to work. The theory was that a work support was better than welfare support. In 1996, that concept was re-affirmed when CCDBG was reauthorized as part of welfare reform.

Today, 18 years after Congress last revised CCDBG, we have an advantage of better understanding the neuroscience behind child development and lessons learned from the deaths that have occurred in child care throughout the country.  Any child’s death is tragic, but it is even more tragic when it can be prevented.  And that’s the thrust behind the bicameral, bipartisan CCDBG bill. We can better protect children in child care, we can better promote their healthy development, and we can expect more accountability from states that accept federal child care funds.

The House of Representatives passed the CCDBG reauthorization bill on Monday, September 15. The Senate spent the remainder of last week attempting to get agreement to pass the measure. Despite the fact that the Senate approved similar legislation in March by a vote of 96-2, the body was not able to pass it by unanimous consent (UC) before adjourning Thursday evening, September 18.  Unanimous consent was necessary because there was not time before adjourning for lengthy floor debate. Therefore, there were about 30 bills that were approved by UC Thursday night, but not the child care bill.

Two Senators objected to passing the child care bill: Senator Coburn (R-OK) and Senator Toomey (R-PA). The CCDBG bill will be the pending business of the Senate on November 12 when the Senate reconvenes after the election. Hopefully, the measure will pass and be sent to the President for his signature into law.  While that is certainly good news, the delay is not without consequence.  On the surface, it may seem that a delay of 8 weeks is nothing after 18 years. That is true. However, at the same time, the delay pushes the bill into the next fiscal year which begins October 1.  For practical purposes, that means that states will have 3 years (instead of 2) to pass conforming measures to ensure that children are safe and that state policies are accountable as federal funds are spent.

The CCDBG bill is a bipartisan measure that will help support both the needs of working families and the needs of children.  Let’s hope that the Senate will pass this measure without delay in November.

For a summary of the bill, click here.
For a detailed comparison of current law with the provisions in the House passed bill (and pending Senate bill), click here.

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Congress Reaches Bipartisan Agreement on Child Care!

On September 12, 2014, a bipartisan group of House and Senate leaders announced an agreement on legislation to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), which allocates funds to states for child care – to help families afford the cost of child care and assist states in improving the quality of child care. Pre school

While Congress generally reviews laws periodically to adjust them for new research, best practices, and to address any shortcomings not foreseen when bills are drafted (a process referred to as reauthorization,  which generally occurs every 5 years on average), it has been 18 years since CCDBG was last reauthorized in 1996. Much has been learned during the intervening years from the science of brain development to the child care policies within states.  For example, national studies have shown that most state child care policies are weak and the oversight of those policies is even weaker.

Legislation to reauthorize CCDBG was approved by the Senate in March.  The House held a hearing (also in March), to hear from experts about the need for quality child care. This summer, House Republicans and Democrats negotiated a reauthorization bill starting with the measure that was approved by the Senate. With adjournment expected soon this fall, House Education and Workforce Committee members, Chairman John Kline (R-MN), Ranking Member George Miller (D-CA), Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN) and Rep. David Loebsack (D-IA) reached an agreement and negotiated a final bill with Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee members – Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA), Ranking Member Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC).

At a time when Congress is polarized, and budget and international events, engagements, and threats are the focus of contentious debate on the House and Senate floor, it is just short of a miracle that a bipartisan, bicameral, group of leaders came together and reached an agreement on an issue that is critical for working families with children.

The fact of the matter is that working families need child care in order to get and retain a job. Children need a safe place to be and a setting that promotes their healthy development. The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) reauthorization bill agreement, as announced yesterday, will both promote children’s safety and improve accountability for the expenditure of federal funds.  It also shows that Congress can come together in a bipartisan manner and in a manner that unites both the House and the Senate on behalf of children.  Kudos Representatives Kline, Miller, Rokita, and Loebsack and Senators Harkin, Alexander, Mikulski, and Burr!  Working families commend your initiative and dedication to push partisan politics aside and support good, common sense policy for children.

The measure is expected to be considered by the House and the Senate during the week of September 15.

Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014

In Brief:  The bicameral, bipartisan, CCDBG agreement reached to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) improves the quality of child care by requiring basic health and safety protections for children whose care is paid for by taxpayer dollars.  The funds set-aside for state activities to improve the quality of care will require more accountability for the use of those dollars.  In addition, more emphasis would be placed on strengthening the child care workforce, the cornerstone of quality child care.

For a detailed bill summary, click here. 

For a copy of the bicameral, bipartisan press announcement, click here.

For a copy of the bill, click here.

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More Accountability Needed: Child Care Aid by Race

May marks the 60th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark Supreme Court decision that outlawed “separate but equal.”   In the decades since 1954, much as been done to integrate schools, boost performance rates among all children and close the achievement gap that is first noticed in kindergarten. As a nation, we’ve come a long way, but we have a long way to go.

The 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test scores of our nation’s 4th graders show that:

  • 21 percent of white 4th graders read below grade level;
  • 47 percent of Hispanic 4th graders read below grade level; and
  • 50 percent of African American 4th graders read below grade level.

Studies have well documented the school readiness gap when children enter kindergarten. African American and Hispanic children enter kindergarten below their white peers in reading and math related school readiness skills.

If we are serious about closing the achievement gap, we need to look at where children are before they enter school and strengthen the quality of early childhood settings. Most states now operate Pre-K programs. As studies show, Pre-K can make a difference.  But, Pre-K is not a panacea. The reality is, that most children are in some form of child care every week.  Given the hours that children spend in child care, and the age at which they begin child care settings, it is time to strengthen the quality of child care (for children age 4 and younger) to ensure that children start school ready to succeed and to close the achievement gap.

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is the primary source of federal child care funding to states. More than 1.5 million children each year receive assistance through CCDBG. The split between white and African American children among CCDBG children assisted is about equal (43% of the children whose care is paid for with CCDBG dollars are white; 42% of the children are African American).

What we know from the most recent (FY2012) CCDBG data is: overall, about 256,241 children or 17 percent of the children whose care is paid for by CCDBG are in unlicensed care. While licensing requirements vary by state, little is known about the safety and quality of unlicensed settings – even if federal CCDBG subsidies are used to pay for it.  For example, there may be no training requirements for child care providers or only minimal training required – far below state licensing standards. There may be no health and safety requirements or only minimal requirements – far below state licensing standards. There may be no inspections or unlicensed settings may “self-certify” that they meet any state requirements (if they apply). Background checks for unlicensed child care providers receiving subsidies are mostly based on a name check, not a fingerprint check matched against state and federal records to prohibit those who might attempt to use an alias or circumvent a background screening system.

Unlicensed care does not mean illegal care. Some child care settings are license-exempt, which means that a state statute specifically exempts that category of care from licensing requirements. (For example, a state may specifically exempt “drop in” care, a child care setting in a mall designed to care for a child for a few hours on an irregular basis while a parent shops).  Some states do not license family child care homes until they reach a certain threshold of children. (For example, in 27 states, family child care homes are not required to have a license until they care for 4 or more unrelated children).

Why the attention to unlicensed care?   In 10 states, 30 percent or more of the children whose care is paid for with CCDBG funding are in unlicensed settings. (Alabama, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, and Oregon). For a table of CCDBG funded unlicensed care in all states, click here.  It may be that these settings are safe and offering quality care, but the reality is, we do not know.  What we do know is that minimum protections for children required by licensed care are not required.

In 18 states, 50 percent or more of the children whose care is paid for with CCDBG subsidies are African American.

Race Table Picture

The percentage of children under age 13 within each state in unlicensed care varies greatly. In Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin, either no CCDBG dollars are spent on unlicensed care or 1 percent or fewer of the children whose care is paid for by CCDBG are in unlicensed care. Among the remaining states, the percentage of children in unlicensed care paid for by CCDBG varies from 72 percent in Hawaii to 2 percent in Georgia.

African American Children Under Age 5 in Unlicensed Care Paid for by CCDBG: What we know from the data is that for children under age 5, African American children are twice as likely to be in unlicensed care than white children (21.4 percent vs 11.8 percent).

Children Under Age 5 by Race

We know that the 4th grade reading test scores show that African American children are more than twice as likely compared to white children to read below grade level. We know that the school readiness gap is first noticed in kindergarten but does not begin in kindergarten. It’s time to bring more accountability to CCDBG funding to ensure that all children are in settings to promote their safety and healthy development.

There is much attention today to expanding Pre-K programs for 4 year-old children. That’s a great goal. However, the fact remains that for many children, child care is their early learning program.  From the research, we know that low income children are more likely to start school behind their more economically well-off peers. From a policy perspective, we know we have an opportunity with CCDBG dollars to ensure that low income children are in higher quality settings than they otherwise would be able to access. However, from the data, we know that nearly one-fifth of those who receive assistance are in unlicensed settings – settings that we know little about except that they are not required to have minimum protections for children.  And, from that same data, we know that African American children under age 5 whose care is paid for with a subsidy are twice as likely as white children to be in unlicensed care.

Sixty years after Brown vs Board of Education, we still have a long way to go. As we seek to close the achievement gap for students in K-12 schools, it is time to review the settings children are in before they start school. Our first step ought to be to review the settings children are in that are funded by taxpayer dollars. Licensed or unlicensed, are federal CCDBG dollars spent in an accountable manner? Are children, whose care is paid for with taxpayer dollars, in settings that are safe and that promote their healthy development?

It is troubling that given the plethora of research that underscores the importance and impact of quality child care on the school readiness of children, and particularly those at risk,  that  African American children under age five are twice as likely as white children to be in unlicensed settings.  If we truly care about school readiness, we can and should create more accountability for how our federal dollars are spent — for all children.

 

Federal Government Shutdown: Voters Hold the Trump Card

Day 2 of the federal government shutdown.  What’s the latest? It’s unclear.  How long will it last? It’s unclear. What’s at stake? Plenty…  from the well-being of millions of American families to the framework for our legislative democracy.

Every day in America, there are families who depend in some way on the government.  Some of them are low wage families with children who depend on modest assistance in order to work, including

Other families with older children may be depending on college loans (grants continue, loans are a question at this point).  Nearly 20 million students attend college every year with about 12 million who take out loans to afford the cost.  The actual number couldn’t be verified for this blog post since the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is federally funded and its web site is shut down.

The collateral impact of Congress’ inability to pass a budget on time is far beyond the 800,000 federal employees who are furloughed.  Throughout the country, states are determining whether bridges will be inspected, whether child care programs will be inspected, potential impacts that exceed the closure of national parks and museums. For tourists, Congress’ inaction is an inconvenience, for families whose budgets and well-being are directly affected, it’s much more personal.

It’s no secret that Congress is polarized and unable to agree to budget priorities.  Highlights from the last few years demonstrate a disturbing trend.

  • In the face of a debt ceiling crisis back in 2011, Congress agreed to a budget deal setting up a committee to recommend ways to reduce the deficit.  The penalty was a series of across the board cuts to be imposed (referred to as sequesters) in the event that Congress was unable to reduce the deficit.
  • As the first sequester neared in January 2013, a Congress unable to garner consensus on an alternative to the impending sequester, kicked the can to March. In March, when Congress was unable to reach a deal, the sequester was imposed on spending for the remainder of the fiscal year.

While it’s true that the government shut down for several weeks back in 1995 and 1996, it wasn’t a complete shut down (some appropriations bills had passed) and the fiscal impasse wasn’t exacerbated by an impending fiscal nightmare: the expiration of the nation’s debt ceiling (or borrowing authority) on or around October 16. (The government actually breached its $16.7 trillion debt ceiling in May but has been using emergency measures to keep operating since that time). The day of reckoning when the government’s borrowing authority will need to be increased is around the corner with experts predicting mid to late October as doomsday.

How did we get here?  Not overnight.  Last spring there was a charge for both the Senate and the House to pass a budget. They both passed budget resolutions (i.e, a measure analogous to a fiscal blueprint for committees to follow), but the budgets they passed were polar opposites.  It was clear that if appropriation bills were passed by each chamber complying with the budget parameters set forth in each chamber’s budget blueprint, it would be difficult to negotiate the differences. Numerous times since last April, the Senate tried to name conferees on the budget resolution to work out the differences but were blocked each time by the House majority.

Taegan Goddard's Wonk Wire Budget Table

Taegan Goddard’s Wonk Wire Budget Table

If the issue at hand was about budget priorities alone, it would be a challenge to reach an agreement. But, over the past few years, spending has been cut.  Federal budget data is crystal clear on that point and the most recent budget continuing resolution (CR) further bares that out. (See Figure 1).

However, the issue this go-round is ideological – it’s about support for and opposition to the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare.”  What’s the issue?  After much debate, the Affordable Care Act (PL 111-148) became law on March 23, 2010. In June of 2012, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. Open enrollment in the health care marketplace has begun.

Members of Congress can like or dislike the Affordable Care Act, but the fact is that it is the law and has passed Constitutional muster.  A small minority in Congress want another bite at the apple. That bite has led to the shutdown of the federal government. The will of the minority has temporarily trumped the majority. Is that what the Founding Fathers had in mind as they drafted the Constitution? That the will of the minority could bring the government to a standstill and wreak havoc on the economy? Who actually is trumped? The American people.

Today, the President convened the House and Senate leadership to discuss the way forward on the budget impasse.  It was a private meeting with no staff and little has been reported in the press.  So, where does that leave things?

  • For programs assisting low income families with children, states are reviewing any unobligated balances of prior year money to see if and how long they might forward-fund the federal government during the shutdown as federal funds to states have stopped.
  • For tourists to our nation’s national parks and museums, the doors are closed.
  • For federal employees, paychecks have stopped.
  • For most Americans who depend on public services of some type, it’s a roll of the dice as to whether services are available, delayed, or stopped.

Historians will write about how our framework for democracy has been held hostage to the ideology of a minority whose will was surpassed by a law and a Supreme Court ruling. What’s the lesson learned? Register to vote. Show up to vote.  Vote for those who want good policy to promote our people and economy.  Vote against ideological extremists who are willing to shut down the government when they disagree with majority rule.  The final trump card is held by voters.  #EnoughAlready

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Beat the Heat, Check the Back Seat!

Did you know that 23 children to date this year have died after having been left in a vehicle in the hot sun? Last year, 33 children died from heatstroke after having been left in a car or van.  Only 20 states have specific laws that address leaving a child unattended in a vehicle. What is the policy in your child care program? In your state?

Since most child heatstroke deaths are an unintentional consequence of parents or caregivers forgetting about a child in

National Weather Service: Beat the Heat, Check the Back Seat

National Weather Service

a vehicle, laws alone aren’t sufficient to reduce the number of child deaths.  That’s why the National Weather Service has started a campaign, “Beat the Heat, Check the Backseat.” Through greater public awareness, parents and caregivers might be less apt to forget a child.

A study published in the American Academy of Pediatrics Journal found that even on days when the outside temperature was relatively mild (72 degrees F), the temperature inside a vehicle can rise to 117 degrees within 60 minutes.  Young children and infants are more susceptible to heat illness than adults because their smaller bodies warm more quickly and they are less able to regulate heat.

The Department of Geosciences at San Francisco State University tracks child deaths related to heatstroke in vehicles.  Nearly 600 children have died from heatstroke in vehicles since 1998. More than half of the deaths involve children under 2 years of age.

Some quick tips for parents and child care providers:

  • Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle. Not even for a minute!
  • If you see a child unattended in a hot vehicle, call 9-1-1.
  • Be sure that all occupants leave the vehicle when unloading.
  • Always lock your car and ensure that children do not have access to keys or remote entry devices.
  • Make “Look Before You Leave” a routine whenever you get out of the car, and ask your child care provider to do this as well.
  • Have a plan that your child care provider will call you if your child does not show up for the day
  • Double check that your child care center does a head count of all children in a van before the day care van goes anywhere, when the van is unloaded off-site, and again upon re-entry off-site and upon returning back to the center.

To learn more about preventing the death of children from heatstroke in vehicles, check out this webinar from Child Care Aware of America – Children and Cars: Heat Safety, July 24 at 7:00pm (EST).

Child Heat Related Deaths Related to Being Left in a Vehicle

Child Heatstroke Deaths Related to Being Left in a Vehicle

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Accountability for Funds Used for Child Care

On July 11, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, issued an early alert memorandum identifying gaps in state health and safety policies for children in unlicensed settings whose care is paid for through federal funding.

The Office of Inspector General is conducting an evaluation entitled, “Child Care and Development Fund: Monitoring of Licensed Child Care Providers” (OEI-07-10-00230), which is expected to be released this fall.  Under the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG statute), states are required to have health and safety standards in place for all providers (including unlicensed providers) receiving CCDBG funds.  The three requirements by statute are: prevention and control of infectious disease; building and physical premises safety; and health and safety training.

In the course of investigations pertaining to the report, the IG’s office found that:

  • Nearly 300,000 children whose care is paid for through CCDBG are in unlicensed care.
  • 30 states allow license-exempt center-based providers to care for children receiving CCDBG subsidies.
  • 33 states allow license-exempt family child care home providers to care for children receiving CCDBG subsidies.
  • Despite CCDBG statutory requirements, some states, such as Mississippi, reported that they did not have any requirements for unlicensed centers or unlicensed family child care homes.
  • Of the states that reported health and safety requirements in the three areas required by law, 9 states allowed center-based providers to “self-report” compliance with the requirements and 23 states allowed family child care home providers to self-report compliance.
  • In most states, license-exempt providers are not subject to routine monitoring visits.

In May, HHS proposed new rules to strengthen the safety and quality of child care for children whose care is paid for through CCDBG.  When the new rules go into effect, all providers (licensed or unlicensed – except relatives) will have to meet basic health and safety requirements. In addition, HHS will no longer allow states to accept self-certifications (unless such certifications document each of the requirements met by the provider).  But, self-certification, alone, will no longer be allowed.

How many children in your state receive a subsidy? Click here. How many children receiving a subsidy in your state are in unlicensed care? Click here.  The comment period on the proposed HHS regulation runs through August 5, 2013.  If you agree that there should be accountability for the expenditure of federal funds, money used to help low-income families afford the cost of child care, comment today.