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Clinton Presidential Records
Digital Records Marker
This is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative
marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff.
This marker identifies the place of a tabbed divider. Given our
digitization capabilities, we are sometimes unable to adequately
scan such dividers. The title from the original document is
indicated below.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Divider Title:
2025866828
DEP
SEC
7
ARTMENT
OF
TENERGY
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Washington, DC 20585
THEME UNITED STATES OF
March 24, 1997
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
TO:
ELENA KAGAN
DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT
FOR DOMESTIC POLICY
FROM:
STEVEN GALSON, MD, MPH
Stspar
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
SUBJECT:
DOE ACTIVITIES ON CHILDREN IN THEIR
EARLIEST YEARS
The following is in response to President Clinton's February 24, 1997
memorandum requesting information about agency activities related to children in
their earliest years.
As you know, early childhood programs are not a focus of activity at DOE.
However, as one of the government top backers of biomedical research we do fund
projects with relevance for this age group. Some of these are listed below:
HUMAN GENOME RESEARCH
Department of Energy scientists have played a significant role in the worldwide
effort to map and sequence the human genome. This work began in 1983 when
scientists at our Los Almos National Laboratory initiated a project to construct
DNA libraries for each human chromosome. The libraries have been used by
investigators throughout the world to identify and isolate the genes responsible for
human genetic diseases. These studies are expected to continue to provide new
insights into human disease and lead to a better understanding of human growth
and development.
TEACHING HEARING-IMPAIRED STUDENTS TO SPEAK
Researchers at our Los Almos National Laboratory have developed a technology
that can be used for teaching hearing impaired children to speak. As the student
talks into a microphone attached to a specially equipped personal computer, the
computer shows an animated display of the speaker's tongue, lips, and jaw - the
structures of the vocal tract. The technology is based on an artificial neural
network that infers the speaker's vocal tract from the acoustic input received from
the speaker. This work offers new hope to the hearing-impaired child for normal
speech development.
2025600020
DEC SEC
PEDIATRIC NUCLEAR MEDICINE
Our Oak Ridge National Laboratory is developing "tracer" agents safe for use with
newborn children for non-invasive early detection of inherited defects, including
neurological diseases. Early detection greatly enhances the chances of normal
neurological development.
DOE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS
Two innovative child development centers in the Washington, DC area showcase
energy technology innovations while providing a safe, secure and nurturing
environment for high quality, educational child care. The centers provide a
program that fosters the total social, emotional, intellectual and physical
development of the child and utilizes the unique resources of the DOE to challenge
children to achieve their maximum potential. The program exposes children to
innovations using technology available through the DOE and encourages children
to think, reason, question and experiment, while fostering a positive self-concept.
Clinton Presidential Records
Digital Records Marker
This is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative
marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff.
This marker identifies the place of a tabbed divider. Given our
digitization capabilities, we are sometimes unable to adequately
scan such dividers. The title from the original document is
indicated below.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Divider Title:
STATEMENT OF EDUCATION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
*
THE SECRETARY
STED STATES TED STATES OF AMERICA
March 24, 1997
The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
I am pleased to transmit for your review the enclosed report from the Department of Education
on projects and programs that target the earliest years of life. The report responds to your
memorandum of February 24 to the heads of executive departments and agencies.
I believe this report demonstrates our commitment with you to supporting the cognitive,
emotional, and physical development of young children. If you or your staff have questions or
comments about the report, please contact Carol H. Rasco, my Senior Advisor and Director of
the America Reads Challenge, at 401-8888.
Yours sincerely,
Dick Richard W. Riley
Enclosure
600 INDEPENDENCE AVE.. S.W. WASHINGTON. D.C. 20202-0100
Our mission is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the Nation.
Federal Policies Targeted to Children in their Earliest Years
THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
The Department of Education has three major offices with legislative authority to conduct programs
and/or research for young children and their families - -- Office of Educational Research and
Improvement, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and Office of Elementary and
Secondary Education. In addition, President Clinton's America Reads Challenge, housed in the Office
of the Secretary, includes an initiative that targets the earliest years of life. Furthermore, the
Secretary's Partnership for Family Involvement in Education encourages community-based
organizations, families, the religious community, employers, and schools to work together to be
"family friendly for learning" starting in the earliest years. This report summarizes the existing and
planned projects and programs for each office, the America Reads Challenge, and the Partnership for
Family Involvement in Education. The report closes with a discussion of proposed multiagency
research and demonstration activity for FY 1999 designed to nurture young children's learning,
development, and resilience and to build on families' strengths.
THE OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT
The Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) sponsors research and demonstration
projects to help improve education; collects statistics on the status and progress of schools and
education throughout the nation; and distributes information and provides technical assistance to those
working to improve education. Within OERI, there are ten components, two of which have activities
targeted directly toward very young children. One of these is the National Institute on Early Childhood
Development and Education, and the other is the National Center for Education Statistics.
A. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
AND EDUCATION
The National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education (ECI) was established on
October 1, 1995. The Institute supports research, development, and dissemination activities designed
to improve early childhood development and education; provide a sound basis from which to identify,
develop, and evaluate models, methods, and approaches which promote the social, emotional, health,
nutrition, and educational development of young children; maximize the role of parents and the
community in the development and learning of young children; investigate how family literacy and
parental involvement affect young children's learning and development; determine effective strategies
for improving professional development, learning methods, and curricula for young children; and
provide information that can be utilized in improving the major Federal early education programs.
- 1 -
1. Existing projects and programs
For FY 1996, the Institute had a budget of $6.45 million, and the budget for FY 1997 is $8.0 million.
Currently funded activities include the following:
The Institute's Centers Program provides a stable foundation for long-term research and development
on core issues and concerns regarding the development and education of young children. Currently,
ECI supports one Research and Development Center:
The National Center for Early Development and Learning conducts research that will
improve young children's learning and development by identifying effective strategies for
working with young children and their families; determining the state of the nation on critical
issues in early childhood practices; developing partnerships with diverse constituencies;
synthesizing knowledge and recommending future research directions; and translating research
to practice and disseminating information to diverse audiences. The Center, funded in its first
year at $2.95 million, has six strands of research activities:
1. Early Child Care Quality Strand - Investigates to what extent quality in early
childhood programs for 3- and 4-year-olds affects school performance and behavior by
second grade; what strategies are most effective for improving the quality of child care;
what early educators consider to be quality practices and what they see as the barriers
to achieving quality; the dimensions of quality in early intervention programs for
infants with disabilities and whether variations in quality result in variations in
outcomes for infants with disabilities.
2. Kindergarten Transition Strand - Identifies how early childhood experiences at
home and in preschool settings influence children's transitions to kindergarten; the most
prevalent kindergarten transition practices in America's schools; what teachers perceive
to be the most important transition practices and the barriers to their implementation;
the state of research knowledge on kindergarten transitions and the important priorities
for research and practice; and how relationship-focused programs affect transitions to
kindergarten.
3. Ecological Intervention Strand - Examines the unique risk factors associated with
infants who have failure-to-thrive syndrome, young children who have early onset of
aggressive and antisocial behaviors, and children whose families have low literacy
levels; the intervention models currently used with these populations; and if new,
family-centered. community-based models of supports and services to reduce risk
factors, improve outcomes for these three populations of young children and their
families.
4. Early Childhood Policy Strand Determines the major policy issues affecting young
children and their families; how states establish and implement policies in the identified
areas; and what factors facilitate or inhibit the implementation of effective policies
related to young children's learning and development.
- 2 -
5. Statistical Modeling of Extant and Project Data Strand - Evaluates how existing data
sets can be used to answer new questions about early childhood development and child
care practices; and the most appropriate statistical methods for analyzing complex
longitudinal and cross-sectional data on young children, families, and intervention
programs and models.
6. Translation of Research to Practice Strand - Develops and evaluates effective
strategies for disseminating research findings in different formats to diverse audiences;
interprofessional development strategies and materials, using cases, technology, and
other innovative means; and models for meaningfully involving families and
practitioners in the research, evaluation. and dissemination activities of the Center and
its collaborative sites.
The Institute's Field-Initiated Studies (FIS) program supports projects, proposed by the early
childhood research field, that have the potential for improving the learning and development of young
children. The Institute has made seven grant awards, relatively equally divided and totaling $1.3
million, as follows:
FIS to improve school readiness:
Supporting Young Children's Readiness for School Mathematics through a Pre-
kindergarten and Family Math Curriculum This project will study the ways in which
young children's mathematical development is supported at home and in preschool
classrooms and develop methods for enhancing young children's readiness to learn
mathematics. A new mathematics curriculum will be tested in low- and middle-income
homes and preschools.
FIS to improve family support and young children's development and learning:
Assessing the Effectiveness of Early Parenting Education and Support through Home Visiting
for Families with Young Children This multi-site, randomized study will assess the short- and
long-term effects of the Parents As Teachers (PAT) program on urban, low-income families.
Several private foundations also are supporting this evaluation effort that will investigate to
what degree PAT affects parent knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors; parent-child interactions;
and early development and later school readiness, school performance, and attendance.
Improving Educational Readiness through Theory-Based Interventions Focused on
Building Resilience for Our Youngest At-Risk Children - This research will develop a
new home-visiting intervention that is based on resiliency theory. The immediate
program impacts and the comparative longitudinal impacts will be evaluated.
The Early Education Home-School Portfolio Project The study will build a partnership
between Spanish-speaking immigrant families enrolled in a family literacy program and
teachers in an early childhood education program. Parents will learn to document their young
children's literacy at home and how to use portfolios to communicate this information to the
children's teachers. Improvements in literacy and home-school communication will be
evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively.
- 3 -
FIS to reduce the effects of young children's exposure to community violence:
The Role of Family and School in Promoting Positive Developmental Outcomes for
Young Children in Violent Neighborhoods - This work will examine the effects of
exposure to community violence on preschoolers' cognitive, motor, and social-
emotional development and then evaluate the impact of an intervention program on the
children's developmental domains.
FIS to improve the inclusion of young children with disabilities:
Individualizing Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Preschool Children with
Disabilities - This study will compare two alternative instructional procedures --
developmentally appropriate practices and traditional early childhood special education
practices -- and determine how they impact the learning and development of
preschoolers with disabilities.
Field-Initiated Research Project A social competency curriculum will be used with 2-
to 4-year-olds with disabilities who attend day care, Head Start, nursery schools, and
other inclusive community group activities, and a second group will attend the same
programs but not be exposed to the social competency curriculum. The short- and
long-term effects of the curriculum will be evaluated.
The Institute's Sponsored Projects Program funds targeted research efforts of immediate need that
cut across the interests of one or more Institutes and/or other Federal agencies. Funding in FY 1996
was approximately $1.3 million. These research efforts include the following:
Developing and Implementing High Performance Learning Communities are studies to develop
research- and theory-based prototypical strategies to build high performance learning communities;
pilot the prototypes in schools; and, on the basis of what is learned, revise and replicate the prototypes
in other communities, and report the outcomes. This activity is supported with funds from four OERI
Institutes.
Young Children's Synthesis and Profile Project is in collaboration with the National Institute on Child
Health and Human Development and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
in the Department of Health and Human Services. A series of federally- and privately-funded
initiatives have contributed to the existing knowledge about early development and learning of children
and the roles of families and communities in these processes. However, information has not been
synthesized across these initiatives, and the past and current initiatives have not been studied in terms
of relevance for future programs. This activity will determine what we have learned from past and
ongoing initiatives, recommend directions for current activities, and determine future research,
practice, and policy directions based on the synthesis. ($347,000 combined funding in FY 1996 and
1997.)
The Effect of Comprehensive Interventions on Young Children's Learning and Development is an
interagency evaluation study with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) in the Department of Health and Human Services. SAMHSA supports eight projects that
provide intense, comprehensive health, substance abuse prevention and treatment, and mental health
4 -
services to families who are at high risk of having substance abuse and/or mental health problems. The
services also include the families' children who range from birth through seven years of age. The
collaborative activity will study a selected number of SAMHSA sites to determine if and how the
interventions affect the learning and development of the young children served. (Funded at $200,000
for FY 1997.)
The Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children is being conducted by the National Academy
of Sciences, with funding from the Early Childhood Institute, the Office of Special Education
Programs, and the National Institute on Child Health and Human Development. The activities include
a synthesis of the reading research from cognitive science, developmental psychology, special
education, general education, and related fields. The comparative effectiveness of existing modes of
prevention, program interventions, and instructional techniques used with populations of children at
risk for reading difficulties will be determined. The major policy implications of the research will be
highlighted as well as future research and practice directions. Materials will be prepared for
practitioners and parents. (Funded at $300,000 in FY 1996.)
Ready-to-Learn Television In FY 1995, the Early Childhood Institute, through a directed grant from
Congress, made a five-year award to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to develop, produce, and
develop ancillary materials for four children's television shows aimed at children in their early years,
particularly children who have limited English proficiency and their parents. Between the Lions and
Kinds and How to Grow Them have a projected premiere of September 1998, while Dragon Tales and
Show and Tell Me will premier in September 1999. Materials for parents will include a web site and 30
to 60 second spots for use on public television addressing themes drawn from the shows. Public
television programs are available at no cost to virtually all Americans, and 54 percent of children ages
two to five tune into public television on a weekly basis.
In addition to the television programming, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has established a
nationwide network of Ready-to-Learn affiliates. Public television stations in 95 cities have joined in
an effort to develop literacy and reading skills in children and families. This goal is being reached via
two mechanisms. One is a free book distribution program in collaboration with Scholastic Books.
Over 500,000 books have been given to young children who otherwise would not have access to them.
The other mechanism is a series of focus groups with families to determine what their needs are
concerning reading, television, and parenting skills. A free publication, For Families, is available in
both English and Spanish to help families become their young children's first and ongoing teachers.
(Funded at $7,000,000 per year.)
Early Childhood Research Working Group
The Early Childhood Research Working Group is comprised of about 75 representatives from
approximately 30 federal agencies, across nine departments, that have research and data/statistics
responsibilities and/or service delivery responsibilities focusing on children from birth through eight
years of age and their families. The Working Group meetings are convened by the Early Childhood
Institute, and a planning committee made up of 10-12 people from four federal departments sets
meeting agendas and arranges for speakers.
The purposes of the Working Group are to: (1) share current information across agencies; (2) provide
staff with professional development opportunities; and (3) develop channels for collaborative funding
- 5 -
activities. The Early Childhood Institute provides staff for the Working Group. There is a chairperson
from the Department of Health and Human Services who works with the Institute staff and planning
committee to plan meeting themes, formats, and potential speakers.
The Working Group has had six meetings since its inception in February 1995. Some of the meeting
themes included: (1) Working with Foundations; (2) Crafting an Early Childhood Research Agenda of
Use to States and Communities; and (3) Translating Research to Practice and Policy. Average
attendance at the meetings is about 50 people.
The Early Childhood Institute publishes an interagency newsletter, Early Childhood Update, three
times a year. Working Group representatives are asked to contribute articles about current early
childhood research, professional development, and/or policy activities. Researchers who have
important findings also contribute articles for the newsletter. The Early Childhood Institute gives each
member agency about 50 copies of the newsletter to disseminate, and the Institute puts the entire
newsletter on its World Wide Web page.
The Early Childhood Research Working Group does not have an official budget. Its activities are
staffed entirely by the Early Childhood Institute.
Evaluations and Assessments
The ECI programs and projects will be evaluated according to how well they reach their performance
indicator objective of supporting research that stimulates new ideas and new theories to promote
equality of opportunity and excellence in education for all learners; exercising leadership in building an
R&D agenda that supports and strengthens the national research and development infrastructure; and
supporting research products that lead to improvements in American education. Indicators include a
cohesive research program; national significance; and contributions to a knowledge base. Evaluations
include, but are not limited to, annual internal and external reviews starting in 1998, customer surveys,
and internal quality control and review.
2. Planned projects
In FY 1997, the National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education plans to support the
following activities:
The Centers Program will receive an increase of $600,000, to be divided between two activities.
A new Research and Development Center on Early Reading will be jointly funded by the Early
Childhood Institute ($400,000) and the Achievement Institute ($1.8 million) in OERI. The
competition will be held this summer.
The National Center for Early Development and Learning will receive an additional
$200,000 in its second year to study the impact of welfare reform on young children's
child care situations. A series of research briefs on this topic will be developed for a
range of audiences.
6 -
The Field-Initiated Studies Program will conduct a new grant competition in FY 1997.
Approximately $1.1 million will be awarded to six new early childhood research activities.
Sponsored Research Projects will add three new projects in FY 1997.
A Study of Early Childhood Pedagogy will be conducted by the National Academy of Sciences. This
two-year activity will convene leading early childhood researchers and educators to determine what
young children should know, when they should know it, and how they can learn best what they need to
be prepared for and successful in school. The study will cost $300,000 per year. Support from private
foundations will be solicited.
The Study of Health and Mental Health Adjustment of Immigrant Children. The National Institute on
Early Childhood Development and Education will contribute between $50,000 and $75,000 to this
study which will be conducted by the National Academy of Sciences under the auspices of the National
Institute on Child Health and Human Development. The new funds will focus on young children, with
an emphasis on the implications that the findings will have for schools.
The Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods is a nine-year study of children from
birth through young adulthood in 80 Chicago neighborhoods. The project, funded by the National
Institute of Justice and the MacArthur Foundation, is studying how aggressive behaviors develop in
children and what interventions may be successful in reducing those behaviors. The ECI funds will be
used to investigate the learning and development of an infant cohort and the effects of child care on the
children's school readiness and behavior. The ECI will contribute approximately $200,000 per year for
five years.
Conferences
Mathematics, Science, and Technology and Young Children - With the National Science Foundation,
the Early Childhood Institute will convene a series of state-of-the-art meetings to discuss what we know
and what we need to know about how young children learn mathematics and science concepts. The
meetings will bring together early childhood researchers, mathematics, science, and technology
researchers, and educators to help the Institute and the National Science Foundation build a research
and development agenda. The meetings will shed light on how young children learn math and science
concepts, how technology might be used as a motivation to learning, how parents and child care
providers can be actively involved in teaching young children math and science, and how we share this
information with families and child care providers. This activity is highly relevant to the
Administration's priority addressing the need for national fourth grade mathematics tests. Therefore,
the Early Childhood Institute, the National Science Foundation, the Office of Elementary and
Secondary Education, the Child Care Bureau, and Head Start are planning a collaborative funding
activity for FY 1999. It will be based on the recommendations that come from the state-of-the-art
conferences.
How Schools and Communities Can Support Families and Young Children's Learning and
Development This meeting will bring together educators, parents, researchers, community leaders,
and foundations to help ECI set a research agenda around family-school-community partnerships.
Discussions will focus on the role of schools in young children's lives, how communities form effective
7 -
partnerships to foster young children's learning before they enter school, and how schools can engage
families before their children enter school.
National Forum on Neuroscience Research and Early Learning: Implications for Educational Practice
and Public Policy - This meeting will be held in the fall and will be a collaborative endeavor sponsored
by the Early Childhood Institute, the Danforth and Dana Foundations, the Parents As Teachers
National Center, and Washington University (St. Louis). The meeting will review recent neuroscience
research findings and their relationship to the development of language, literacy, and reading in young
children. The discussions will focus on the implications these findings have for states and communities
as they design early education and child care policies and programs for young children and their
families.
Research Synthesis Conference: What the Research Tells Us About Best Practices for Infant-Toddler
Care - The National Center for Early Development and Learning at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill will sponsor a research synthesis conference to determine which infant and toddler child
care practices and policies maximize learning and development. This meeting will be held in
September 1997, and invitees will include a mix of leading neuroscience and early childhood
researchers and practitioners.
Developmentally Appropriate Practices and Early Brain Development The Early Childhood Institute
will sponsor an invitational conference that will bring together neuroscience, child development. and
early childhood researchers, family organization representatives, and practitioners to discuss young
children's learning and development. The purpose of the conference will be to develop a document
that presents: (1) a summary of some key brain development findings related to young children; (2) a
section that will help parents and educators better understand these findings; and (3) examples of
developmentally appropriate activities, based on the neuroscience findings, that early educators and
parents can use in everyday activities with young children.
B. THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS
The mission of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is to collect, analyze, and report
data in the United States and other nations. NCES activities are designed to address high priority
education data needs; provide consistent and accurate indicators of education status and trends; and
report timely, useful, and high-quality data to the U.S. Department of Education, the Congress, the
states, other education policymakers, practitioners, data users, and the general public.
1. Existing projects and programs
The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS).
This longitudinal study will track the growth of children's skills and behaviors beginning with
kindergarten children in school year 1998-99 and continuing through grade 5. It will explore how
children's growth is related to their experiences at home and school. The study will provide data on
children's early development: key transitions during their educational career; children's experience in
kindergarten, the primary grades, and elementary grades; and their cognitive growth and progress
through elementary school. The design of the ECLS is guided by a framework of child development
- 8 -
that emphasizes the interaction between the child and family, child and school, and family and school.
The study is particularly interested in the role that parents and families play in helping children adjust
to formal school and move through the elementary grades. It is also interested in understanding how
schools prepare for and respond to the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the children and
families they serve.
Field testing in Head Start, kindergarten, and first and second grades will be completed in spring of
1997, and data will be collected at the kindergarten level in school year 1998-1999. Data for both the
fall and spring collections is scheduled for delivery in spring of 2000. The cost of the study design and
instrument development is approximately $1 million.
Report on the Characteristics of Early Care and Education Programs
NCES will release a report later this year that examines the characteristics of the early care and
education programs attended by children under age 6. The report answers several questions that have
arisen with the increased use of nonparental child care. It uses data from the 1995 National Household
Education Survey to answer questions concerning parents' preferences regarding child care settings and
how these preferences are related to the types and characteristics of their children's care arrangements.
Information is provided separately for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
2. Planned projects
The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth (ECLS-B)
NCES is hoping to launch a longitudinal study of children born in 1999. The birth cohort of the Early
Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-B) will select a nationally representative sample of children at or
shortly after birth and follow these children for a six year period, or through first grade. The ECLS-B
will collect data that will be used by researchers to study a variety of questions relating to children and
their families as they move from infancy to school. It will also inform policy regarding the care and
education of the Nation's children during the critical years before school. The FY 98 budget request
includes $5 million for this new study.
C. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON THE EDUCATION OF AT-RISK STUDENTS
This Institute is mandated to "carry out a coordinated and comprehensive program of research and
development" for the improvement of the education of "at-risk students." Such a student is defined by
the law as one who "because of limited English proficiency, poverty, race, geographic location, or
economic disadvantage, faces a greater risk of low educational achievement or reduced academic
expectations."
1. Existing projects and programs
The Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At-Risk (CRESPAR)
CRESPAR conducts research. development, evaluation, and dissemination needed to transform
schooling for students placed at-risk of failure. One of its programs of study is on early education and
- 9
development. This program contains a longitudinal study of early and school-aged interventions,
including pre-reading skills for 3-4 year old children, and a study of how beliefs and practices related
to school readiness affect the transition from home to school. The approximate cost for five years of
this program of study is $1.6 million.
The Field Initiated Studies (FIS) program of NIEARS supports two projects on early education:
Long-Term Benefits of Intensive Early Education for Impoverished Children: This study addresses
long-term outcomes of the Abecedarian intensive early childhood educational intervention. The
intervention extended from early infancy to kindergarten entry. Over one hundred low-income African
American mothers and their children are being studied for interactions among individual, family, and
community-level influences on child development. Total cost over three years is $ 555,486.
Long-Term Effects of the Chicago Child-Parent Centers: This study examines the effects of an
established large-scale early childhood intervention for economically disadvantaged children ages 3 and
older on their achievement, attendance, and other outcomes in high school. It will increase
understanding of the optimal timing and duration of early childhood intervention programs and the
pathways through which the intervention affects high school success. Total cost over three years is
$526,503.
D. THE OFFICE OF REFORM ASSISTANCE AND DISSEMINATION
The Office of Reform Assistance and Dissemination (ORAD) was created on September 8, 1994.
ORAD supports comprehensive education reform by linking teachers, administrators, parents,
policymakers, and the public with the best knowledge from educational research, statistics, and practice
to help develop the capacity of schools and school districts to continuously improve through the use of
proven knowledge. ORAD provides technical and financial assistance for development; conducts
research on models for successful uses of knowledge; provides training for putting in place exemplary
and promising education programs; connects schools and teachers with appropriate assistance; and
disseminates useful research findings. The Office operates a variety of programs encompassing a broad
spectrum of activities, three of which have activities targeted directly toward very young children.
They are the Regional Educational Laboratories Program, The Fund for the Improvement of Education,
and the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Grants.
1. Existing projects and programs
The Regional Educational Laboratories carry out applied research and development, dissemination of
key information, and special activities. There are ten laboratories funded in ORAD. One of the
laboratories, the SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE), is designated to concentrate
efforts in the area of Early Childhood Education so that it can provide national leadership and act as an
expert resource to early childhood educators and caregivers. Activities include: conducting research
and development activities that address such problems as the need for improved strategies for engaging
families in early childhood education experiences and training their participation in their children's
educational progress; convening and sharing information among groups of early childhood
practitioners, educators, and service providers; sharing exemplary practices and programs; synthesizing
research into readable form for practitioners; co-developing products and services with other
- 10 -
laboratories and centers; disseminating materials and products; collaborating with universities to
enhance pre-service education; providing or brokering training and technical assistance; and supporting
technology planning for early childhood educators.
The Laboratory Network Program, a network of the ten funded laboratories, has designated early
childhood education as one of its areas of concentration. In addition to the laboratories, the National
Center for Early Development and Learning is a partner and has participated in the design and
implementation of this collaborative effort. A needs assessment has been completed, and four issues of
national significance have been identified. They are: quality early care and education;
education/training for caregivers and educators; linking of services (includes family involvement and
delivery systems); and access, equity, and diversity (equitable access for all children). The Laboratory
Network Program produced Continuity in Early Childhood Education: A Framework for Home, School
and Community Linkages. The Framework is designed to support and facilitate continuity of services
for children ages birth to 8 and their families. It is intended for use by communities that are attempting
to develop comprehensive, integrated services. Also included is a guide for using the document to
form these linkages among home, school, and community partners. The LNP is developing common
training for use of the Framework. Additionally, the LNP produced Putting the Pieces Together:
Comprehensive School-Linked Strategies for Children and Families. This publication is a guidebook to
help practitioners apply comprehensive school-linked strategies to their own situations. The ideas,
issues, and solutions presented in this document are designed to help schools and their partners at
various stages of development, implementation. and modification. Topics include: building
collaborative partnerships, community assistance, and developing effective strategies.
WestEd (formerly the Far West Laboratory) supports Marin City Families First (MCFF), an early
intervention, care and education initiative. It seeks to integrate the education community with other
social service agencies, private organizations, community groups, and family members in planning and
conducting comprehensive services for at-risk families. A two-pronged intervention that includes direct
assistance to families through case-managed family advocates and direct assistance to schools and
community agencies to help them adapt their policies and practices is underway in one low-income Bay
Area Community. Findings from MCFF are actively communicated through established networks of
early childhood agencies and organizations regionally and nationally, training and technical assistance
to Early Head Start sites in California, Arizona, and Utah, and electronic networking with Early Head
Start leaders nationwide.
Additionally, WestEd developed the Program for Infant and Toddler Caregivers. This program was
created in collaboration with the California Department of Education, a team of experts in child
development, child care, adult education, and print and video production and national and state
advisors to provide a comprehensive training system for caregiver trainers, center-based caregivers,
and family child care providers The materials are based on the best knowledge from child development
theory, research, and practice, and focus on meeting infants' social, emotional, cognitive, and physical
needs while in child care settings.
The Fund for the Improvement of Education (FIE) supports a variety of nationally significant
activities to improve the quality of education for all students. Most projects funded have a broad target
of elementary and secondary education and related professional development. Two projects have a
focus on early childhood education:
11 -
Jefferson County's Project Jump Start in Louisville, Kentucky, a preschool approach to reinventing
education, is a program which provides a developmentally appropriate preschool education for eligible
four-year-olds whose families meet income guidelines for free lunch under the National School Lunch
Program; coordinates medical, mental health, and social services to these children and their families;
and promotes interagency collaboration among organizations serving these children.
The FIE-sponsored initiative is a research project on the effects of the Jump Start Program on the
performance of low-income elementary students on authentic assessments and field research on the
capability of the parents of elementary students to make decisions about educational programs that
support local school desegregation. The project addresses two issues: the inclusion of low-income,
single parents and significant adult male caregivers in selecting schools of choice to support local
school desegregation and the lack of knowledge about the performance on authentic assessments of
elementary students who have received preschool education. The intent of this project is to show that
authentic assessments provide valid information about the impact of early childhood education on the
academic achievement of at-risk students.
Evaluation of integration and funding issues for early childhood education. Funds have been
transferred to the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to support this grant to
Vanderbilt University. The project aims to accomplish six objectives; identify policies, laws, and
practices that prevent inclusion; identify localities that have developed flexible funding mechanisms in
order to provide integrated programs for 3-5 year olds; determine if these flexible funding options are
or can be used to provide support and services for the preschool and elementary school transition;
develop materials to aid communities in replication of successful integration programs; conduct a forum
in the Washington, DC area to inform policymakers, families, educators, and administrators of the
project's progress, issues, and findings; and develop and widely disseminate research findings,
successful strategies, and recommendations for changes in funding practices. These materials will be
available in Spanish.
OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES
The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) supports programs that assist in
educating children with special needs, funds programs for the rehabilitation of youth and adults with
disabilities, and supports research to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities.
A. OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS (OSEP)
This office has primary responsibility for administering programs and projects relating to early
intervention services for children birth through age 2 and the free appropriate public education of all
children with disabilities. Programs are authorized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA).
I I 12
1. Existing projects and programs
Grants for Infants and Families
This formula grant program assists states in developing and implementing statewide systems of
coordinated, comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, interagency programs to make available early
intervention services to all children with disabilities, aged birth through 2, and their families. Under
the program, states are responsible for ensuring that services are made available to all children birth
through two years old with disabilities, including Indian children and their families residing on
reservations with Department of the Interior schools. Infants and toddlers with disabilities are defined
as children who: (1) are experiencing developmental delays, as measured by appropriate diagnostic
instruments and procedures, in one or more of the following areas: cognitive development, physical
development, communication development, social or emotional development, or adaptive development;
or (2) have a diagnosed physical or mental condition which has a high probability of resulting in
developmental delay. Within statutory limits, "developmental delay" has the meaning given the term
by each state. In addition, states have the discretion to provide services to infants and toddlers who are
at risk of having substantial developmental delays if appropriate early intervention services are not
provided.
Funds allocated under the program can be used: (1) to develop and implement the statewide system
described above; (2) to fund direct services that are not otherwise provided by other public or private
sources; (3) to expand and improve services that are otherwise available; and (4) to provide a free
appropriate public education, in accordance with Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA), to children with disabilities from their third birthday to the beginning of the following
school year. To be eligible for a grant, a state must have a statewide system that includes 14 statutory
components, a lead agency designated with the responsibility for the coordination and administration of
funds, and a State Interagency Coordinating Council to advise and assist the lead agency.
Funding levels for the past 3 fiscal years were as follows:
($ in 000s)
1995
315,632
1996
315,754
1997
315,754
Number of children served. Under Part H systems, states served 143,392 infants and toddlers with
disabilities in 1993 and 150,783 in 1994, an increase of 5.2 percent. In 1995, the number of children
reported was 165,253, an increase of 9.6 percent, and in 1996, the number rose to 174,288, an increase of
5.5 percent.
Assessment and Evaluation Activities
Measures of performance: Strategic objectives and performance indicators. In accordance with the
Government Performance and Results Act of 1993. the Department is in the process of developing
appropriate strategic objectives and performance indicators that could be used to measure the
effectiveness of the Grants for Infants and Families program. The Department has identified two broad
goals related to this program: (1) outcomes for infants and toddlers with. or at risk of, developmental
disabilities and their families are enhanced: and (2) states provide comprehensive systems of early
13 -
intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. We are considering a
number of potential performance indicators related to areas such as consumer satisfaction, transition,
reduction in institutional placements, numbers of children served in natural settings, number of infants
and toddlers served, percent of children served, number of at-risk children served, reductions in
compliance issues, and increasing state use of all appropriate sources of funding for services to these
children.
The Institute on Service Patterns and Utilization is evaluating early intervention programs serving
children aged birth through 2. A major finding of that research is that the mean age at referral under
Part H was 10 months and average age at program entry was 12 months. Previously collected data
indicated that the average age of children at referral was 18 months. These data indicate that children are
being identified at a much earlier age than during the early implementation stage of the Part H program.
The Institute also found that the average amount of direct service time a child/family received each week
was 1.7 hours. Approximately 34 percent of the services were provided in community based settings
(e.g., child care sites, family centers, churches, or other service agencies). Service utilization was very
high, with 69 percent of services being provided as scheduled. Maternal evaluations revealed uniformly
high satisfaction ratings that did not vary significantly by study state, child characteristics, or maternal
characteristics. However, mothers expressed continuing concern that service coordination still needs to
be improved to help them better navigate through the myriad of program options available.
The Early Intervention Research Institute is looking at the long-term effects of alternative early
intervention approaches for serving preschool children with disabilities and their families. In 1996, the
Institute completed work on longitudinal follow-up data for nine different intervention studies begun in
1986. In each of the studies, children were randomly assigned to one of two groups in which the type of
intervention varied along dimensions of intensity, age at start, or type of intervention provided. Children
with a wide range of disabling conditions are included in the studies. Data on a range of variables, such
as type and amount of other intervention services accessed by the family, were collected. For example,
the Parent Involvement Study examined the immediate and long-term effects of adding a parent
involvement program to a center-based early intervention program. All children participating in the
study continued to receive the early intervention and special education services they otherwise would
have received. However, the parents who participated in the parent involvement program were given a
15-week class where they were taught to provide therapeutic intervention services to the children, taught
how to be more effective partners in the intervention process, and given the opportunity to form support
networks with each other and discuss concerns. They and their children were then tracked for an 8-year
period.
Children who had parents that participated in the class consistently had higher scores on measures of
child development throughout the study. Teachers also perceived the children of parents attending the
classes as displaying fewer problem behaviors and more socially appropriate behaviors. The parents of
the children in the more intensive intervention group reported that the children were more independent
during the course of the study. However, the children in the less intensive intervention showed better
interpersonal skills for most of the years following the intervention. Children with more severe
disabilities generally benefited more from the intervention than children with less severe disabilities.
The children of parents who had taken the course of study also showed increased gains in motor
development, which translated into a higher self-concept as the children aged. These findings were
persistent throughout the 8 years of the study.
14 -
The Early Intervention Research Institute also conducted an analysis of two groups of randomly assigned
children with disabilities, one in a typical early intervention program and the other in a group that
received high intensity, expanded services. The study found that increasing services beyond a set point
did not produce significant difference in results. While both groups of children benefited from the
interventions, the children in the expanded services group did not score higher on measures of child
development or school readiness than those children receiving the basic services.
New Research Institutes. In addition to the ongoing research institutes, three new institutes were funded
in fiscal year 1997 in the following areas: program performance measures, culturally and linguistically
appropriate services, and increasing children's learning opportunities through families and communities.
The Institute on Program Performance Measures will engage in a 5-year cycle of research to
produce a comprehensive program performance measurement system for early intervention,
preschool, and primary-grade programs serving children with disabilities from birth through 8
years of age and their families. The Institute will produce growth and development measures for
child and family results that can be used with individual children as well as groups of children,
including early intervention programs, classrooms, schools, districts, or states. The system will
include general results for each age group and specific outcome measures for subgroups such as
children with sensory impairments or families living in poverty.
The Institute on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services for Early Childhood will be
collecting, cataloguing, and evaluating early childhood materials that were developed for
families with culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds.
The Institute on Increasing Children's Learning Opportunities through Families and
Communities will identify, develop, and evaluate strategies and approaches for using home and
community settings as learning contexts for promoting and enhancing the development of young
children with or at risk for disabilities.
Longitudinal study of the Impact of Early Intervention Services on Infants and Toddlers with
Disabilities. SRI International is conducting a five-year longitudinal study of the impact Grants to
Infants and Families have on families and service providers. The major goals of the evaluation are to:
(1) compare and evaluate different patterns of child development related to long-term outcomes for
children and their families; (2) assess the effects of socioeconomic, demographic, and health-related
variables on long-term developmental and behavioral characteristics of the children; (3) isolate and
explain the long-term effects of intervention on children and their families; (4) incorporate factors related
to medical variables (e.g., psychological, physiological, and anatomical structure or function), personal
functioning variables, and the interaction of the environment with these variables that could result in a
limitation or prevention in the fulfillment of an age-appropriate role; (5) incorporate family variables,
including family background and the need for service; and (6) provide information on services, service-
providers, and the appropriateness of particular service settings. The initial data collection for this study
began in 1996.
Preschool Grants
The Preschool Grants program provides grants to States. the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the
Outlying Areas on the basis of their proportionate share of the total number of children with disabilities
- 15 -
in the 3-through-5-year-old age range who are counted for allocations under the Grants to States
program. These funds are provided in addition to funds received under the Grants to States program in
order to provide an incentive to states to make a free appropriate public education (FAPE) available to all
children with disabilities in the 3 through 5 age range and to ensure that a minimum level of funding is
targeted toward serving children in this age range. The statute limits the Preschool Grants share for each
child served to a maximum of $1,500. In order to be eligible for these grants, states must serve all
children with disabilities aged 3 through 5, have an approved state plan under Part B of the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and an approved application. A state that does not make FAPE
available to all 3-through-5-year-olds with disabilities cannot receive funds under this program or funds
attributable to this age range under the Grants to States program and is not eligible for grants under
various IDEA discretionary programs for activities pertaining solely to 3-through-5-year-olds.
Currently, all states are making FAPE available to all 3-through-5-year-olds with disabilities.
At their discretion, states include preschool-aged children who are experiencing developmental delays, as
defined by the state and as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures, who need
special education and related services. States, at their discretion, and local educational agencies, if
consistent with state policy, may also use funds received under this program to provide a free appropriate
public education (FAPE) to 2-year-olds with disabilities who will turn 3 during the school year.
However, 2-year-olds who are served under the program cannot be counted for allocations.
Funding levels for the past 3 fiscal years were as follows:
($ in 000s)
1995
360,265
1996
360,409
1997
360,409
Increase in population served. Between fiscal year 1991 and 1996, the number of children served under
this program increased from 367,428 to 549,154, a 49.5 percent increase. One of the major factors
accounting for this increase was the statutory requirement for states to make FAPE available to all
children aged 3 through 5 as a condition for participation in the Preschool Grants program or receiving
funding attributable to children aged 3 through 5 from any other IDEA program. This requirement
became effective in 1991. While large increases continued beyond what was initially anticipated. the
rate of increase has been on the decline. For 1994, the increase in the child count was 37,616 or
8.5 percent. For 1995, the count increased by 32,250 children or 6.7 percent, not including an additional
12,072 children attributed to the merger of the Chapter 1 Handicapped program with IDEA. For 1996,
the count increased by 26,727 children or 5.12 percent. The Department predicts that the Preschool child
count will continue to increase in 1997 and 1998, though at somewhat lower rates -- 5 percent in 1997
and 4 percent in 1998. Our predictions are based on the downward trend in the rate of Preschool Grant
program child count increases. We believe the downward trend reflects a stabilization in the growth of
the count following implementation in 1991 of the statutory requirement for states to make FAPE
available to all children aged 3 through 5 as a condition of funding for this age range under IDEA, and
decreases in the rate of growth in the general population in this age range projected by the Bureau of the
Census.
- 16 -
National Profile of the Preschool Grants program. The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance
System (NEC*TAS) annually assembles information from the state preschool program coordinators to
develop a national profile of the Preschool Grants program. Information is collected from the 50 States,
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 7 territories. In 1996, 46 of the 59 state educational agencies
reported that they maintain different policies and procedures for their preschool programs than for
programs serving children with disabilities age 6 through 21. These policies and procedures were in
areas such as personnel standards, assessment/evaluation policies, and program standards. For example,
in the personnel area, 34 states have special certification/licensure requirements for preschool special
education. State educational agencies reported using their 20 percent set-aside funds for a broad range of
purposes, all of which were intended to support the statewide infrastructure for serving these children
and their families. In other areas, 44 of the 46 agencies responding used part of their set-aside funds to
provide specialized training for preschool personnel; 40 for technical assistance activities; 38 for
specialized materials; 35 for planning and coordination activities; 28 to support pilot programs; and 24 to
provide direct services. In addition, 40 states have implemented a technical assistance system or
program for preschool service providers.
Forty-six states used Preschool Grant funds to support collaborative activities with State Part H programs
and other early childhood initiatives. In 15 States, the focus of the interagency coordinating councils has
been expanded to include children aged birth through 5. All states reported participating in coordination
activities in some combination with other state agencies and programs in conducting child find, public
awareness, and/or training activities. For example, 43 states have interagency agreements between
special education and Head Start that define fiscal responsibility; collaborative activities related to child
find, assessment and evaluation of children, referral, and training; and agency responsibility for services
to children with disabilities. In addition, 32 state educational agencies are collaborating in Child Care
Block Grant activities and 24 with the Even Start program. Thirty-nine states offer special consideration
for children with disabilities in the Child Care Development Block Grant. Most states also report that
they have developed or are developing policies and/or transition agreements concerning the transition of
children from Part H to preschool. Twenty-five states have developed or are developing policies
regarding use of funds for children aged 2 who will reach age 3 during the school year. Thirty-seven
states endorse a specific philosophy promoting inclusion.
Studies on the implementation and effectiveness of early intervention services. The Department is
funding several projects to study issues related to serving children with disabilities aged 3 through 5.
The Early Childhood Research Institute on Inclusion is identifying barriers to inclusion and designing
techniques and strategies for overcoming those barriers. The Institute has identified 10 policy issues that
either facilitate or impede the inclusion of preschool children with disabilities in regular school
programs, depending upon the interpretations and actions of school administrators, educators, and family
members. For example, federal and state laws often rely on categorical definitions to identify which
children are entitled to services. These categorical programs and definitions are difficult to implement
for program and school administrators who must oversee multiple programs with different regulations
and reporting guidelines. Since publicly supported preschool programs are not universally available to
young children in the United States, school district administrators must create inclusive preschool
programs by combining discrete programs and funding sources. As such, inclusive preschool programs
are frequently implemented in tandem with other programs such as Head Start, Chapter 1, and
community child care, resulting in multiple program placements and transitions for young children and
17 -
conflicting educational models and philosophies for families and educators. The Research Institute on
Inclusion also is conducting a study of the cost of inclusion that it hopes to complete in fiscal year 1998.
Another area of concern relates to problems encountered when infants and toddlers with disabilities
make the transition to preschool programs. The Early Intervention Research Institute at Utah State
University is doing a study of transition perceptions of service providers that includes a survey of the
transition perceptions of parents using those providers. One purpose is to see how well they match and
to determine areas of disagreement. This project will provide helpful information for use in determining
future research and technical assistance priorities.
NCES longitudinal study of the progress of preschool children. The National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES) is conducting a major longitudinal study of the progress of preschool children, which
began in fiscal year 1996. The Department is using funds under IDEA to augment funding for the "Early
Childhood Longitudinal Study: Kindergarten Cohort" being conducted by the NCES in order to develop
and adapt instruments to address issues related to preschool children with disabilities. This 5-year study
will include a sample of approximately 25,000 children aged 3 through 5, including about 600 children
with disabilities participating in Head Start. The Department is also adding funding to the study to
oversample children in kindergarten with visual impairments, hearing impairments, mental retardation,
and physical disabilities (orthopedic and other health impairments) because of a concern that insufficient
numbers of children with these low incidence disabilities will be sampled to provide reliable information
on the needs and progress of these children.
We anticipate that the study will provide information on results for children with disabilities aged 3
through 5 receiving preschool services. The children with disabilities will be receiving the same tests as
children without disabilities, adapted as necessary to accommodate the student's disability. The study
will include a large cohort of non-disabled children for comparison purposes. This will allow us to
compare the success of children with disabilities with otherwise similar children. Since the children will
continue to be tracked over a period of several years, we will be able to evaluate changes in key
indicators over time. In addition, the study will provide substantial information on demographics and
family characteristics related to these children. NCES has also agreed to add a questionnaire for special
education teachers focusing on needs of students with disabilities. The contractor developed the
instruments and data collection plan in 1996 and plans to field test the instruments related to special
education in the spring of 1997. Current plans call for implementation of the first full data collection in
fiscal year 1999.
Discretionary Projects Funded by the Office of Special Education Programs
The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) in the U.S. Department of
Education administers a variety of programs related to improving the quality and quantity of services to
young children with special needs and their families. Early childhood discretionary projects are
administered by the Office of Special Education Programs within OSERS. These projects are funded
through a variety of Special Purpose Funds programs under the Special Education account. Projects
funded through the Early Education Program for Children with Disabilities (EEPCD) include
demonstration projects, inservice training projects, outreach projects, research institutes, technical
assistance, and other activities. Additional research and related activities are supported under the
Research in the Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program. Additional personnel preparation
activities are supported under the Training Personnel for the Education of Individuals with Disabilities
- 18
program. Evaluations such as the Part H Longitudinal Study mentioned under the Grants for Infants and
Families section, and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study mentioned under the Preschool Grants
sections are supported by the Special Studies Program.
Fiscal year 1997 funding for the EEPCD is $25.1 million. These funds will support 109 projects,
including 35 demonstration projects, 18 inservice training projects, 49 outreach projects, 6 research
institutes, and 1 national technical assistance center.
Demonstration Projects. Model demonstration projects address a range of topics, including
developmentally appropriate practices; increasing and improving child care options for children with
disabilities; early intervention services for very young children with autism; assistive and interactive
technologies; inclusion of children with disabilities in community settings; building language and
literacy skills during early childhood; family-centered care in newborn intensive care units; and
culturally diverse children with disabilities in general education settings. Awards are made to private,
nonprofit agencies and organizations; local schools; universities; and state education agencies. These are
funded at $5.8 million in FY 1997.
Inservice Training Projects. Projects in this priority area are developing and evaluating inservice
training models that will prepare professionals and paraprofessionals to provide, coordinate, or enhance
early intervention, special education, and related services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and/or
for preschool children with disabilities. Funding for FY 1997 is $1.2 million.
Outreach Projects. The outreach component has two goals: (1) to promote and increase high-quality
services to preschool children with disabilities, birth through age 8, and their families; and (2) to
stimulate replication of innovative models, many of which were developed and refined during EEPCD
demonstration project funding. Outreach projects engage in awareness activities; stimulation of model
replication sites; training of professionals, paraprofessionals, and parents; promotion of state
involvement; product development and dissemination; and consultative activities. Outreach efforts have
contributed significantly to disseminating effective programs for young children, to providing improved
training and services, and to building continuity and interagency/interstate collaborations. Some projects
have incorporated the use of new technologies, such as video- or computer-based instruction, while
others have emphasized specific disability areas, such as sensory impairments or learning disabilities.
Several projects have served as resources to state education agencies and other state agencies in their
efforts to expand or improve services for infants and preschool children. Funding for FY 1997 is $7.5
million.
Research Institutes. During 1997, six research institutes are being funded. These institutes address
barriers to the inclusion of preschool-age children with disabilities in classroom and community settings;
influences on service patterns and utilization in early intervention and preschool programs; the adoption
of successful early intervention practices in children's early elementary education in order to improve the
education of children with disabilities; increasing learning opportunities for children through families;
providing services to young children with disabilities that are culturally and linguistically appropriate;
and measuring growth and development. Funding for FY 1997 is $4.3 million.
Technical Assistance Center. The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance System (NEC*TAS)
brings together individuals and organizations which represent diverse disciplines and parent perspectives
to address the needs of infants, toddlers. and preschoolers with disabilities and their families. Funding
19 -
for FY 1997 is $4 million. NEC*TAS' technical assistance is an ongoing, systematic, and nonevaluative
process that uses a variety of support strategies to help clients accomplish targeted goals. NEC*TAS is
committed to seven goals:
-- To assist states in accomplishing their goals and activities for providing services to infants, toddlers,
and preschoolers with disabilities;
-- To assist OSEP-sponsored early childhood discretionary projects in accomplishing their goals and
activities for demonstration, inservice, and outreach programs;
-- To identify emerging early intervention and preschool service system issues and potential solutions;
-- To share across client groups the solutions and successful strategies and practices developed by one
another;
-- To promote the utilization of state-of-the-art research and practice;
-- To promote collaboration across federal agencies and programs, states, and other organizations and
programs that impact client programs; and
-- To contribute to the understanding and provision of efficient, effective, and high-quality technical
assistance.
NEC*TAS' technical assistance is an ongoing, systematic, and nonevaluative process that uses a variety
of support strategies to help clients accomplish targeted goals. The specific approach designed by
NEC*TAS addresses the unique needs of each state and jurisdiction, as well as states' collective needs.
NEC*TAS has conducted needs assessments and planning meetings for the 50 states, the District of
Columbia, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and eight other jurisdictions (American Somoa, Federated States
of Micronesia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Puerto Rico, the Republic of the Marshall
Islands, and the Virgin Islands). Topical areas for technical assistance include finance, interagency
issues, procedural safeguards, personnel, data collection, monitoring, child identification (including
eligibility), guidelines to services for specific populations such as children with autism, and service
delivery in rural and in urban communities. Program evaluation, model development, dissemination,
project management and multi-cultural and health issues are also addressed. Services available to states
and jurisdictions and EEPCD projects include annual meetings, needs assessments, individualized
technical assistance and consultations, topical meetings and workshops, topical teleconferences,
telephone consultation, information published through print and electronic media, information and
referral, and networking with other professionals and organizations. NEC*TAS also provides limited
services, including resource referral; selected publications in print and electronic formats; news and
information through electronic bulletin boards on Education Administration ONLine and GTE EdLink to
other technical assistance organizations, resource centers, policy groups, associations of service
providers, advocacy groups, and parent groups involved in developing comprehensive services for young
children with special needs and their families.
Research in Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program. For many years, individual research
projects related to young children with disabilities have been supported in OSEP through the Research in
Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program, through the Field-Initiated Research competition, the
Student-Initiated Research competition, and other special competitions. The purpose of the program is to
support research and related activities designed to increase knowledge and understanding of disabling
conditions and of teaching, learning, and education-related developmental practices and services for
infants, toddlers, preschoolers, children, and youth with disabilities. Among the projects funded during
FY 1997, 66 focus on early childhood issues, totaling $6.1 million. These include 30 field-initiated
research projects: 12 student-initiated research grants: 6 initial career award projects; 5 projects on
- 20 -
advancing and improving the research knowledge base; 4 technology in education projects; 2 projects on
preventing the development of serious emotional disturbance among children and youth with emotional
and behavioral problems; 2 special studies program grant projects; 2 state agency/federal evaluation
studies grants; 1 project on the prevention of reading difficulties in young children; 1 project on research
on general education, teacher, planning, and adaptation for students with disabilities; and 1 project on
school-linked services to support better outcomes for children with disabilities.
Training Personnel for the Education of Individuals with Disabilities. The Training Personnel for the
Education of Individuals with Disabilities program supports projects to improve the quality and increase
the quantity of personnel providing early intervention, special education, and related services to children
with disabilities. Awards are made to colleges, universities, state and local agencies, and nonprofit
organizations. Projects prepare personnel to work in programs characterized by strong interaction of the
medical, educational, and related service communities, and by involvement of the primary caregivers for
these children. In almost all of these projects, multiple departments within universities collaborate in the
program, and, in several cases, the training institutions cooperate with medical facilities, local education
or health agencies, or state education agencies. Three hundred projects totaling $30.5 million in FY 1997
address various aspects of the preparation of early intervention and early childhood personnel. These
include 109 projects that prepare personnel to serve infants and toddlers, 76 parent training and
information centers, 33 projects to prepare special educators, 19 projects to prepare leadership personnel,
19 projects to prepare related services personnel, 19 special projects, 14 projects in minority institutions,
9 related to low-incidence conditions, one that addresses rural special education, and one in a state
education agency. Most of these projects provide training leading to a master's or doctoral degree,
although some provide training at the undergraduate or associate degree level; many provide training at
the paraprofessional level and may lead to certification. While some programs are discipline specific or
disability specific, most are interdisciplinary, have a strong family focus, and emphasize field
experience.
The Federal Interagency Coordinating Council (FICC)
The Federal Interagency Coordinating Council (FICC) was established as a part of the 1991
reauthorization of the IDEA to improve the coordination of community based services for young children
with disabilities and their families. The FICC serves as the mechanism for federal agencies with
common programmatic goals to facilitate coordination of resources and to model interagency
coordination at the federal level. The mission for the FICC is to work toward minimizing duplication,
identifying gaps in programs and services, ensuring provision of early intervention and preschool
services, ensuring coordination for technical assistance activities across agencies, and eliminating real or
perceived barriers to cross-agency coordination of services. The FICC includes members from the
Departments of Education: Health and Human Services; Agriculture; Defense; and Interior. In addition,
the Council includes parents of young children with disabilities as well as state and local administrators
of early intervention and preschool services for young children with disabilities. The Council reports to
the Secretary of Education, and is administered through the Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
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2.
Planned projects
Grants for Infants and Families
The Department has requested $323,964,000 for this program for FY 1998, an increase of $8.2 million
over the prior year. The Department expects that the number of children served under this program will
continue to increase. Higher rates of survival for low birth weight infants, and children born with drug
addiction, fetal alcohol syndrome, and HIV infection are partially responsible for the higher numbers. In
addition to environmental reasons related to increased incidence, we anticipate that the counts will
increase as states continue to improve their reporting procedures. For example, some states still do not
have comprehensive reporting systems and providers do not always understand that all eligible children
being served are to be reported, even if they are not served with direct service dollars from this program.
Preschool Grants
The Department is requesting $374.8 million for the Preschool Grants program, $14.4 million or 4
percent more than the 1997 appropriation level. Funding under the Preschool Grants program
supplements funds provided to states under the Grants to States program for children with disabilities
aged 3 through 21. However, funds provided under this program are the only funds targeted toward and
required to be used to serve children with disabilities aged 3 through 5.
The budget request reflects a continued commitment to help ensure that young children with disabilities
are ready to enter first grade on an equal footing with their peers without disabilities. The Preschool
Grants program helps States provide special education and related services to meet the educational needs
of children aged 3 through 5 with disabilities. The program provides the leadership and resources needed
to ensure that high quality programs providing age appropriate services are maintained, students
experience a smooth transition between preschool and regular school, and students are served in
community-based settings.
Discretionary projects funded by the Office of Special Education Programs
All special education discretionary programs are authorized under the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act. The authorizations for these programs have expired. The Administration is currently
working with the Congress to develop authorizations to support early childhood and other activities
through a number of Program Support and Improvement programs. The currently funded programs
evolved separately over the last 30 years to address special needs in particular areas, and include a wide
range of research, demonstration, outreach, technical assistance, dissemination, training and other
activities. The new Program Support and Improvement programs would consolidate these 14
discretionary programs into 5 coordinated programs that would provide a streamlined and coherent
structure to carry out these kinds of activities, and to focus them on systematically helping States
improve educational results for children with disabilities. The total request for these new programs is
$262 million, $10 million more than the amount appropriated in 1997 for Special Purpose Funds
Programs.
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The Federal Interagency Coordinating Council (FICC)
In order to expand the capability of the Council to address its interagency mission, the Department is
proposing in the IDEA reauthorization that it be authorized to use approximately $162,000 of the funds
provided for the Infants and Families program in fiscal year 1998 for the administration of the FICC,
which is currently supported under the Department's salaries and expenses account. Additional funding
could go toward supporting interagency initiatives and projects that focus on strengthening the
underpinnings of community-based systems for young children with disabilities such as the
Communities Can Initiative, funded through HHS, that addresses integrated services through a
community network model.
B. NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION RESEARCH (NIDRR)
The Institute provides leadership and support for a comprehensive program of research related to the
rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities. NIDRR annually targets approximately $1.6 million for
research directed to children with disabilities. NIDRR also administers the Technology Related
Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act which assists states in ensuring assistive technology is
available to individuals with disabilities of all ages. NIDRR supports applied research to establish new
theory, to develop practical products, to provide for an improved understanding of disability, and to
achieve better rehabilitation and independent living outcomes so that individuals with disabilities of all
ages may have more productive lives. NIDRR strives to create meaningful partnerships between
scientists and consumers.
1. Existing projects and programs
The Educational Mainstreaming of Children and Young Adults with Neuromuscular Disease
This study is being conducted at the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center for Neuromuscular
Diseases at the University of California, Davis. The purpose of this study is to provide information,
resources, and skills to regular classroom teachers that will enable children with NMD to vigorously
pursue their own development, especially their educational and vocational interests. The study notes that
education for children with chronic neuromuscular illness occurred exclusively in hospitals or home until
very recently. The Davis investigators note: "the inclusion of a chronically ill child in the classroom can
become the focus for development of both formal and informal curriculum abut body functioning, health,
illness, the responsibility for participation in self-care, and how to interact socially with others who are
different."
Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) in Rehabilitation and Childhood Trauma at the
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, has
publicized ways for families of children with special health care needs to become effective advocates for
their children. For example, the RRTC produced a brief information sheet titled "When Your Child Goes
Home After Being Examined for Head Injury in an Emergency Department." This document is written
in easy-to-understand language for parents and it includes information on the possible long-term effects
of mild head injury in children.
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technology for Children with Orthopedic
Disabilities at Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center, Downey, California, has developed an
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"Augmentative and Alternative Communication Training Manual for Instructional Assistants" sponsored
by NIDRR to address children with special health care needs. The manual provides specialists who work
with children in educational settings guidelines for teaching the use of AAC strategies and techniques in
the classroom. Additional work at Rancho is addressing cognitive readiness for powered wheelchair
mobility. The final results of this project are expected to have applications in the timely identification
and prescription of functional powered mobility for children who would benefit at a very young age.
Additional projects
University of Kansas--Vision Screeners for Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers
Children's Hospital/Harvard University--Severe Intrauterine Growth Retardation: Rehabilitation
Intervention in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill/F.P. Graham Center--Development of Communication
Skills in Male Preschoolers with Fragile X Syndrome
University of Oregon--Study of Psychometric Properties of the Assessment, Evaluation, and
Programming Test for Children Three to Six Years
Utah State University/Early Intervention Research Institute--Examination of Resiliency and Risk in
Young Children
University of Virginia School of Medicine--Informed Use of Prescription Drugs for Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
University of Minnesota Center for Children with Chronic Illness and Disability
Through the Looking Glass Research and Training Center on Families of Adults with Disabilities--
Study of Pregnancy, Birth and Early Post-Partum Among Women with Disabilities
2.
Planned projects
Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR) NIDRR coordinates research on disability
through the Interagency Committee on Disability Research. Research needs of children with disabilities
are planned by NIDRR in conjunction with the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, the
Maternal and Child Health Program, the National Institutes of Health of the Department of Health and
Human Services and the Office of Special Education Programs in the Department of Education.
Field Initiated Research NIDRR sponsors work through Field-Initiated Research projects and directed
research such as Research and Training Centers and Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers.
NIDRR will continue to support projects and activities under all of its programs that target children with
disability-related needs in the earliest years of life.
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THE OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
The mission of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education is to promote academic excellence,
enhance educational opportunities and equity for all of America's children and families, and improve
the quality of teaching and learning by providing leadership, technical assistance and financial support.
1. Existing projects and programs
Title I, Part A
Title I, Part A, currently funded at $6.7+ billion, is designed to help disadvantaged children meet
challenging content and student performance standards. Part A of Title I provides financial assistance
through state educational agencies (SEAs) to local educational agencies (LEAs) to meet the educational
needs of children who are failing or most at-risk of failing to meet a state's challenging content and
student performance standards in areas with high concentrations of children from low-income families.
In addition to serving elementary through high school students, Title I also serves preschool children.
From the Title I performance report from the 1994-95 school year (most recent data), of the total
population served under Title I, Part A (6,671,821), 40 percent of Title I participants were in grades 1-
3 (2,679,407), 8 percent in kindergarten (547,481), and 2 percent in prekindergarten (139,667).
Title I funds may be used to serve eligible preschool children at any age. To be eligible, preschool
children - -- like school-aged children must be failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet the state's
challenging student performance standards. Preschool children must be selected for Part A services
solely on the basis of such criteria as teacher judgement, interviews with parents, and developmentally
appropriate measures such as developmental check lists. Children who participated in a Head Start or
Even Start program at any time in the two preceding years are automatically eligible for Part A
services.
Even Start
This program funds family-centered education projects to help parents become full partners in the
education of their children, assists children in reaching their full potential as learners, and provides
literacy training for parents. Eligible participants are parents (who are eligible for participation in an
adult basic education program under the Adult Education Act or who are within the state's compulsory
school attendance age range) and their children, ages birth through seven. At least one parent and
child from each family must participate together in the Even Start program. These are state formula
grants from which local education agencies are subgrantees.
Legislative authority Even Start Family Literacy Program, Part B of Title I of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Improving America's Schools Act of
1994 (IASA), Public Law 103-382.
The purpose of Even Start is to help break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy by improving the
educational opportunities of the nation's low-income families. The program supports projects that
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integrate early childhood education, adult literacy (or adult basic education or English as a second
language (ESL)), and parenting education in a unified family literacy program. Even Start's design is
based on the premise that the three core components build on one another and that families need to
receive all three services for lasting change. The intergenerational approach and the integrated family
education focus make Even Start unique among federal education programs in addressing the needs of
disadvantaged families.
Under the Even Start program, the Department provides federal financial assistance to state educational
agencies which in turn make competitive grants to partnerships of local educational agencies and other
organizations. In addition, 5 percent of the annual appropriation is set aside for the outlying areas,
Indian Tribes, and projects for migrant children. One grant for an Even Start project in a women's
prison is also required to be funded from the set-aside. Up to 3 percent is reserved for evaluation and
technical assistance. Also, in any year when the appropriation is larger than the previous year's, the
statute also authorizes a reservation of up to $1 million for competitive grants to states for statewide
family literacy initiatives. All projects are designed to help parents gain the literacy and parenting
skills they need to become full partners in the education of their young children, ages birth through
seven, and to assist those children in reaching their full potential as learners. Even Start projects build
on existing community resources.
Even Start assists children and adults from low-income families to achieve challenging state content
standards and challenging state student performance standards. It also supports education reform by
addressing four of the eight National Education Goals.
In 1996-97, the $102 million appropriation will support approximately 635 projects throughout the
United States, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.
Evaluation - The national evaluation 1994-95 interim report shows that, of the 513 local projects
reporting:
Poverty is characteristic of Even Start participants. In 1994-95, 84 percent of Even Start families
had annual incomes below $15,000, and 40 percent of families had incomes below $6,000.
Approximately 47 percent of Even Start families rely on government assistance as their primary
source of income.
Hispanics, 22 percent of all Even Start parents in 1989-90, now represent the largest group being
served -- 36 percent in 1994-95.
The percentage of primarily Spanish-speaking parents has risen from 15 percent in 1989-90 to 29
percent in 1994-95. As of 1994-95, 37 percent of Even Start parents did not speak English at
home.
In 1994-95, Even Start parents participated in adult education for an annual average of 100 hours
per parents.
In 1994-95, parents participated in parenting education for an annual average of 32 hours of
instruction.
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In 1994-95, 96 percent of the children enrolled in Even Start participated in some form of early
childhood education, and 52 percent participated for 7 to 12 months.
Approximately 70 percent of families continued participation or had successfully completed the
program at the end of the school year.
In the 57 sample study projects on developmental outcomes:
In 1994-95, Even Start children made significant gains on measures of school readiness and
language development.
The total number of early childhood education hours that children received was positively related
to gains on these measures.
The gains for adults on measures of adult literacy skills are comparable to those seen in the first
Even Start four-year evaluation and in other adult education programs.
Approximately 8 percent of adults in the Universe Study and 24 percent of adults in the Sample
Study attained a General Education Development (GED) certificate while participating in Even
Start.
Parents made moderate gains on a measure of the quality of cognitive stimulation and emotional
support they provide to their children.
2. Planned projects
Title I
Dissemination and training activities, to include:
Joint training across the United States on using the transition models developed by Head Start in
order to ensure better continuity of disadvantaged families between Head Start and school (e.g.
Title I, IASA allows Head Start and Even Start children to be automatically served by Title I).;
Produce a publication and extensive outreach campaign to ensure that all 54,000 Title I schools
are aware of the flexibility and opportunity to serve preschool age children;
Promote the use of comprehensive services for family literacy with a focus on grades K-3 through
publications, guidance, and dissemination of effective models; and
Prepare and disseminate publications on best practices in early childhood education and reading
readiness in Title I throughout the country.
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THE AMERICA READS CHALLENGE
The proposed America Reads Challenge would target the earliest years of life in an effort to respond to
the critical need for our children to read well and independently by the end of third grade. Currently,
40% of our nation's children are reading below the basic level on national reading assessments.
Children who cannot read early and read well are hampered at the very start of their education -- and
for the rest of their lives. Development of children's skills necessary for learning to read in their first
days and years is a Departmental priority.
Parents as First Teachers Grants
These proposed grants would provide at least $300 million over 5 years ($60 million a year in FY
1998-FY 2002) to support effective, programs that provide appropriate support, training, and education
material to involve and assist parents to help their children learn to read. There would be two types of
grant recipients for these grants: national and regional networks, and replication of local programs.
National and regional networks would share information on helping children read and support parents'
efforts to help their children become successful readers. Groups like the National PTA, the National
Urban League, the American Library Association, and ASPIRA are already working to support such
efforts and they have the capacity to develop national and regional networks to further share valuable
information on helping children read. Grants would be provided to groups like these that have a
proven track record of working with parents of young children; can demonstrate the likelihood of
substantial regional or national impact; show the cost-effectiveness of their proposal; and coordinate
with the private sector and state and local programs that also provide support for parents. In addition,
efforts such as developing the best research about how children learn, developing high quality reading
materials for young readers, and underwriting public television programs that help young children learn
to read would be supported.
Replication of successful local parents as first teachers efforts There are many local efforts across the
nation that have shown success in helping even the most educationally-disadvantaged parents become
good teachers to their children, so that parents can help their children attain good language skills in
preparation for being good readers and learners. Recipients of this grant could be states, localities,
communities, groups, or non-profits that have a comprehensive strategy to expand or replicate
successful programs such as Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) and
Parents as Teachers (PAT).
Grants would be provided to applicants who have a proven track record of working with parents on
improving their children's reading or that plan to use a model shown to be effective; can demonstrate
evidence of community support from the private sector, schools, and others for their effort; show the
cost-effectiveness of their proposal; and coordinate with state and local programs that also provide
support for parents.
PARTNERSHIP FOR FAMILY INVOLVEMENT IN EDUCATION
The Partnership comprises national, regional, and local organizations that represent families,
community groups, schools, religious communities, and employers, and was formed to promote
children's learning through the development of family-school-community partnerships. Sectors within
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each of these different community stakeholders have developed a sign-on statement for membership in
the Partnership, which commits them to taking responsibility for children's learning in the way
appropriate within their community. Since the Partnership began, over 2,500 organizations have
signed on to be "family friendly for learning."
The Partnership offers families, schools, businesses, and diverse community organizations a network to
help parents be more involved in their children's learning starting in the earliest years of life. For
example, employer partners are encouraged to offer family friendly leave policies to support families.
Publications, videos, interactive town meetings, and other outreach methods have been produced to
give parents, educators, communities, religious organizations and businesses tips on family involvement
research, translate the research into easily understandable formats, provide "how-to" guidance for
different stakeholders, and share ideas about effective practices.
America's Reading Corps
This effort would help mobilize 1 million tutors to provide up to 100 hours of extra reading help --
after school and during the summers -- for the more than three million children in grades K-3 behind in
reading. The Department of Education and the Corporation for National Service jointly would fund
30,000 reading specialists and program coordinators to mobilize 1 million volunteer reading tutors. The
Department's budget proposes over $1.4 billion in new education investments over five years (FY
1998-2002) to fund reading specialists to train and supervise these tutors.
The President has also called upon Work Study recipients to earn their awards by working as reading
tutors for kindergarten and elementary school students. The Department recently amended its
regulations to waive the required 25 percent employer funding match for students working as reading
tutors.
America Reads Challenge Early Childhood Kit
Early childhood kits for families and care givers, called READY*SET*READ, were developed by
early childhood researchers from the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center through a joint
project of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Head Start Office and Child Care
Bureau) and the Corporation for National Service, coordinated by the U.S. Department of Education.
The purpose of the two early childhood kits for families and care givers of young children (birth
through age 5) is to help them develop and improve their children's language skills.
The kits each include:
Either a READY*SET*READ For Families or a READY*SET*READ For Care givers: An
activities booklet for families or care givers of children from birth through age 5 with ideas for
things families or care givers can do with their children every day to help them learn about
language.
READY*SET*READ Calendar for Families and Care givers: Day-to-day activities for families
and care givers to do with young children during 1997-1998.
29 -
READY*SET*READ Developmental Growth Chart for Families and Care givers: A growth chart
for families and care givers that identifies language skills that many children can perform during
each growth period, describes when families should request the help of a professional, and
provides simple activities to help children grow in language for each period.
Distribution of the kits:
The Department of Education will fund the distribution of 60,000 English and Spanish versions of
the kits for Even Start programs, at a cost of $60,000.
The Department of Education will fund 100,000 copies for our 1-800-USA-LEARN toll-free
number to use in filling public requests for the kits, at a cost of $100,000.
Additional funding for more extensive distribution to public Pre-K and Kindergarten facilities,
public day care centers, pediatricians, and other resources may be secured from sources outside of
the Department of Education. In addition, private entities may incorporate the substance of the kit
into their own literature for distribution to their own membership or clients.
Satellite Town Meetings
The Department will devote its June Satellite Town Meeting to the topic of Early Childhood. The
format and content are being developed with the intention of providing an opportunity for dialogue and
collaboration on the national and local community levels. The Satellite Town Meetings are often
played or recorded and played later on 100 or more community access channels and lend themselves to
hosting local discussion groups. Typically, a town meeting will have 50-150 local discussion groups.
3. PROPOSALS FOR ADDITIONAL PROJECTS IN FY 1999
The National Education Goals recognize the importance of children's early physical, emotional, social,
cognitive, and language development to successful learning in later years. Goal 1 states: By the year
2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn. The three objectives developed for Goal
1 reflect a clear recognition that a child's well-being is critical to successful learning: (1) all
disadvantaged children will have access to high-quality and developmentally appropriate preschool
programs that help prepare children for school; (2) every parent in America will be a child's first
teacher and will devote time each day to helping his or her preschool child learn, and parents will have
access to the training and support they need; and (3) children will receive the nutrition and health care
needed to arrive at school with healthy minds and bodies, and the number of low birth weight babies
will be significantly reduced through enhanced prenatal systems.
However, efforts to achieve the nation's school readiness goal are complicated by the fact that the
United States has never had a comprehensive set of policies regarding early childhood development,
child care, and the early years of formal schooling. More systemic policy approaches are needed in
order to address the national readiness goal and to deliver services to young children in a
comprehensive and equitable manner. Coordinated services to and through communities are needed. It
takes communities with comprehensive, coordinated services to support families in the rearing of their
children.
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The Department is committed to this comprehensive and collaborative approach. Only through
integrating early childhood development and education across agencies and with a larger community
effort will we end the downward spiral of failure and enter a prevention mode that begins as early in a
child's life as possible. Programs using comprehensive methods to meet the education, health, social
services, and other needs of children and their families can offer help to families such as welfare-to-
work parents on a broad range of service referrals for needs as diverse as childbearing, parenting
skills, health care referrals, and job skills for parents. While many of these programs cross agency,
institution, or professional lines, the public schools and the field of education have traditionally played
a large, and now have an increasing, role in the development and implementation of family support
programs.
For example, the Department of Education is currently discussing with the Department of Health and
Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) an initiative to promote early
screening of all newborn children for hearing loss. To support this initiative, the two Departments are
jointly providing funds to one outreach project under Early Education Programs for Children with
Disabilities to encourage such screening nationwide. If successful, more joint projects might be
initiated to encourage screening for a variety of conditions. Important potential benefits of such
screening to young children include not only the provision of medical services but early referrals to the
Grants for Infants and Families programs. Such early referrals are believed to have the greatest
benefits for children.
In the area of data, the Department is also engaged in collaborative efforts. Representatives of the
CDC and the Bureau of Maternal Child Health are routinely invited to Department-sponsored meetings
to improve its data collection efforts. The CDC and other agencies of the Department of Health and
Human Services have been afforded opportunities to review the Grants to Infants and Children
Longitudinal Study instrumentation.
Proposal
Although the Department has not initiated its FY 1999 budget process, the following is the type of
initiative we would like to see in place:
A multiagency research and demonstration activity designed to nurture young children's learning,
development, and resilience and to build on families' strengths. This project is for a non-stovepipe
approach to investigate the impact that coordinated services, when begun at birth, have on the learning
and development of young children and their families. By funding five research and demonstration
projects, based on the principles described below. each at a cost of $4,000,000, we will learn what the
effects on children are for certain packages of supports, and under what circumstances. Priority for
funding of these projects may be given to applicants from the Empowerment Zones and Enterprise
Communities.
The proposed activity will bring together state and local education, health, mental health, nutrition, and
other social welfare agencies, along with community organizations and businesses, in an effort to study,
document, and evaluate the impact of service coordination on the children's learning and development,
on the families' cohesiveness and resilience, and on the neighborhoods' solidarity. The models will
move from a medical-deficit orientation to an empowerment-strengths-based philosophy. The
philosophical underpinnings of this activity are: (1) All children and families have strengths; (2) All
- 31 -
children, when offered appropriate supports, can learn; and (3) Children learn better when schools,
families, and communities work together.
Schools will play a pivotal role in this activity, but teachers will not be the sole providers of services,
and education will not be the sole source of financial support. Instead, teachers will be partners on
multi-disciplinary teams of professionals who provide social services, early education programs, health
and mental health care, recreational activities, and other services needed to strengthen children and
families. School buildings may serve as the hub for the delivery of the services, places where parents
can go for parenting classes, vocational training, family literacy, and recreation activities. Schools will
be viewed as "safe havens" by young children and their parents. Young children will grow up seeing
schools as places where there are exciting opportunities for learning.
There will be opportunities for creative inter-professional development activities. For example, early
childhood educators will be able to problem solve with social workers, home visiting nurses, and
librarians in discussions about how best to use the public library as a center for both family literacy
classes and well-baby check-ups. Head Start and child care providers will have enhanced access to
meet with business leaders, developmental psychologists, pediatricians, and parents in order to design
enriching environments for young children.
In addition, community resources will be brought together in order to promote the cognitive, physical,
and social-emotional development of young children, especially those who are placed at risk of
educational failure because of community, economic, linguistic, family, or disability factors. We will
learn how various early childhood resources, supports and services within the community can be
designed, implemented, and coordinated to improve their effectiveness to maximize family well-being
and young children's strengths, cognitive, physical, and social-emotional development, success in
preschool, and achievement in grades K-3.
These resources are multiple and may include: local business and foundations; libraries and museums;
Head Start, Child Care, Even Start, and other private and public early education programs; state and
local Interagency Coordinating Councils established in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA); Developmental Disabilities Councils; and appropriate state and local governmental entities
responsible for programs for young children and their families.
Many communities have small pieces of these activities in place. Very few communities have all of
these pieces in place. There are virtually no communities that have evaluated and documented the
effects that coordinated services have on young children's learning and development.
This proposed multiagency activity will allow communities to gather data about systemic issues,
financing of supports, and the quality and effectiveness of services and supports for our youngest and
most vulnerable citizens and their families. We will have an opportunity to begin to establish a
database regarding which interventions may be most effective for promoting achievement and family
well-being. This will be useful in preventing later academic and social problems in young children
placed at risk. We also will have new research-based knowledge about what community conditions
tend to promote or hinder the effectiveness of these supports and services, and how barriers can be
overcome.
32 -
Sites will be encouraged to use state-of-the-art technology to assure that data is integrated and families
only complete one form. In addition, technology will be available for children and families to use.
The Department and the CDC are working closely together in the area of disability classification to
promote a uniform classification system for young children with disabilities. If these are successful, a
more formal joint collaboration might be established.
The existing projects and programs already described together with those proposed for 1997 and in
later years should provide expanded services and an expanded knowledge base on effective
interventions and teaching for young children. If the future is to be better than the past for child
development and readiness, collaborative action will need to be well established and informed by the
best available knowledge.
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Clinton Presidential Records
Digital Records Marker
This is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative
marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff.
This marker identifies the place of a tabbed divider. Given our
digitization capabilities, we are sometimes unable to adequately
scan such dividers. The title from the original document is
indicated below.
VETERANS AFFAIRS
Divider Title:
THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
AFFAIRS
WASHINGTON
SECURITY
MAR 2 5 1997
The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
In response to your letter of February 24, 1997, on the subject of "Federal Policies
Targeted to Children in Their Earliest Years," we have reviewed the full range of
Department of Veterans Affairs programs. While the direct mission of VA is to serve
military veterans, a group which does not include young children, VA does provide
significant indirect support for children in their earliest years through its extensive
benefits, health, and education programs for veterans who, as parents, grandparents, and
legal guardians, care and provide support for young children.
Total funding for all VA programs in FY 1997 is $39.4 billion. That VA funding
provides compensation or pension payments to about 3.3 million veterans and health care
to about 2.9 million veterans as well as support for numerous other programs serving
many other veterans. VA does therefore contribute very substantially, if indirectly, to the
foundation of parental and community support, good nutrition, proper health care, quality
child care, and safe housing during the first years of life so critical to a child's future
success in life.
Using standard methodology for forecasting child care center demand, we
estimate that about 700,000 pre-school children dependent on veterans aged 25-34 were
supported indirectly by VA in FY 1996. Estimating on a more approximate basis to
account for care and support by older veterans who are parents and grandparents yields an
overall total of roughly one million children in their earliest years receiving indirect
support from VA.
The enclosed Fact Sheet describes in detail the VA programs that specifically
target children in their earliest years. No proposals are included that would impact either
the FY 1998 or FY 1999 Budgets.
Respectfully,
June Jesse Brown
Brown
Putting Veterans First
FACT SHEET
SUBJECT: Federal Policies Targeted to Children in Their Earliest Years
Health Research
A significant portion of VA health care research contributes to the understanding
of children's health problems either because the disease is also found among children or
because VA is concerned about the potential health consequences of military service on
the offspring of veterans. Some examples include Brain Structure and Language
Impairment in Children, Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy, and Blood Pressure Control in
Juveniles. VA has partnered with the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation to fund six diabetes
research centers.
Health Care
Recently enacted legislation provides health care, vocational training and
rehabilitation, and monthly monetary benefits for children of Vietnam veterans born with
spina bifida.
VA administers the Civilian Health and Medical Program known as CHAMPVA
for children and spouses of certain veterans which shares the costs of certain health care
services. In CY 1996, CHAMPVA paid out $1,165,281 for 963 children from birth
through five years of age. Well-baby care coverage includes routine physical
examinations and immunizations, periodic health screenings, and developmental
assessments for the first two years of life. VA is currently issuing regulations to
implement recent legislation which extends well-baby care to children up to age six years.
Child Care Centers
In addition, VA has some small programs that directly target children in their
earliest years. Foremost among them, in addition to supporting interagency child care
centers, VA provides space, technical assistance, and administrative support to 48 child
day care centers on VA-controlled property serving about 2,600 children. Operational
funding is exclusively from user fees, not appropriations. The program will continue to
expand wherever the demand for employee child care is sufficient to sustain a self-
sufficient operation.
VA professionals have knowledge and possess many skills which are directly
applicable to providing safe, healthful care to the very young, such as infection control
procedures; nutritional planning; and hearing, vision, and dental screening. With
appropriate authorizing legislation, VA professionals could serve the very young children
at VA-supported child care sites.
Adoption
Consistent with law and government-wide regulations, VA's leave policy enabled
153 employees to apply 7,280 hours of leave related to adoption, generally of children in
their earliest years.
Clinton Presidential Records
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EPA
Divider Title:
MAR-25-97 15:23 FROM:OFC OF ADMIN. /OCEPA
ID:202 260 3684
PAGE
1/3
Elene - -
March 25, 1997
FYI
MEMORANDUM FOR PAULINE ABERNATHY, NEC
- -Palline
FROM: MELISSA BONNEY AND STEPHANIE CUTTER, EPA
SUBJECT: ANNOUNCEMENTS ON CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND THE
ENVIRONMENT
As we discussed, below are several announcements that the President, Vice President,
First Lady or Administrator could make on children's health and the environment. If you would
like to pursue any of the ideas listed below, please give either of us a call at 202/260-9828.
1)
Executive Order to Protect Children from Environmental Health Threats
Last August, in Kalamazoo, MI, President Clinton committed to protect the health of
children from increasingly pervasive environmental health threats. To fulfill this commitment, the
President or Vice President could announce an Executive Order on Children's Environmental
Health and Safety. EPA is working with White House offices and other agencies to craft this
Executive Order, which would:
Require health and safety regulations and standards to take into account the unique risks
faced by children from environmental threats.
Coordinate research and initiatives across the government concerning children's health.
The Executive Order could be ready to be released as early as next week
2)
Family Right-to-Know Legislation and Consumer Information Labels
To deliver on his commitment to expand every citizens's right-to-know about local
pollution, the President could challenge Congress to pass legislation that would provide consumer
information labels to families warning of any unique health risks to children from products
containing toxic chemicals.
The NEC, DPC and CEQ have hosted substantial inter-agency discussions of EPA's
proposal, which we believe could be ready to announce in the next three weeks.
3)
Protecting Urban Children from Lead Poisoning and Contaminated Fish
Last August, in Kalamazoo, MI, the President also committed to provide improved
information for families on toxics. Children living in urban areas are more heavily exposed to lead
and contaminated fish from polluted waters because of increased levels of industrial activity.
EPA is pursuing a number of administrative steps to ensure that parents living in urban areas have
access to information about lead poisoning and contaminated fish. With this information, parents
MAR-25-97 15:23 FROM:OFC OF ADMIN./OCEPA
ID:202 260 3684
PAGE 2/3
can take action to solve environmental problems in their community and protect the health and
safety of infants and small children.
The President, Vice President, First Lady or Administrator could visit a city in the next
couple of weeks, such as Baltimore or Newark, where EPA is successfully working with families
to inform them about local toxic threats to their children.
4)
Protecting Children from Carcinogens, Neurotoxins and Reproductive Toxins
Children are more heavily exposed and vulnerable to these three classes of toxics than
adults. To protect children against cancer, birth defects, developmental delays, neurotoxicity and
reproductive impairment caused by environmental chemicals, EPA has proposed two actions:
Expand the program of toxic tests that takes into account the special vulnerabilities of
young children.
Enhance research to help characterize and address the toxic effects of environmental
chemicals on children's early development.
In the weeks following the White House Conference on Early Childhood Development
and Learning, the Administrator could announce that EPA will convene a conference of experts in
September to assess current rising trends of childhood cancer and its relationship to the
environment.
5)
Protecting Children from Secondhand Smoke
Infants and young children whose parents smoke are among the most seriously affected by
exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, or second hand smoke, which is a carcinogen and
presents significant health risks to children. Children are at increased risk of lower respiratory
tract infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis. A 1992 EPA risk assessment found that
second hand smoke is responsible for between 150,000 -300,000 lower respiratory tract infections
in infants and children under 18 months of age annually and results in 7,500 - 15,000
hospitalizations each year. EPA is proposing to:
Collaborate with other federal agencies and departments to educate and encourage parents
to reduce their children's exposure to second hand smoke.
Develop a media campaign on second hand smoke and children in cooperation with
leading children and medical agencies and groups, such as Centers for Disease Control and
the American Medical Association.
Following the White House Conference on Early Childhood Development and Learning,
the Administrator could announce the kick-off of this campaign.
2
MAR-25-97 15:24 FROM OFC OF ADMIN./OCEPA
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PAGE 3/3
6)
Review of Existing Public Health Standards to More Adequately Protect Children
This summer, the Administrator will propose a public review n agency-wide review of
existing public health standards - including drinking water and air standards - - to select five
standards that should be changed to more fully consider health effects on children. This
announcement, which would follow the White House Conference on Early Childhood
Development and Learning, would demonstrate the Administration's continued commitment to
protect children from environmental health threats.
CC:
Nicole Rabner, Office of the First Lady
3
Clinton Presidential Records
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CPSC
Divider Title:
MAR-24-1997 17:35
CPSC EXHR
Γ.02
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
Actions/Proposals to Coordinate with the White House Conference on Early
Childhood Development and Learning
o
Recall Round-Up: On April 16, 1997, CPSC is launching "Recall Round-Up."
This is a special nationwide initiative to remove hazardous children's products that
remain in people's homes. The focus is on old cribs, wooden bunk beds, mini-
hammocks, and beanbag chairs, as well as other products involved in the injury or
death of children. Each year, CPSC coordinates approximately 300 recalls of defective
or dangerous products, 30 percent of which address children's hazards.
o
Children's Sizes for Safety Standards: On June 24, 1997, CPSC is
sponsoring a national conference with the National Institute of Standards and
Technology to address children's body sizes. CPSC has the best database in the world
for collecting and publishing measurements of children and is embarking on a re-
evaluation of this data. This sizing information is critical in the development of
effective safety standards for children's products, such as cribs and playground
equipment.
O
Baby Safety Showers and Mrs. Clinton: First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton
kicked off CPSC's first Baby Safety Shower program at a Washington, D.C. child care
center in October 1995. The program teaches parents lifesaving baby safety tips,
packaged in specially-created party games. During 1997 and 1998, Baby Safety
Showers, which have been organized by hundreds of organizations around the country,
are being expanded to target grandparents and the Hispanic community.
o
SIDS-Related Messages: During 1997 and 1998, CPSC is continuing to
disseminate, through Baby Safety Showers and other outreach efforts, the SIDS-related
messages of 1) put babies to sleep on their backs and 2) remove soft bedding from
cribs. These messages were developed as a result of CPSC's special study of infant
suffocation.
o
Crib Safety: In summer 1997, CPSC's decision is due on its rulemaking
addressing crib slat strength. This could result in a mandatory safety standard to
prevent additional crib-related deaths.
o
Fireworks/ July 4th: In time for each year's July 4th celebration, CPSC and
U.S. Customs work together to keep millions of potentially dangerous imported
fireworks from reaching American consumers. Last year, this totalled 12.6 million
fireworks.
MAR-24-1997 17:36
CPSC EXHR
P.03
0
Baby Walkers: In summer 1997, a voluntary standard for baby walkers with
strengthened safety requirements will take effect. CPSC was actively involved with
industry in this effort. This safety standard is expected to result in a reduction of baby
walker-related injuries from about 25,000 to about 10,000 hospital emergency room
visits each year.
o
Bike Helmets: In summer 1997, CPSC will consider a proposed new
mandatory safety standard for bike helmets, developed by CPSC staff. This standard
would provide additional protection for children's heads.
o
Window Covering Pull-Cord Safety: In July 1997, a voluntary safety
standard to prevent strangulations of young children by window covering pull-cords
will go into effect. CPSC worked actively with industry in the development of this
standard.
o
Playground Safety: In fall 1997, CPSC will issue its updated guidelines for
public playground safety. These guidelines are used by hundreds of organizations
around the country; several states have adopted CPSC's playground guidelines into
law.
0
Toy Safety: In time for Christmas each year, CPSC and U.S. Customs inspect
toys as they arrive at shipping docks around the country to ensure that the toys are
safe. Last year, 1.8 million dangerous toys were stopped from reaching American
children.
o
Poison Prevention: By January 1998, CPSC will require all medicines and
household products covered under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act to have both
child-resistant and adult-friendly packaging.
o
Multi-Purpose Lighters: In 1998, CPSC's decision is due on a rulemaking that
would require multi-purpose butane lighters (e.g., grill lighters) to be child-resistant.
This could save young children's lives.
TOTAL P.03
KEEPING AMERICA'S YOUNG CHILDREN
SAFE
DONSINER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
March 1997
CPSC: Keeping America's Young Children Safe
Almost every product children handle, play with, sleep on, and wear is touched by the
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Whether at home or at play, in schools
or in day-care centers, children are safer because of CPSC.
Early childhood development is at the heart of CPSC's mission, for children cannot
thrive and develop unless their basic need for safety is met. Most of the work done at the
agency affects all young children in this country and their families.
This commitment to young children is reflected in the agency's allocation of resources.
Fully 40 percent of CPSC's annual budget is earmarked for activities and projects involving
children. For fiscal year 1997, that represents $17 million.
CPSC stands at the forefront of protecting young children's safety and well-being.
The agency monitors the safety of 15,000 different types of products, many of them affecting
children. These products include toys, nursery furniture, children's clothing, playground
equipment, sports gear, and poison prevention packaging. Because of this breadth, CPSC
affects the lives of children everywhere in the United States.
But keeping America's young children safe is no easy task. Each year, almost 7,000
children die from unintentional injuries, more than any disease. Hospital emergency rooms
annually treat more than four-and-a-half million children for consumer product-related
injuries.
What is especially tragic is that most of these injuries and fatalities are preventable.
And with today's efforts to control health care costs, it is important to note that an injury
prevented translates directly into health care dollars saved.
While CPSC is one of the nation's smallest public health agencies, the effect it has on
the safety of America's young children is large. The agency has learned to effectively use a
wide array of tools -- product recalls, mandatory and voluntary safety standards, public
outreach, media -- to achieve impressive results with relatively small resources.
The following information details the actions CPSC is taking and plans to take to
safeguard our nation's youngest people.
1
Ensuring a Safe Start
Protecting infants and toddlers comprises a significant share of CPSC's
activities and resources. The following are highlights of these activities.
Creating Safer Homes with "Baby Safety Showers"
CPSC's commitment to safeguarding the nation's young children is well captured in
its "Baby Safety Showers" initiative. Recognizing the public need for information on baby
safety issues, CPSC launched a national program in October 1995.
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton kicked off the campaign at a Washington, D.C.
child care center, and Mrs. Clinton discussed the Baby Safety Showers program in her book,
It Takes A Village. The concept of the program is simple: teach young and first-time parents
lifesaving baby safety tips, packaged in specially-created party games.
CPSC worked closely with the HHS Administration on Children, Youth and Families
to reach child care and Head Start centers. The CPSC materials, produced in cooperation with
a major U.S. corporation, are available in English and Spanish.
Actions:
o Hundreds of child care centers, hospitals, businesses, and other groups have organized
Baby Safety Showers around the country. Thousands of parents have been reached with
lifesaving baby safety information that reflects many of the issues discussed in this
report.
o In fiscal 1997 and beyond, CPSC is expanding the Baby Safety Showers program
with special initiatives targeting grandparents, Hispanics, and fathers.
2
Preventing Infant Suffocation
CPSC recently released a two-year study that found that up to 1,800 babies whose
deaths were attributed to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) each year may, in fact, have
suffocated when placed to sleep on their stomachs on top of soft bedding. CPSC staff first
noted the dangers of infants sleeping prone on soft bedding with the reports of several infant
deaths associated with infant beanbag cushions. At least 35 infant deaths were associated
with these cushions. CPSC recalled (in 1991) and then banned (in 1992) infant cushions,
which were linked to the deaths of at least 35 babies.
Action:
o SIDS-related deaths have dropped by 30 percent in the United States between 1992
and 1995. CPSC, along with pediatricians and other public health organizations, has
worked hard to re-educate parents to put their babies to sleep on their backs and to
remove soft bedding from cribs. CPSC's Baby Safety Showers program highlights the
importance of babies' sleep position and removing soft bedding from cribs.
Making Cribs Safer
More infant deaths are associated with cribs than with any other piece of nursery.
furniture. CPSC has worked on crib safety for more than 20 years, issuing mandatory safety
standards in the 1970s and working on voluntary standards with industry in the 1980s. CPSC
has issued many product recalls, affecting thousands of cribs. In addition, CPSC has been
active, through the media and grassroots organizing, in alerting the public to the dangers of
used or old cribs.
Action:
o As a result of safer cribs, infant deaths from injuries associated with cribs have
dropped to about 50 a year, compared with 200 deaths before the standards took effect.
o In fiscal year 1997, CPSC initiated a rulemaking to strengthen crib slats. This could
result in a mandatory standard to prevent additional crib-related deaths. The
Commission's decision is due in summer 1997.
3
Fixing Baby Walkers
Each year, about 25,000 infants and toddlers enter hospital emergency rooms with
injuries associated with baby walkers. These injury numbers are higher than those associated
with any other piece of nursery equipment. Most of these injuries result from falls down
stairs.
Actions:
o With the active involvement of CPSC working with industry, a voluntary standard for
baby walkers with strengthened safety requirements will take effect in the summer of
1997. This safety standard is expected to result in dramatic reductions in the number of
children's falls down stairs in new baby walkers.
4
Safeguarding a Child's Development
Ensuring that children grow in an environment that allows their full mental and
physical development is of primary importance. CPSC has taken the following actions to
achieve that goal.
Protecting the Brain
One of CPSC's major challenges is to prevent and protect against brain injury to
children from consumer-product related hazards. CPSC's agenda in this area is wide-ranging:
bicycle helmets, baby walkers, high chairs, cribs, playground surfacing, poisonings from
medications and household products, lead and carbon monoxide poisonings, drownings,
suffocations, and strangulations.
For example, each year about 300 children are killed and 400,000 go to hospital
emergency rooms because of bike-related injuries. Many of these injuries, and most of the
fatal ones, are to the child's head. Bike helmets reduce the risk of head injury by up to 85
percent. Bike helmets sold today must meet CPSC's interim mandatory safety standard.
CPSC regularly promotes bike helmet usage through media events and outreach
activities with other corporations and organizations. An important message to all parents is to
encourage them to make sure their young children -- whether riding on the back of their
parents' bicycles or on their own tricycles -- wear bike helmets.
Bike-related head injuries for young children have dropped from 11,900 hospital
emergency room admissions in 1986 to 7,700 in 1995. All bike-related injuries to young
children have dropped by about 25 percent since 1986.
Action:
o In the summer of 1997, CPSC will consider a proposed new mandatory safety
standard for bike helmets, which will provide additional protection for children's heads.
CPSC will continue to promote bike helmet usage.
5
Preventing Poisonings
For more than two decades, CPSC has enforced the Poison Prevention Packaging Act
(PPPA). This requires child-resistant packaging for various drugs and household products.
Last year, CPSC took the further step of revising regulations to ensure that the
packaging is both child-resistant and "adult-friendly." This action was taken to address the
problem of child poisonings in homes where adults had removed or altered the child-resistant
packaging. About 20 percent of all poisonings to children occur in the homes of their
grandparents and other relatives.
Since the passage of the PPPA, CPSC estimates that more than 700 children's lives
have been saved from accidental poisonings by prescription drugs and aspirin alone.
Actions:
o By January 1998, the new child-resistant, adult-friendly packaging will be completely
phased in throughout the country.
o CPSC is continually reviewing products that may require child-resistant packaging.
In fiscal year 1997, CPSC initiated a rulemaking that could result in requiring
child-resistant packaging for common household cleaners and products refined
from crude oil.
6
Guarding Against Lead Poisoning
The effects of lead poisoning in young children are well documented. Lead poisoning
may lead to irreversible brain damage, delay mental and physical growth, and cause behavior
and learning problems. Approximately 1.7 million children between the ages of 1 and 5 have
blood lead levels that are of concern.
CPSC has long been involved in reducing or eliminating this hazard. Since 1978,
CPSC has banned most paint, intended for consumer use, that contained more than 0.06
percent lead. CPSC's efforts, along with others, have resulted in reducing blood lead levels in
the U.S. about 78 percent since 1976.
Actions:
o In 1996, CPSC discovered that imported non-glossy vinyl mini-blinds can present a
lead poisoning hazard for young children. At CPSC's urging, manufacturers are now
making new mini-blinds without lead intentionally added.
o In 1996, CPSC released a major study revealing that many school, park, and
community playgrounds across the country have painted playground equipment that
presents a potential lead paint poisoning hazard. State and local officials are now
alerted to identifying and dealing with possible lead paint on their playground
equipment.
o In 1994, CPSC issued recalls of about 1 million leaded crayons from 11 importers.
In each instance, CPSC conducted massive media and educational efforts to alert the
public to these lead hazards.
7
Preventing Injuries at Home and at Play
CPSC has focused much of its attention on making a child's world a safer place to live
and to play. Here are some of CPSC's most important activities.
Reducing Fire Injuries and Deaths
Young children have twice the risk of dying in a fire compared to the population as a
whole. In recent years, children under age 5 represented 20 percent of the total residential
fire-related deaths in this country.
CPSC works in a broad range of areas to prevent fires and reduce fire deaths and
injuries. These include such products as smoke detectors, electrical and gas appliances and
heaters, lamps, clothing, mattresses, and upholstered furniture.
For example, CPSC recently required disposable butane cigarette lighters to be child-
resistant. In addition, CPSC enforces regulations dealing with fireworks and prevents
shipments of hazardous fireworks from entering this country. For firework-related injuries,
hospital emergency room admissions for young children have dropped from 1,100 to 400
between 1988 and 1995.
Actions:
o In fiscal year 1997, CPSC initiated a rulemaking that may result in requiring multi-
purpose butane lighters (e.g. grill lighters) to be child-resistant. This could result in
additional young lives saved.
o In fiscal year 1996, CPSC and U.S. Customs worked together to keep more than 12.6
million potentially dangerous imported fireworks from reaching American consumers..
o The 1994 child-resistant cigarette lighter regulation is expected to prevent 80 to 105
fire deaths each year associated with children under age 5 playing with lighters. The
estimated annual net benefits are nearly $400 million.
8
Making Toys Safer
About 70,000 children under age 5 go to hospital emergency rooms with injuries
associated with toys. In a recent year, 21 children under age 5 died from toy-related injuries.
CPSC enforces numerous regulations covering toy safety, which safeguard young children
against choking hazards caused by small toy parts. A recent regulation, the Child Safety
Protection Act, is intended to reduce toy-related choking deaths and injuries to young
children. The Act requires warning labels on balloons, small balls, marbles, and toys or
games for young children. Certain-sized small balls for children under age 3 are banned.
Actions:
o CPSC regularly issues recalls of dangerous toys and other children's products with
small parts, choking hazards, and/or lead. Since October 1995, CPSC has made 68
public announcements of recalls and other actions, involving about 7 million toys and
other young children's products.
o To ensure the safety of imported toys, CPSC staff works with the U.S. Customs
Office to inspect toys as they arrive at shipping docks around the country. Since fiscal
year 1996, CPSC has sampled 439 shipments of toys. Of these, 253 shipments were
seized or detained for safety violations. This amounted to 1.8 million toys, with a retail
value of $2.5 million.
Improving Playground Equipment
Over the years, CPSC has been a leader in ensuring that the nation's playgrounds, both
for home and public use, are safe. CPSC enforces regulations, helps develop voluntary
standards, issues recalls, and widely disseminates information on this issue.
Hospital emergency room visits involving playground head injuries for young children
have decreased in a number of areas between 1986 and 1995. With swings, for example,
these injuries decreased from 7,700 to 5,900; for slides, the numbers decreased from 6,200 to
3,600.
Action:
o In the fall of 1997, CPSC will publish its updated and expanded public playground
safety guidelines. Hundreds of organizations around the country use these playground
guidelines; several states have adopted CPSC's guidelines into law.
9
Preventing Strangulations
In everyday life, there are hidden hazards for children. Because of recent CPSC
actions, the strangulation hazards posed by window covering pull-cords and drawstrings on
children's clothing have been reduced or eliminated.
Since 1981, nearly 200 children, most under age 4, have strangled to death when they
became caught in the loops of window covering pull-cords. The younger children who died,
usually between 8 and 23 months old, were often in cribs that were placed near the window
cords.
Children also have strangled when the drawstrings on the hoods and necks of their
jackets caught on such things as playground equipment and cribs. Since 1985, there were 17
deaths and 42 nonfatal incidents caused by drawstring entanglement.
Actions:
o At CPSC's urging beginning in 1994, the window covering industry agreed to
eliminate the loop on all new two-corded mini-blinds and provide free repair kits to
consumers for their existing pull-cords at home. In addition, CPSC worked with
industry to develop a voluntary safety standard addressing this issue for all window
covering pull-cords.
o Because of CPSC intervention in 1994, the children's clothing industry voluntarily
agreed to remove the neck and hood drawstrings from most of the 20 million children's
garments manufactured annually in the U.S.
10
Cementing the Foundation
To better identify new and evolving hazards to young children, CPSC grounds all its
efforts, whether product recalls, media alerts, or standards development, on the most up-to-
date data available. Today, more than ever, it is important to keep abreast of societal changes
affected by new technology, the introduction of new products, and changing consumer needs
and product use patterns.
Running a World-Renowned Injury Data Collection System
CPSC developed and runs the nation's most comprehensive system for collecting
injury data from hospital emergency rooms. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance
System (NEISS) collects injury data associated with 15,000 consumer products from hospitals
across the country every single day.
With this data, NEISS is able to provide national estimates of the number and severity
of consumer product-related injuries. This information helps CPSC quickly zero in on the
most pressing hazards to young children. CPSC's NEISS provides hospital emergency room
data to other federal agencies as well. This data is available to the public at large through
CPSC's National Injury Information Clearinghouse.
In fiscal year 1997 and beyond, CPSC will continue to update its sample of hospitals,
to ensure that the NEISS data accurately reflects the numbers and types of injuries seen in
America's hospital emergency rooms.
Actions:
o In 1995, CPSC's NEISS system identified the rapid rise in in-line skating injuries.
This resulted in a national campaign, kicked off by Mrs. Tipper Gore -- wearing
in-line skates -- to alert the American public to both this injury trend and the importance
of wearing safety gear.
o In fiscal year 1997 and beyond, CPSC's NEISS system is providing children's injury
data to the Department of Transportation for its work on children and air bags.
11
Getting the Measurements Right
CPSC is a pioneer in collecting and publishing measurements of children's sizes.
CPSC developed and maintains an anthropometric database of children, such as head sizes,
that is heavily used by industry and remains the only comprehensive source of child
anthropometric data in the world.
Designing consumer products with the correct measurements of children enhances
product safety. For example, accurate anthropometric data has been crucial in CPSC's and
industry's efforts to develop safety standards for children's products, such as cribs, playground
equipment, strollers, high chairs, baby walkers, bunk beds, and toddler beds.
Actions:
o In fiscal year 1997, CPSC is undertaking a pilot study to determine if children's sizes
have changed significantly in the past 20 years. This study may lead to a major project
to update the anthropometric data base on children. CPSC is seeking partners for this
project, expected to cost about $1 million.
o On June 24, 1997, CPSC is sponsoring a national conference with the National
Institute of Standards and Technology to bring together the nation's leading figures on
anthropometric data.
Creating a Special Investigations Unit (SIU)
CPSC's SIU focuses on developing new, non-traditional sources of injury information,
such as insurance companies, independent engineering consultants, arson investigators, and
private attorneys. With these information-sharing relationships, the agency can identify and
remedy even more consumer products which present a high risk of serious injury.
Action:
o In fiscal year 1997, as a result of recent SIU contacts, two dangerous products
associated with young children were identified and recalled. Nearly one million baby
monitors, which presented a fire hazard because of faulty wiring, were recalled. CPSC
also recalled about 20,000 children's foam chairs which presented a choking hazard.
12
Building a Better Hotline
Vice President Al Gore gave CPSC's consumer telephone Hotline the Hammer Award
in 1995. CPSC had re-engineered its Hotline, an interactive telephone system that provides
critical safety information to consumers as well as providing them a means to report product
incidents. The toll-free 24-hour-a-day Hotline handles more than 270,000 requests for
information each year and receives more than 3,500 product incident reports annually. From
1993 to 1995, the calls to the Hotline increased by 75,000 and the number of product incident
reports doubled. CPSC is continuing to upgrade its Hotline, including integrating the services
it provides with a fax-on-demand system and its World Wide Web site on the Internet.
Actions:
o Singer Vic Damone recently called CPSC's telephone Hotline to report the amputation
of his granddaughter's finger by a folding chair. CPSC investigated the incident and
announced a voluntary recall of the chair on March 24, 1997.
o For example, just one CPSC television video news release about zippered bean bag
chairs, involved in suffocations and choking of children and toddlers, reached 43 million
viewers. This generated 17,500 calls to the CPSC Hotline for follow-up information.
Expanding Public Outreach Electronically
A variety of electronic mechanisms, such as the Internet, e-mail, fax, and video news
releases (VNRs), have opened new and exciting ways to get child safety information directly
to those who care for young children. National organizations, whose clients or members are
involved in addressing safety issues for children, are automatically contacted as relevant
issues arise. CPSC's television VNRs are a relatively inexpensive way of quickly reaching
millions of consumers with critical safety information affecting young children. In fiscal year
1997 and beyond, CPSC will continue to tap the potentially enormous capabilities of
electronic alternatives to deliver lifesaving information about young children.
Actions:
o CPSC's Internet Web site has grown rapidly, from an initial 400 people using the site
per month in May 1996 to around 10,000 per month at the beginning of 1997.
o Through all electronic means, CPSC's children's safety information is reaching
hundreds of organizations that are disseminating the information to their networks and
constituents, reaching potentially 44 million consumers.
13
The Next Steps
CPSC takes its responsibility seriously for protecting young children. There is
unlikely to be a household with children anywhere in the United States that hasn't been made
safer by CPSC actions.
But there is still much work to do. The agency is currently working on a wide range
of activities that will improve the lives and safety of America's children.
In all of CPSC's efforts to strengthen and care for America's families, injury
prevention is an essential component. For unintentional injuries touch not just the young
victim; these incidents affect the entire family. Anyone who has dealt with the families of
burn victims, for example, knows the pain and anguish these injuries inflict on every member
of the family and how long it takes for both victim and family to recover.
As we enter the 21st century, we need to marshal increasingly scarce resources for our
most pressing national problems. Not all our problems can be solved, but unintentional
injuries can be drastically reduced. Working together, we can make a positive difference in
the lives of our nation's children and their families.
14
Clinton Presidential Records
Digital Records Marker
This is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative
marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff.
This marker identifies the place of a tabbed divider. Given our
digitization capabilities, we are sometimes unable to adequately
scan such dividers. The title from the original document is
indicated below.
SSA
Divider Title:
-Mar. 24. 1997 5:42PM
No. 0148z P. 1/14:0
SOCIAL
SECURITY
USA
ADMINISTRATION
SOCIAL SECURITY
Office of the Commissioner
March 24, 1997
TO
: Ms. Elena Kagan
Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy
SUBJECT: White House Directive Regarding Federal Policies
Targeted to Children in Their Earliest Years--
INFORMATION
As requested, attached is the Social Security Administration's
report on the present, planned and proposed initiatives we are
undertaking that support early childhood development. The report
is divided into two sections. The first describes features of
the Social Security programs that promote the well-being of
children in their earliest years and communications and other
activities surrounding the programs. The second section outlines
initiatives and policies of the Social Security Administration
that primarily educate and support our employees in their ability
to provide quality care to young children.
Please let me or Carolyn Colvin, Deputy Commissioner for Programs
and Policy, know if any further clarification is needed with
regard to this submission. As you know, Carolyn is SSA's
representative on the early childhood working group.
Acting John J. Commissioner Callahan Callahe
of Social Security
Attachment
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION BALTIMORE MD 21235-0001
Mar. 24. 1997 5:42PM
No. 0148 P. 2/14
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM FEATURES
THAT PROMOTE THE WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN
IN THEIR EARLIEST YEARS
Benefits to Children of Workers
SSA's combined title II entitlement and representative payee
programs for dependent children of retired, disabled, and
deceased workers offer a source of support and protection to
children during their formative years. SSA pays monthly
benefits to nearly 4 million children under the age of 18,
of whom 10 percent are age 5 and under. Dependent children
of the worker include natural children, legally adopted
children, stepchildren, and grandchildren.
For children under the age of 15, SSA requires that benefits
be paid through a representative payee. The Agency selects
as representative payee an individual (or organization) who
is in the best position to know and meet the child's needs.
Annually, representative payees complete a report on the use
of benefits to ensure that they use benefits for current and
foreseeable needs and conserve any remaining benefits for
future needs.
At the end of January 1997:
00
440,830 children of retired workers were currently
receiving benefits and the average monthy benefit was
$337.66;
00
1,462,172 children of disabled workers were currently
entitled and the average monthly amount was $194.41;
and
00
1,909,071 surviving children were receiving benefits
with an average monthly amount of $488.62.
Total title II benefits paid to children in the month of
January 1997 were $1,365,930,829.
Supplemental Security Income
The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program makes payments to
aged, blind, or disabled people whose incomes and resources are
below specified limits and who meet certain citizenship and
residency requirements. On February 1, 1997, 958,387 blind or
disabled children under age 18 were receiving SSI benefits.
Approximately 147,000 of these children are under age 5. The
average SSI benefit payable to children under age 18 in February
was $459.65. Total SSI benefits to children under age 18 in
February was $440,522,000.
Mar. 24. 1997 5:43PM
No. 0148 P. 3/14
2
Financial and Medical Support for Low-Birth-Weight Babies
Over 12,000 children per year are awarded SSI childhood
disability benefits based on low birth weight.
Throughout the Country, SSA field offices that are located
in the same communities as major neonatal hospitals have
developed close working arrangements with the hospitals'
staffs. In many instances, field office personnel have
trained social workers and hospital medical personnel to
identify potentially eligible clients and assist them in
applying for SSI benefits for low birth weight babies.
There are outreach programs in many States where Disability
Determination Services (DDSs) have arrangements with
hospitals to complete applications for benefits for low
birth weight babies immediately after birth.
These cases are fast tracked through the field offices and
DDSs so that the children begin receiving SSI benefits and
Medicaid coverage as expeditiously as possible.
About one-half of these children lose their entitlement (due
to parental income deeming) when they are released from the
hospital. However, Medicaid already has covered their
expenses for the hospital stay regardless of their parents'
income.
The other half (approximately 6,000 children at any one
time) stay on the rolls, receiving up to a maximum of $484
per month, until we reevaluate their medical condition, now
required to be done by their first birthday.
National Communications Campaign
SSA's Office of Communications is primarily engaged in
increasing the public's awareness of the nature, role, and
philosophical foundation of the Social Security program, and
informing the public about Social Security and Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) benefits. Public service
announcements, satellite broadcasts, written public
information materials, and public affairs/liaison activities
with external advocacy groups and individuals are the
methods used to carry out this mission.
To this end, SSA is embarking on a national communications
campaign to promote Social Security not just as a retirement
program, but one which addresses the income needs of
surviving dependents (many of which are minor children), and
disabled workers and children. Our national exhibits are
being redesigned to reflect this important message.
Mar. 24. 1997 5:43PM
No. 0148 P. 4/14
3
Liaison Work with Advocacy Groups
SSA engages in ongoing liaison activities with children's
advocacy groups. This is the process by which we obtain and
share information to enhance SSA's customer service to
children and to provide them greater access to Social
Security and SSI benefits.
We also participate in and exhibit at national conferences
of child advocacy groups. This year SSA will be represented
at conferences sponsored by the Children's Defense Fund,
Child Welfare League, and Council for Exceptional Children.
We are increasing our efforts to disseminate Social Security
and SSI information at these national conferences through
structured workshops and presentations to conference
participants at large.
Children's Health Care
In the past Congress provided funds to SSA for the Outreach
Demonstration Program. The program's purpose has been to
develop and test innovative ways to involve outside
organizations in cooperation with SSA to reach potentially
eligible individuals and assist them in completing the SSI
application package. Over the years, several of the
Outreach Demonstration Projects have targeted children and
one of these projects, Children's Health Care, is currently
in operation.
Children's Health Care's first outreach project was funded
for November 1, 1992, to December 31, 1993, at a cost of
$119,000 in Federal funds. The Project targeted inner-city
youth with severe disabilities in the area served by the
Minneapolis Children's Health Center. The goal was to
increase the number of children receiving support such as
SSI benefits and Medicaid.
The project workers informally screened new admissions to
the hospital for potential SSI eligibility. If eligibility
seemed likely, then the child's parents or guardians were
contacted and given information regarding the SSI program.
If they decided to file for SSI benefits, then the outreach
worker completed all necessary forms and also gathered any
medical evidence in the hospital's records.
This intervention benefited the Agency because a timely and
complete application package was provided to SSA; it also
assisted the parents/guardians in securing needed SSI
benefits and various social service benefits including Food
Stamps and Medicaid. This first outreach project secured
Mar. 24. 1997 5:43PM
No. 0148 P. 5/14
4
941 SSI applications of which 692 were awarded SSI benefits
and 592 of those awards were to children under four years
old.
Currently, $520,605 in federal funds has been awarded to
Children's Health Care for the period beginning August 1,
1994, and scheduled to end July 31, 1997.
The targeted population has been enlarged to include not
only the inner-city youth in the area served by the
Minneapolis Children's Health Center but also the inner-city
youth in the area served by Children's Hospital of St. Paul.
From August 1, 1994, through November 30, 1996,
870 applications were with SSA and 649 of those were awarded
SSI benefits. A breakout of the ages of the awardees is not
readily available, but it is estimated that 85% went to
children younger than age four.
It is anticipated that upon completion of this outreach
project, Children's Health Care will continue to identify
and assist SSI applicants in completing the SSI application
process. This will continue to assist SSA, continue to
increase the number of children receiving SSI benefits, and
also provide the hospitals with Medicaid reimbursement.
SSI/Title V Children with Special Health Care Needs Workgroup
SSA, represented by the Office of Disability, is on the
SSI/Title V Workgroup that focuses on facilitating access to
benefits/services to young children with disabilities. We
are also in a liaison with the Child and Maternal Health
Bureau in the Department of Health and Human Services to
search for and promote the identification of infants and
children who are significantly impaired and require help in
seeking rehabilitation and various forms of therapy such as
physical therapy and speech therapy.
Special Rules to Assess Infants with Developmental Problems
SSA's policies for evaluating disability in children have
long contained provisions for evaluating disabilities in
infants and very young children who may have conditions that
are difficult to test.
The new disability rules implementing Public Law 104-193
clarify these longstanding policies, especially the policy
of "functional equivalence" to impairments in the Listing of
Impairments. Functional equivalence is especially useful
for evaluating disability in children with physical
impairments or combinations of physical and mental
impairments.
Mar. 24. 1997
5:44PM
No. 0148 P. 6/14
5
Planned Communication Initiatives
SSA will begin to emphasize the elements of Social Security
and SSI programs that are pertinent to early childhood
development. These elements include benefits to blind and
otherwise disabled children, low-birth-weight babies, and to
eligible surviving children of deceased workers.
More specifically, these elements will be emphasized as we
develop or revise audio/visual and written public
information materials. We will also seek opportunities to
emphasize them as we participate in liaison activities and
in national conferences.
We do not anticipate any increase in budget expenditures to
carry out this directive.
Mar. 24. 1997 5:44PM
No. 0148 P. 7/14
6
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION INITIATIVES
AND POLICIES THAT EDUCATE AND SUPPORT OUR EMPLOYEES
IN THEIR ABILITY TO PROVIDE QUALITY CARE TO YOUNG CHILDREN
EXISTING FAMILY FRIENDLY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TARGETING EARLY
CHILDHOOD
Career/Life Resource Center
Opened in 1994 as a focal point for information and services
to help employees balance work and family responsibilities,
the Center has, to date, logged over 10,000 visits of
employees and family members.
Center activities include lunchtime seminars where experts
in fields relating to improving family life and meeting
family needs such as child care, family nutrition, the
father's role in parenting, self-esteem and stress reduction
are invited to speak and respond to employee questions and
concerns.
Center materials and resources include videotapes, books,
magazines, newsletters, computer software, Internet access,
personal counseling and referral services which are
accessible to employees and their families and offer a great
deal of help regarding raising young children.
Evaluation and employee feedback activities are encouraged
to ensure that programs and services are kept up-to-date and
responsive to employee needs. Employees are encouraged to
complete surveys to record their reactions to and
recommendations for improvements for each Center event and
service. Focus groups are held to stimulate employee
discussions about the effectiveness of Center activities,
services and resources and elicit suggestions for future
initiatives.
Success is evidenced by excellent survey ratings for the
Center for the variety and quality of programs and
resources and the helpfulness of the staff. Focus group
participants have also indicated a high level of
satisfaction with Center resources and services.
Recommendations from feedback sources include ideas for
improving communications methods as well as suggestions for
expanding materials on family needs, such as parenting and
child development.
Mar. 24. 1997 5:44PM
No. 0148 P. 8/14
7
Child Care
SSA has established developmental child care centers onsite
at two headquarters locations in Baltimore, Maryland as well
as at the Data Operations Center in Wilkes-Barre,
Pennsylvania and at the Western Program Service Center in
Richmond, California. The Baltimore locations have been in
operation for more than 5 years and over 1,000 children from
4 months through kindergarten age have been cared for at
these centers. These two centers have a combined licensed
capacity of 300 children and are open 12 hours a day. The
Wilkes-Barre location has been in operation for 3 years and
usually operates at the full licensed capacity of 70
children. The Richmond Center, opened in November, 1996, is
currently building its enrollment.
SSA recognizes that working parents need a supportive
environment; therefore, our child care program emphasizes
the importance of promoting the physical, social, emotional
and intellectual growth and well-being of each child.
Teachers work with children in small groups. In addition,
parenting workshops are held at the Centers, and staff
development workshops are held regularly to keep teachers
up-to-date on quality child care techniques and child
development issues.
Examples of specific projects and activities that support
and promote effective parenting include:
- Producing and videotaping an hour long program entitled,
"Successful Family Living for Stepfamilies". The program
features a psychiatrist and a clinical social worker
specializing in children and adolescents who discuss how to
successfully achieve harmony, balance and integration in
stepfamilies.
- Providing a program for child care center parents called
"FACE IT". The program consists of six interactive
workshops for parents and their children covering parenting
techniques, positive communication, behavior management and
other issues. The program was provided through a grant
managed by the Epilepsy Association of Maryland.
- Conducting developmental screenings of center children
twice a year by staff members who share the results with
parents and make appropriate referrals to outside experts,
as necessary. Staff at the Centers receive extensive
training in working with children with special needs, and
they provide ongoing advice and assistance to parents.
Mar. 24. 1997
5:45PM
No. 0148 P. 9/14
8
- Providing health screenings, such as vision and hearing
testing, for Center children. In addition, children are
taught about health and hygiene. For example, a dental
hygienist has visited the Centers to instruct the children
on how to properly brush and care for their teeth.
- Making available to parents the services of a child
psychologist who provides guidance and advice to the child
care staff on individual behavior concerns and also speaks
with parents about methods for behavior management.
- Providing community resource information such as
comprehensive listings of summer camps and other activities
for use by parents in planning for their
children's
summer care. Such materials are available in the onsite
child care centers as well as in the Career/Life Resource
Center.
Funding for the establishment and maintenance of SSA's Child
Care Centers is provided every year in the Agency's
administrative budget as permitted under the Trible
Amendment. In FY 1997, $670,000 was budgeted for the
establishment and maintenance of the child care centers.
Additional funds are expended for renting space occupied by
the Centers.
In addition to the onsite Centers, SSA participates in
approximately 15 joint use Federal child care centers
located in Federal buildings across the country. These
include the Mid-America Program Service Center in Kansas
City, Missouri and the Teleservice Center in Auburn,
Washington, where SSA represents a sizable portion of the
Federal workforce and the Center populations.
As with all of our programs designed to assist employees and
their families, we emphasize quality and effectiveness of
operation in our child care centers. Accordingly, SSA
centers are fully licensed by the local jurisdiction and are
actively seeking accreditation by the National Association
for the Education of Young Children.
The Baltimore child care centers have tracked the progress
of "graduates" of the kindergarten program as they entered
local elementary schools and have found that graduates have
made excellent adjustments and are doing very well.
Mar. 24. 1997
5:45PM
No. 0148 P. 10/14
9
Employee feedback and suggestions regarding our child care
centers are encouraged. For example, the Executive Director
of our headquarters' Centers conducts annual parent
satisfaction surveys and has received very positive feedback
about the program, teachers, curriculum, operating hours and
facilities. Parents appreciate the convenient onsite
location which makes transporting and visiting their
children easy, and they are pleased that the broad band of
operating hours facilitates managing work schedules and
child care.
Focus groups are also held with groups of parents to help
assess the success of SSA's child care program. All groups,
including past and present users, were positive about the
Centers and the experiences of their children.
Supporting the Role of Fathers
SSA makes a concerted effort to encourage fathers to take a
more active role in family life and to maintain a strong,
positive force in their children's lives. Through
continuing education seminars at the Career/Life Resource
Center and through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP),
SSA emphasizes co-parenting and focuses on fathers
contributing to the physical and emotional development of
their children.
EAP counselors not only work with fathers, but also reach
out to include spouses/partners, children, and other
relatives as part of family support services. The EAP is
establishing and facilitating employee self-help and peer
support group meetings, including fatherhood sessions.
SSA produced a live, interactive broadcast on its National
Satellite Network entitled "Strengthening the Role of
Fathers in the Family". The broadcast included a special,
videotaped message from Vice President Al Gore which
stressed the importance of good communications and strong,
bonded relationships between fathers and their children.
The program was viewed by SSA employees, various other
Federal agencies and private organizations nationwide.
Feedback in response to the satellite program was very
positive and there has been a high demand from employees to
view the taped broadcast. Copies are available for use by
employees in headquarters and field offices through the
Career/Life Resource Center, and employees are encouraged to
borrow tapes to share with their families.
Mar. 24. 1997 5:45PM
No. 0148 P. 11/14
10
SSA has purchased a variety of reference materials for the
Career/Life Resource Center on strengthening the role of
fathers in the family, many of which emphasize the
importance of early childhood development and ongoing
interaction and communication between father and child.
The headquarters child care center is continuing to provide
many programs geared especially for fathers, many of whom
(as many as 50) drop their children off in the mornings.
These activities include breakfasts with fathers and
"fathers only" workshops on parenting, co-parenting and the
father's role in raising young children.
Grandparenting
Our Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group, which
has been ongoing since 1994, has been growing steadily.
Meetings are held regularly at which we host workshops
featuring guest speakers from within the Agency and from the
community who share information and expert advice on a
variety of topics such as child development and care, family
counseling and social services. A special satellite
broadcast provided information about legal issues and
community support for grandparents and children.
We are working with the Maryland Office on Aging and other
local organizations to develop a directory of services
geared to the information needs of grandparents who are
responsible for young children. The directories will be
distributed statewide later this year.
We are coordinating an ongoing effort to collect new or
nearly new clothes, toys, games and books from SSA employees
to share with grandparents who need this type of support in
raising their grandchildren.
Family Friendly Policies and Programs
SSA's commitment to ensuring a work environment that is
family friendly and supportive of employees responsible for
meeting family needs, including enhancement of early
childhood development, is ongoing. This commitment is
exemplified by the programs and services described above and
reinforced by flexible policies, practices and procedures in
place throughout the Agency.
For example, SSA has a number of policies and programs which
provide flexibility in employee work schedules and allow
parents to be available for their young children at
Mar. 24. 1997 5:46PM
No. 0148 P. 12/14
11
important times. Parents utilize flextime and a variety of
alterative work schedules, including credit hours, to
balance their work and family obligations. Family friendly
leave policies are in effect to assist employees in dealing
with medical and other important family needs such as
pregnancy and child birth.
SSA continues to explore ways to expand
outreach/communication mechanisms to help ensure that
employees throughout the Agency have knowledge of and access
to the programs, policies and services which help them
balance the demands of work and family life. These efforts
include providing opportunities for employees to provide
feedback on and recommendations for improving the quality
and expanding the scope of our efforts.
PLANNED FAMILY FRIENDLY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TARGETING EARLY
CHILDHOOD
SSA is continuously enhancing and expanding its family
friendly programs and services. The Career/Life Resource
Center will continue to update and expand educational
opportunities by adding new print, video and software
options for employee use to encourage new ideas and fresh
perspectives. New speakers from community, medical and
educational resources will be added to the schedule for
future seminars and workshops related to parenting and early
childhood development. For example, an hour-long program on
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder will be videotaped
in mid-March in cooperation with the Epilepsy Association of
Maryland. Copies of the videotaped program will be
available in the Career/Life Resource Center and for
distribution to the field.
SSA child care centers in headquarters and Wilkes-Barre,
Pennsylvania will expand their activities during the summer
of 1997 to include a summer program for children ages 6-8.
The Wilkes-Barre Center is also adding a new kindergarten
classroom to be completed by the end of this calendar year.
0
New child care centers are in various stages of planning and
development throughout the country. An onsite center will
open at the Northeastern Program Service Center in Jamaica,
New York in the spring of 1997. It is designed to service
70 children, ages 4 months through 5 years. Funding for the
center design and construction is covered by SSA's
administrative budget which will also provide for future
maintenance needs. An onsite child care center is currently
being designed for 70 children at the Harold Washington
Social Security Center in Chicago, Illinois. In addition, a
center is being planned for the Office of Hearings and
Mar. 24. 1997 5:46PM
No. 0148 P. 13/14
12
Appeals in Falls Church, Virginia. This center is being
established in collaboration with the Department of
Defense and the Department of Agriculture and will serve
approximately 75 children. Two additional centers are also
under consideration for the Teleservice Center in
Albuquerque, New Mexico and for the Program Service Center
in Birmingham, Alabama.
In the spring of 1997, the headquarters child care centers
will provide four, hour-long workshops for all 55 of its
teachers. The workshops, entitled "Success," will train the
faculty to use positive techniques for managing the
children's behavior and will cover all ages from infant
through kindergarten.
During the month of May, which is National Fitness and
Sports Month, the headquarters child care centers will
participate in special activities presented by the staff of
SSA's Fitness Center. Children, ages 4 and 5, will be
taught movements to enhance their fitness, strength,
muscular endurance, coordination, balance and flexibility.
Fitness Center staff will also guide parents and their
children in physical fitness exercises they can practice at
home together.
Headquarters' EAP counselors are planning to offer a men's
discussion group for clients who want to meet to talk about
ways to improve family relationships. Among the issues to be
discussed will be how to relate effectively to children and
stepchildren as they are growing up in various family
situations.
The SSA grandparents support group is planning various
events and projects for the near future including a session
with an SSA public affairs specialist who will provide
information and answer questions about services and programs
that might provide help for grandparents and their
grandchildren, such as SSI and SSA Survivors Benefits. In
April, a support group meeting will include a videotape of
a recent local television show, "The Bottom Line, which
focused on issues for grandparents raising grandchildren.
Several support group members attended the live taping of
the original program.
SSA has been working with the Maryland Department of Human
Resources to assist in presenting the Second Annual
Caregivers' Conference in June, 1997. The conference will
include workshops covering services that help grandparents
raise their grandchildren and will include events
celebrating grandparents efforts to effectively parent the
young children in their care.
Mar. 24. 1997
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13
Evaluation and employee feedback activities will continue to
ensure that our programs and services are kept up-to-date
and responsive to employee needs. We will review the
results of our surveys which record employee reactions and
recommendations along with the results of our focus group
sessions and will use these findings to improve program
effectiveness and shape future initiatives.
ADDITIONAL FAMILY FRIENDLY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TARGETING EARLY
CHILDHOOD
o
SSA is exploring the possibility of implementing an
informational/training program for parents to help them
optimize the educational process for their children. The
training will focus on how to make the most out of their
children's schooling. A potential source for developing a
pilot instructional effort may result from preliminary
contacts with the "Parenting for Education Program" based in
Seattle, Washington. Initial plans would be to conduct the
program at headquarters with future expansion to the field,
as appropriate. Such a program, if proven effective, could
also be offered in the local community; e.g., churches,
PTA's, etc.