NAEYC Children’s Champions Update – President’s Budget Request Places Priority on Early Childhood Investments
February 1, 2010
Today the President released his budget request for fiscal year 2011. In a very tough budget climate, early childhood education is a priority for additional investments. The proposal helps improve access and affordability for low-income working and middle class families and quality improvements across the range of settings.
The Administration is seeking a significant restructuring of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act along its four reform areas of college and career-ready standards and assessments, effective teachers, data systems, and turning around low performing schools with several program eliminations and consolidations into new groupings. The budget request also would authorize Race to the Top and Investing in Innovation Grants which were created and funded under the ARRA (stimulus) package. There is $1 billion held aside for ESEA if Congress reauthorizes the law this year. Although there is an increase for IDEA state grants, we urge the Administration to increase investments in early intervention Part C and special education preschool grants for a more inclusive early childhood investment agenda.
Here are highlights of the President’s budget request (increases and freezes reflect FY 2010 without ARRA/stimulus funds):
Child Care & Development Block Grant – a total increase of $1.6 billion; half would be in the discretionary side and half in the mandatory side, including funding for quality improvements. The budget proposal also would adjust the mandatory portion for inflation after FY 2011.
Head Start/Early Head Start -- $989 million increase
Early Learning Challenge Fund – when passed, would provide nearly $9 billion over 10 years (House bill passed; Senate awaiting action)
Title I – frozen
Literacy – consolidates many programs into a comprehensive birth through high school literacy grant program. $250 million total, of which 15% for birth to kindergarten, 40% for kindergarten through fifth grade, and 40% for middle and high school and 5% for technical assistance and other activities. The FY 2010 appropriations bill eliminated separate funding for Early Reading First and Reading First. Under the consolidation, Even Start would be eliminated.
Teachers – Proposal to consolidate 9 separate programs into 3 programs: Effective Teachers and Leaders $2.5 Billion (formula, consolidates ESEA Title II); Teacher and Leader Innovation fund $950 million (competitive, eliminates Teacher Incentive Fund and other programs)) and Teacher and Leader Pathways (competitive; would eliminate Title II Teacher Quality Partnerships for the consolidation)
Race to the Top – would authorize Race to the Top and increase by $1.35 billion
Investing in Innovation – would authorize and increase by $500 million
IDEA Part C – frozen
IDEA Section 619 preschool – frozen
Part B state grants – $250 million increase
21st Century Community Learning Centers – frozen
CAMPIS – frozen at $16 million
Child Nutrition -- $1 billion increase
In addition, the Administration would nearly double the Child & Dependent Care tax credit that helps middle class families offset the cost of child care.
A reminder: this is the beginning of a process. It’s the Administration’s roadmap but Congress can adopt or change it. Please stay tuned for alerts on the budget resolution and other parts of the funding process.
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