In Fiscal Year 2015-16, the California Children and Families Act has appropriated an average of $440 per child from the state tobacco tax revenue to support early development of children ages 0-5. Based on the proportion of live births in each county, First 5 Kern administered over $10 million of the state funding to support 41 programs in Child…

Since 2000, Maryland has provided state supplemental funds to Head Start and Early Head Start (EHS) programs to improve access. Local EHS programs may use funds, through child care partnerships, to extend the EHS day or year. Maryland's approach to building on EHS includes: (1) Increase the capacity of existing Head Start and EHS programs to…

Babies need good health, strong families, and positive early learning experiences to promote their healthy intellectual, social, and emotional development. However, as the poverty rate for children under age 3 continues to increase, a rising number of young children are going without these supports. The federal Early Head Start program (EHS) was…

In recent years, several states have offered financial incentives to encourage child care centers and homes to become accredited by a reputable national organization to improve child care quality. This report examines whether it is good policy to offer higher reimbursement rates to accredited child care facilities and assesses the relative merits…

Youth corrections in California is at a crossroads. In response to the near universal recognition of California's failed approach to youth corrections, Governor Schwarzenegger, with support from the California Legislature, has launched one of the largest restructuring initiatives of youth corrections in state history. Reforms currently underway…

This document is comprised of three Center for Law and Policy articles dealing with reauthorization of funding for the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The first article compares the U.S. House and Senate bills for reauthorization, asserting that in a broad array of areas, the Senate bill provides states with more…

This publication, part of the Professional Development series, presents an analysis of present and future needs for developing innovative approaches to professional staff development. Forces that have compelled fresh approaches for inservice program designs include: (1) equal education for women and minorities; (2) social and economic forces; (3)…

Despite expansions in children's health insurance programs, rates of uninsurance in California continue to be high. Noting that absenteeism due to poor health is associated with school failure and asserting that schools offer an established framework on which to build a coordinated approach to enrolling children in health insurance programs, this…

Recognizing the relationship between child health and success in school and the importance of health insurance in remaining healthy, the Healthy Kids, Healthy Schools project of Consumers Union works to connect children in schools with California's state-sponsored health insurance program. This guide provides ideas on how a school and community…

Analysis of data from state programs providing financial assistance for needy persons and disability prevalence data led to recommendations such as expanding access to health care and quality early childhood care for at-risk children, promoting the use of behavioral health services, lowering eligibility standards, and increasing the use of Social…

The Illinois Social and Emotional Health of Infants, Toddlers and Their Families Committee hosted the Early Childhood Mental Health Regional Summit 2000 in November of 2000. Building on the momentum of the U.S. Surgeon General's first report on mental health, which underscores the importance of early preventive mental health services, this summit…

This site visit report reviews activities of Monadnock Developmental Services, Inc., a program serving people with developmental disabilities in one New Hampshire region. The report focuses on the development of employment services in the state and region, including system change strategies, practices being used to support people in jobs, and…

Support for primary-age, at-risk children is examined in the context of renewed national interest in intervention programs for this population. This report describes alternative approaches to identifying characteristics of at-risk students and then presents a summary of states' definitions of "handicapped" or "disadvantaged."…

The Illinois Children's Mental Health Task Force was convened in 2002 to assess the status of Illinois' mental health system for children from birth to age 18, and to develop short- and long-term recommendations for assuring that all Illinois children have access to coordinated and comprehensive mental health services and programs. This report is…

In a time of fiscal belt tightening, many states will hesitate to launch new multimillion-dollar distance education network projects. Instead they will concentrate on regulatory initiatives to stimulate the development of affordable advanced universal service by the private sector. Discusses the limitations of state regulatory strategies in the…