The goal of a Comprehensive K-3 Reading Policy is to ensure all students read on grade level by the end of third grade. This document shows why a K-3 reading policy is necessary, discusses evidence and research, and explains the fundamental principles of a comprehensive early literacy policy.

In 2014, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) distributed 250 grants across states and localities in the United States and its territories to establish Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships (EHS-CCPs) to expand access to high-quality child care. A cornerstone of Early Head Start (EHS) is the provision of comprehensive services.…

Head Start has been successful because it includes comprehensive services, parent involvement and family support, a commitment to meeting local needs, training and technical assistance support, and a collaborative approach. This ERIC Digest briefly describes each of these components. Discussion concludes by noting that Head Start must take more…

Author reviews gains made in the last decade in knowledge of the nature of child development and learning, and cautions against a lessening of commitment. (MB)

One of a series of family impact seminars, the meeting described in this document was held to discuss legislation passed by the 101st Congress related to earned income tax credit, child care grant programs, and the reauthorization and expansion of Head Start. The document provides highlights of presentations of the seminar panelists and a…

Describes a comprehensive Early Childhood Services program recently introduced in the educational system of Canada's Alberta Province. The aims of this program are to foster child development, parent participation, and community involvement. Health and hygiene services are incorporated in the program along with social welfare and educational…

"Big Math for Little Kids," a comprehensive program for 4- and 5-year-olds, develops and expands on the mathematics that children know and are capable of doing. The program uses activities and stories to develop ideas about number, shape, pattern, logical reasoning, measurement, operations on numbers, and space. The activities introduce the…

Child care resource and referral agencies (CCRRs) have a unique approach to child care staff development and training. They tend to look at the problem globally, taking account of all early childhood and child care programs, and all aspects of training and staff development, including pre- and in-service training, recruitment, compensation, and…

Examines how much progress has been made in England and Wales towards meeting the needs of disadvantaged preschool children and to what extent the policies adopted so far may be considered to amount to a comprehensive strategy. (Author/MP)

The Head Start community has recognized that the mental health program has been a weak spot in the program's comprehensive services strategy. A brief telephone survey of 101 programs identified the services most desired and resulted in recommendations for strengthening this aspect and making the program a laboratory for innovative practices. (SLD)

This fact sheet begins with an overview of family support programs, which includes a discussion of the premises of family support programs and a list of typical program components. The remainder of the fact sheet focuses on one approach to family support, comprehensive and collaborative (C&C) services. The fact sheet underscores the need for…

This booklet discusses the need for a comprehensive family-centered approach to day care. A hypothetical family situation is used to illustrate that present approaches to day care are not optimally functional because of the dichotomy existing between day care and family life. Historical origins of day care centers and significant changes in the…

A detailed report of a demonstration and research project that has established a unified preschool-elementary-day care complex in one setting. (CS)

Recent criticisms of Project Head Start have resulted in plans to improve program services and to expand in a more thoughtful manner to make the program more responsive to the needs of children and families. New directions include expansion below and beyond the ages previously served by Head Start. (SLD)

Strategies for the adaptation of Head Start for the economic and social conditions of the future involve the linkage of early childhood and family support approaches with community economic development. Such strategies must include a reappraisal of mental health models to ensure the health of children and their families. (SLD)