Legislative and Policy Update

1. Legislative and Policy Update Yasmina Vinci California Head Start Association July 27, 2010 Legislative and Policy Update

2. Agenda • Federal Policy Environment Actors - Their Values and Constraints • Head Start Issues and Opportunities • Action Legislative and Policy Update

3. Actors • Obama Administration • Domestic Policy Council and Office of Management and Budget • White House Office of Public Liaison • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ACF, OHS, MCHB, OPRE, ASPE • U.S. Department of Education Legislative and Policy Update

4. Actors (continued) • U.S. Congress • House of Representatives • Senate • GAO Legislative and Policy Update

5. Actors (Continued) • Coalitions • Child Care and Early Learning Coalition • Children’s Leadership Council • Think Tanks • New America Foundation • Brookings Institution • Heritage Foundation • American Enterprise Institute Legislative and Policy Update

6. Actors (Continued) • Foundations • Pew Charitable Trust • Kellogg Foundation • Foundation for Child Development • Annie E Casey • Media Legislative and Policy Update

7. Actors (Continued) • Voters • NHSA, NMSHSA, AIAN, state and regional Head Start associations Legislative and Policy Update

8. Head Start Issues and Opportunities • Head Start and Early Head Start Expansion • FY 2011 Appropriations • Impact Study and GAO Investigation • Head Start Regulatory Revisions • Training and Technical Assistance System • Early Learning Challenge Fund • Home Visiting Provisions in the Health Care Bill Legislative and Policy Update

9. Head Start and Early Head Start Expansion • Fiscal Year (FY) 2009: $7.1 billion. • The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 provided $2.1 billion in new funds for Head Start and Early Head Start. Legislative and Policy Update

10. Head Start and Early Head Start Expansion (Continued) New Head Start and Early Head Start Slots from ARRA Funds in California Source: Office of Head Start Legislative and Policy Update

11. Head Start and Early Head Start Expansion (Continued) • Jobs Created • Funds not sufficiently drawn down Legislative and Policy Update

12. Federal Funding in FY 2011 • NHSA and its coalition partners asked for a $3.74 billion increase for Head Start and Early Head Start in the FY 2011 regular appropriations bill. • This increase would have sustained the ARRA enrollment gains and made an additional payment on President Obama’s “Zero to Five” Plan. • Given the harsh fiscal climate, the President’s budget request of $989 million increase to maintain the gains of Head Start/Early Head Start was a great start. Legislative and Policy Update

13. Federal Funding in FY 2011 (Continued) • House appropriations – subcommittee – $866M • Senate mark-up • Continuing resolution • FY 2012 budget thoughts Legislative and Policy Update

14. Head Start Regulatory Revisions • Revisions of the Head Start Program Performance Standards and Other Regulations Addressing: • In-kind local match • Collaboration with local educational agencies • Program governance (Policy Council and Policy Committee) • Children with disabilities • Child outcome assessments • Lead screening • Transportation Legislative and Policy Update

15. Regulatory Revisions (Continued) • Creation and implementation of a process to determine the re-designation or re-competition of Head Start grantees – expected out very soon. Legislative and Policy Update

16. Early Learning Challenge Fund (ELCF) Legislation • President Obama proposed investing $1 billion per year for 10 years to provide incentives to states to develop state early education and learning systems as part of SAFRA. • High resolve to at least get it started at a lower funding level Legislative and Policy Update

17. ELCF Legislation (Continued) • Legislation had a maintenance of effort provision to ensure that the state does not decrease funding for early education. • Encouraged the development of Quality Rating Systems. • Provided an important role for State Advisory Councils on Early Learning with Head Start community participation. Legislative and Policy Update

18. Home Visiting Legislation • The health care reform legislation in Congress contains language to create this new program. • Home visitation program must be evidence-based, and Early Head Start programs might be eligible (see notice for criteria to be considered evidence-based in Federal Register) Legislative and Policy Update

19. What Are Your Thoughts and Suggestions? Legislative and Policy Update

20. Action • Build a robust grassroots capacity, program by program, community by community • Help us make advocacy interesting, natural, organic, an integral part of the Head Start families and staff commitment • Get intentional about all communications • Utilize www.supportheadstart.org • Start discussions about the vision for Head Start 2012 Legislative and Policy Update

21. yvinci@nhsa.org Legislative and Policy Update

22. Tomorrow… • The New Language of Head Start Legislative and Policy Update