I’m often asked if there is anything new coming out of Congress that will advance early care and education. With all the drastic state cuts, early childhood advocates are looking for ways to fill the budget gaps and sustain the gains of recent years.  The stimulus bill (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - ARRA) has already provided some relief – expansion of Head Start and early Head Start, for example, and general funding for states.  Ohio has plugged a big child care budget shortfall with these temporary funds, and there is a lot of anxiety about what will happen when those dollars run out. 

There are currently many bills wending their way through the system in Washington. Most of these are unlikely to ever see the light of day, but there are two that could find their way to Ohio and Kentucky. The first is called Race to the Top, and it is part of ARRA.  This is a competitive grant program to reward states (and their local school districts) for education reform that increases student achievement.  And of course, having children ready for kindergarten is a critical component. We hope Ohio and Kentucky are among the recipients of this $4.3 billion fund. 

The second is called the Early Learning Challenge Grant and is part of HR 3221 – the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act.  This legislation is specifically designed to increase the number of children from low-income families enrolled in high-quality early learning settings, and to improve school readiness for all children.  This also would be a competitive grant for which our Oho and Kentucky  would have to apply.  The proposed amount is $1 billion per year for seven years.  Ohio is already positioning itself to be one of the selected states. 

We will be tracking the progress of this legislation, and I’ll let you know what happens.