NAEYC Update

May 17, 2005

*COMPENSATION BILLS AND RESOLUTION INTRODUCED
*PREK EXPULSION STUDY: MORE YOUNG CHILDREN EXPELLED
*UPDATE ON THE BUDGET AGREEMENT & IMPACT ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

COMPENSATION LEGISLATION INTRODUCED IN U.S. CONGRESS

Representatives George Miller (D-CA) and Todd Platts (R-PA) jointly introduced H.R. 2000, the FOCUS Act. If enacted, the bill would provide federal grant assistance to states for scholarships to help child care workers attain higher education degrees, and receive compensation rewards that will help them remain in their programs. Another part of the legislation would help provide health care benefits.

The cosponsors at this time are: Raul Grijalva (AZ); Rosa DeLauro (CT); Bob Filner (CA); Anna Eshoo (CA); Lynn Woolsey (CA); Pete Stark (CA); Danny Davis (IL); Dale Kildee (MI); Donald Payne (NJ); Frank Pallone (NJ); Major Owens (NY); Carolyn McCarthy (NY); Anthony Weiner (NY); Sherrod Brown (OH); Dennis Kucinich (OH); Stephanie Tubbs Jones (OH); Patrick Kennedy (RI); Ruben Hinojosa (TX); Jim McDermott (WA); and Bernard Sanders (VT),

A companion bill will be introduced in the Senate soon.

Senator Corzine (D-NJ) introduced Senate Resolution 137 to designate May 1 and National Child Care Worthy Wage Day, which passed the Senate on May 12. The other cosponsors of the resolution are: Bingaman (NM), Boxer (CA), Dodd (CT), Durbin (IL), Feingold (WI), Inouye (HI), Kennedy (MA), Kerry (MA), Lautenberg (NJ). A similar resolution was introduced in the House by Representatives Platts and Miller.

PREK EXPULSION STUDY: MORE THAN 3 TIMES HIGHER THAN OLDER CHILDREN

Led by Yale Child Study Center researcher Walter S. Gilliam, the study, titled "Prekindergartners Left Behind: Expulsion Rates in State Prekindergarten Systems," is based on data gathered in the National Prekindergarten Study (NPS). The paper presents expulsion data from all 40 states that fund prekindergarten programs.

The study found that although rates of expulsion vary widely among the 40 states funding prekindergarten, state expulsion rates for prekindergartners exceed those in K-12 classes in all but three states. Prekindergarten expulsion rates vary by classroom setting. Expulsion rates are lowest in classrooms located in public schools and Head Start, and highest in faith-affiliated centers, for-profit childcare and other community-based settings. The study found that four-year-olds were expelled at a rate about 1.5 times greater than three-year-olds. Boys were expelled at a rate over 4.5 times that of girls. African-Americans attending state- funded prekindergarten were about twice as likely to be expelled as Latino and Caucasian children, and over five times as likely to be expelled as Asian-American children. The likelihood of expulsion decreases significantly with access to classroom-based behavioral consultants that provide teachers with assistance in behavior management.

The report is available at www.ffcd.org

BUDGET AGREEMENT MAKES CRITICAL CHOICES FOR SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM FEDERAL SPENDING

The budget agreement reached by the House and Senate will make large cuts in mandatory and discretionary spending programs over the next five years. There will be spending bills; choices will be made about what to fund and how much. This means that advocates for a greater investment in child care, Head Start, No Child Left Behind, WIC and other programs that support children's positive development and learning will need to keep raising the need to make those programs a priority in the spending bills this year.

Despite the cuts to mandatory and discretionary programs, the deficit would grow by $168 billion over the next five years due to additional tax cut expenditures. The agreement includes cuts to Medicaid by $10 billion and cuts to the programs in the Agriculture Committee, most likely from the Food Stamps program. On the domestic discretionary side - which includes No Child Left Behind, part of child care, Head Start, health care and research, housing, environment, and most other human services programs programs - there would be cuts of $212 billion total over five years. This amount refers to the level of cuts below the 2005 funding levels, adjusted for inflation. In 2006 alone, funding for domestic discretionary programs would be reduced by $23 billion, or 5.9 percent, in real terms.

The conference agreement includes instructions that direct the relevant committees of the House and Senate to report so-called "reconciliation" bills on to achieve specified reductions in mandatory and entitlement funded programs and on taxes. House and Senate committees are to report legislation to achieve these entitlement cuts by September 16. Reconciliation bills are governed by special rules in the Senate that limit both the amendments that can be considered and the duration of debate. The rules do not allow filibusters.