Anti-parenting for beginners

Seeking informed, respectful ways of engaging with small children.

When I tell people that I write about babies and young children, they tend to assume that I write parenting books. Will I be able to tell them how to tame their toddler, or straighten out that sleep pattern? Well, no, actually. I have parented too few children (two, when I think a decent scientific sample might be around two hundred) to make any such advice remotely meaningful. In fact, I get a little irritated by the assumption, as I will try to explain.

In a culture that construes pregnancy as an illness, it is perhaps unsurprising that the outcomes of those pregnancies—babies and toddlers—are viewed as problems that have to be solved. I haven’t had such a smooth passage through parenthood that I can’t appreciate how difficult it can sometimes be. But even through the sleepless nights and the tantrums, I have wanted to see my children as something more than forces to be tamed. An analogy with star-gazing might help. In ancient times, looking up at the heavens was primarily about seeking signs of impending trouble. As a parent, I don’t want to start off with the assumption that I’m going to see things going wrong. I want to gaze in wonder, and have that wonder enhanced by careful observation and scientific knowledge. Beneath my sky of little stars, I want to do astronomy, not astrology.

My problem is not with individual parenting books—most that I have seen are written with care, humor, and the best intentions. My problem is with the assumptions that send us flocking to bookshops in search of advice on how to solve problems that often aren’t actually there. Is it just me, or are surprising numbers of parenting books written by clinicians: experts in disorder, but not necessarily in the development of the ‘average’ child? Why do we assume that our children are doomed to mental disorder as a result of what we, the parents, do?

It is not as if there is sound scientific evidence that particular parenting practices are effective. It seems fair enough to interpret research findings and tentatively conclude that a particular approach might work, or at least is worth a try—as long as you don’t give the impression that anyone has solid scientific evidence about a way of altering a child’s development for better or worse. As Oliver James has recently pointed out, there is hardly any decent scientific research on the topic. Much parenting advice is based, or claims to be based, on good science, but the science wasn’t designed to test particular parenting regimes; it was designed to find out how little minds develop. If it’s evidence you want, have a look at some of the modern research in behavioral genetics, which suggests that many cherished ‘parenting’ strategies actually make little difference. Or visit a site like Parenting Science, which starts with the research and sensibly follows through the implications that might be there.

We are slightly scared of toddlers. They are not quite babies, not quite children. Their in-between status make us uneasy, and we don’t know what to do with them. For all our sophistication, our attitude towards them can still be rather medieval. In my own writing (on this blog and elsewhere), I have wanted to tell the world about the fascinating research which brings babies and toddlers alive for us and enhances our wonder at them. Small children are people; they have stories; they have minds of their own. People can make their own decisions about how, if at all, to convert that knowledge into practice. They don’t need me, a decidedly non-expert parent, to tell them how to do it.

I am, of course, not anti-parenting. I am not anti-children, or anti- moms and dads. I think it is the most important thing in the world that parents treat their children with love, understanding, and respect. Which is precisely why I don’t think that the condition of being a child should be pathologized. (Since when was ‘to parent’ a transitive verb? Do you ‘wife’ your husband or ‘daughter’ your mother?) Or, worse, that we should behave with our children in ways that are only there to soothe our own consciences or promote our own social status: to be seen, however consciously or unconsciously, to be ‘doing the right thing’. The children come first, not our egos.

For what it’s worth, here is the only parenting advice that I think parents need:

Watch: The best thinking about small children, to my mind, starts with careful observation. I firmly believe that careful, informed observation of your own children can tell you more than any parenting ‘expert’ can.

Listen: Children become skilled in their native languages incredibly quickly. The average three-year-old is not expert at many things, but she is a genius at language. Listen to her, and find out what’s on her mind.

Read: Spend time with some books on children’s development that take children seriously: Brian Hall’s Madeleine’s World; Paul Bloom’s Descartes’ Baby; Alison Gopnik’s The Philosophical Baby.

Imagine: Apply the knowledge you have gained in trying to imagine your child’s experience. Some earlier posts show how I have tried to do this in my own work.

Mind-read: The ultimate goal of being a parent is surely to put yourself in your child’s shoes and see the world from his point of view. ‘Mind-minded’ parents, as we call them, tend to treat their children as individuals in their own right, with minds of their own. We have described evidence that parental mind-mindedness makes a big difference in children’s development, with links to children’s later attachment and social understanding.

Love: One thing that children do seem to learn from their parents is how to love. It hardly needs saying, of course, but there’s a huge amount of research, in the scientific literature on attachment, to back it up as well

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dad-the-observer/201002/anti-parenting-beginners

Canada – Universal childcare is no panacea

There are minimal long-term benefits associated with participation in formal childcare

One frequently discussed policy proposal in the area of childcare is the creation of a “universal system.” This would provide daycare to every family who desires it but with government – taxpayers – picking up most of the tab.

Proponents of this approach often present universal childcare subsidization as a wise “investment in human capital.” They assert universal daycare can bring long-term benefits to society in the form of improved performance in school, increased economic productivity in adulthood, and reduced criminality.

Unfortunately, these promises are based on a weak empirical foundation. The best available research suggests that, for most kids, there are minimal long-term benefits associated with participation in formal childcare. Far from being the social and economic panacea that some activists suggest, universal childcare is therefore an “investment” from which we cannot realistically expect to receive substantial returns.

An expensive proposition
The creation of a national, universal childcare system is an enormously expensive proposition. The estimated annual cost of such a program is $15 billion – a new tax burden of about $2,000 per family. Proponents argue that we should happily incur these costs because they represent a prudent long-term investment. To get around the objection of cost, they claim formal childcare participation at very young ages is a net economic benefit— a smart long-term strategy for promoting economic growth.

Unfortunately, an examination of the research in this area reveals the evidence surrounding the developmental impacts of childcare participation is actually quite ambiguous, and gives little support for universal daycare subsidies.

For example, universal childcare proponents correctly claim participation enhances “school readiness,” as measured by cognitive tests given to children when they enter the first grade. What they generally neglect to mention is that, for the vast majority of children, these benefits fade out almost entirely within just a few years. This fadeout effect is so strong that by the time they are ten years old, childcare participants are statistically indistinguishable from non-participants in terms of almost every measure of cognitive development.

According to one high-quality study recently conducted in the United States that made use of the rich Early Childhood Longitudinal Data set, the fadeout effect may actually be even faster. This study showed that children who participated in formal pre-kindergarten programs slightly outperformed their peers in reading and math tests at the moment of school entry. However, by the spring of first grade, these cognitive benefits faded out almost completely.

This research suggests that, after just a few years of formal education, children exposed to formal pre-kindergarten programs become virtually indistinguishable from children who have not. There is an important exception to this general rule: for children from poor families. In their case, there do appear to be benefits from childcare participation that last into adulthood. A number of carefully performed studies prove beyond a reasonable doubt that high quality preschool interventions can bring long-lasting benefits to kids from economically disadvantaged homes.

This reality should be recognized and inform policymaking. However, it does not change the fact that for the majority of children who come from middle-income families there appears to be virtually no long-term benefit associated with formal daycare.

Zero long-term impact
The policy implications seem quite clear. While subsidizing childcare for poor children may produce long-term social and economic benefits for the country, doing so for middle- and high-income families will likely have zero long-term impact on Canada’s store of “human capital.”
If promoting long-term economic growth is an objective of childcare policy, a targeted approach that provides access for poor families (through vouchers or some other means) will accomplish just as much as a system of universal subsidies. It will also do so at a small fraction of the cost of an unnecessary universal program.

Happily, this cheaper approach also has the benefit of creating universal access to childcare, by providing assistance to those who need it, while allowing those with money to choose, and pay for, whatever childcare arrangements best suits their particular needs.

As governments work to develop priorities and allocate scarce funds, they constantly face partially true, misleading and patently false claims from a wide variety of interest groups. Such groups are often determined to demonstrate why their pet project is the most deserving of government largesse. The myth that universal childcare represents a prudent long-term investment in Canada’s human capital is one of these claims. Governments should recognize this canard for what it is and dedicate scarce resources to more urgent priorities.

http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/19747

UK – It’s not just the poor who can gain from the benefits system

Middle Britain misses out as £16bn goes unclaimed.

You don’t have to be poor to qualify for benefits. Government tax credits and childcare vouchers are targeted at families in middle-class Britain, while money off council tax is available for pensioners and for those living on their own.

But it seems that many Britons are reluctant to claim what they are due – perhaps through lack of knowledge, fears of heavy-handed bureaucracy or of being stigmatised for taking a “handout”. As a result, leading charities are urging the Government to take action and reduce the £16bn in means-tested benefits and tax credits that goes unclaimed every year.

Figures published last week by Citizens Advice highlight glaring examples of poor take-up of benefits. Low-paid workers without children, for example, are missing out on tax credits worth at least £38 per week. There are also up to half a million households failing to claim for housing benefit, worth an average £37.60 per week.

It’s a similar picture with the take-up of council tax benefit and pension credit. As many as £3m households miss out on around £13 a week in council tax benefit, and up to 1.7 million pensioners are under-claiming an average £31 a week in pension credit. Overall, up to £5.4bn in benefits is going unclaimed by older people each year.

“The means-tested system is clearly failing to reach many of the people it is meant to help, including middle Britain,” says Andrew Harrop, the head of policy at Age Concern and Help the Aged. “The Government needs to work at full speed towards a more effective, automatic system for paying benefits.”

So what are the benefits that you could, and should, be claiming for?

Tax credits

The complex tax-credits system has suffered with overpayments and errors, but don’t let this put you off as tax credits could be worth thousands of pounds a year to you and your family.

Working tax credit (WTC) and child tax credit (CTC) are means-tested, so the amount you get will depend on several factors including your overall income level, how many hours you work, how many children you have living with you and if you pay for childcare.

CTC is made up of two parts; the “family element”, worth a maximum of £545 a year, and the “child element”, worth up to £2,235 per child in the current tax year. Further payments are available to those with disabled children and children under the age of one.

Even households with an income of as much as £50,000 are eligible for the entire family element of CTC. However, if you earn more than £16,040 the child element will be reduced.

The basic element of WTC is worth up to £1,890 a year and the couples and lone parent element up to £1,860. Again, there are further payments available if you qualify for the disability element. And, if you are over 50 and returning to work after being on state benefits for at least six months, you may be able to claim for extra tax credits worth up to £1,935 per year if you’re working 30 hours or more per week.

Pension Credit

Pension credit is made up of two parts: The guarantees credit and the savings credit. The former is for the over-60s and guarantees to top up your income to at least £130 a week if you are single, or £198.45 a week for couples. From 6 April 2010, the pension-credit age will gradually rise in line with the increase in the state pension age for women from 60 to 65.

The savings credit rewards those over 65 who have saved towards their retirement with up to £20.40 a week for single people, and £27.03 a week for couples.

“While pensioners are feeling the impact of the recession on their pension pots more than ever, over one in four of them are failing to claim full pension credits. This resulted in as much as £2.4bn of pension credits being unclaimed last year,” says Karen Barrett, the chief executive of Unbiased.co.uk.

Housing and Council Tax Benefit

If you are a low-earning tenant, you may be able to claim for help with your rent. If you rent a property or room from a private landlord, housing benefit is calculated according to the local housing allowance that applies to you. These rates are published at the end of each month and can be found on your council’s website.

Council tax benefit is open to homeowners and tenants and eligibility for this and housing benefit is based on how much you and your partner earn, money from other benefits and occupational pensions, your savings and your circumstances. Typically, anyone with over £16,000 in savings, or living in the home of a close relative, as well as full-time students and asylum seekers, will not be eligible.

Importantly, child benefit is no longer counted as income when working out how much you can get. This may mean that you are now eligible for these benefits, so contact your council to check. Those entitled to income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance or the “guarantee credit” of pension credit could get a 100 per cent reduction on their bill.

Otherwise, you can have your council tax bill reduced by 25 per cent if you live on your own or if you share with other people but are the only person liable to pay council tax.

Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support

If you are unemployed, are under the state pension age and registered as actively seeking employment you can claim for jobseeker’s allowance (JSA), which is either contribution-based or income-based. The amount you receive will depend on your age and circumstances. For example, contribution-based JSA is worth up to £50.95 a week for 16- to 24-year-olds, and £64.30 a week for over-25s. The maximum weekly rates for income-based JSA is £100.95 for couples 18 and over and £64.30 for a lone parent aged 18 or over.

If you claim income-based JSA you are entitled to other benefits, including free dental treatment, prescriptions and sight tests, plus help with glasses or contact lenses costs. Apply through your local Jobcentre Plus.

If you are not looking for work because you are a lone parent, a carer, or suffering from an illness or disability, you may be entitled to income support instead. You will need to have savings of less than £16,000 and be out of work or working fewer than 16 hours a week.

Check if you are also entitled to free school meals, housing and council tax benefit and cold weather payment.

Childcare Vouchers

Childcare vouchers can be claimed by working parents in exchange for a reduction in their salary. Parents can sacrifice up to £55 a week and the vouchers are exempt from tax and national insurance contributions.

Both parents can use the vouchers, saving higher-rate tax payers as much as £1,195 a year. But the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has announced that top-rate taxpayers will have their benefits halved, so any new entrants to the scheme from 2011 will only get tax relief at the basic rate of 20 per cent.

However, some parents are unaware of the finer details of how childcare vouchers work. “Many parents simply don’t realise they can be used for nannies and childminders and even music lessons if they are outside school hours,” says Simon Moore, the head of Computershare Voucher Services, the childcare voucher provider.

Childcare vouchers are not for everyone, though. As with many other benefits, complications may arise if the vouchers affect your entitlement to other income-related or contributions-based benefits such as maternity pay and working tax credit. To make life easier, the Revenue and Customs website has a helpful calculator to determine whether you should claim or not.

http://www.independent.co.uk/money/spend-save/its-not-just-the-poor-who-can-gain-from-the-benefits-system-1891480.html

Jim Hmurovich President & CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America

Last night Jim Hmurovich, President & CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America appeared on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric to discuss the 4th National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect.

The highlight of the study is the finding that there has been a 26% decrease in incidents of serious child abuse, especially sexual abuse, between 1993 and 2005. Prevent Child Abuse America celebrates this finding and applauds CBS and Katie Couric for covering the story. We also believe though that the release of the report should serve as an opportunity to discuss the state of prevention across the nation.

The decrease took place during a period when states and the federal government were making massive investments in evidence-based prevention strategies, such as home visitation, parent support and education and information on early childhood development. This finding supports our belief that investments in evidence based strategies are working and proving to be less costly to our children, communities and nation.

Given this, we must also recognize that this prevention infrastructure is at-risk of being un-raveled due to budget cuts at the very moment when greater investments are required.

As Mr. Hmurovich was quoted as saying on CBS, “It would be easy during these economic times to forget that (the investment in prevention) must be a continuing investment and that it’s not over.”

Congressman Danny Davis, a long-time champion for investing in home visitation services such as the Healthy Families America program highlighted in the segment, had the following to say, “Education plays a significant role in helping prevent child abuse and neglect. It is important that federal, state, and local governments invest in evidence-based activities, such as home visiting, to support children and families and to reduce child abuse and neglect. High quality prevention programs work and we can’t let up now.”

Some other thoughts to consider:

We must place the study in the context of the current economy and consider the outcomes if the study was performed today;

Children of unemployed parents had two times the rate of maltreatment overall, (2 times the rate of abuse and 3 times the rate of neglect than employed parents);

Children living in households below $15,000 were neglected seven times the rate of other children living in households above $15,000;

Over the past year, many states have cut funding to prevention, early childhood and home visitation programs such as Healthy Families America. More cuts are expected this year; and

The Senate, the House and the President all have endorsed a significant federal investment in home visitation…now they need to finish the job by enacting the new funding.

The lesson to be learned according to Mr. Hmurovich, “Don’t cut the prevention budget in these challenging economic times.”

http://preventchildabuseamerica.blogspot.com/2010/02/jim-hmurovich-president-ceo-of-prevent.html

US – Editorial: Michigan should make preschool the priority

Investing in high-quality early-childhood education doesn’t cost. It pays.

It pays a lot: about $1 billion a year in Michigan.

That is the conclusion of a new report on the benefits of public funding for preschool, commissioned by the Michigan Early Childhood Investment Corporation.

The report should send a clear message to Michigan lawmakers and taxpayers: Preschool is a profitable investment. It saves money, increases revenues, helps the economy and makes the state look attractive to businesses.

Even in this economy, Michigan lawmakers should strive to be among the 23 states that are intensifying pre-k investments. Thirteen states are true standouts, plowing a combined $130 million in new
programs: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Michigan is among the 10 states lowering their investment, spending $7.5 million this year, down from $15 million the year before.

That cut tossed 2,200 disadvantaged 4-year-olds out of preschool mid-year.

Other early childhood social service programs were also slashed, totaling $130 million in cuts.

Why does preschool work?

It helps end generational cycles of poverty and lack of education. It puts at-risk children on a path to success. Without it, children who come from poor or under-educated families face overwhelming odds against staying in school and getting a good job, or worse — staying out of prison.

Sadly, these moral arguments haven’t always worked in convincing Michigan to fund preschool.

So advocates are turning to the economic argument, the return on investment. And that’s helped make business and law enforcement leaders some of the most potent proponents of preschool programs in Michigan and nationwide.

The new Michigan report tried to quantify the benefits of the money the state has spent over the past 25 years on children before they get to kindergarten. The study, by Wilder Research of St. Paul, Minn., figured $1.15 billion in savings — that’s an annual figure — this way:

$221 million for K-12. By helping children get ready for kindergarten, preschool reduces costs of remedial and special education, and of teacher turnover from those frustrated by the number of students who aren’t ready to learn.

$931 million for government and social costs. By helping children succeed, preschool reduces public spending on juvenile corrections, child abuse and neglect, adult criminal justice, welfare, Medicaid and unemployment benefits. It also reduces costly losses to victims of violent crime.

Yes, some of those are subjective measurements. But there’s no arguing that it jibes with a huge body of national research that proves cost savings are massive when a society invests in getting its youngest students ready to learn.

For anyone still on the fence about putting dollars in preschool, a state small business advocate offered one final compelling economic argument in unveiling the report. “Businesses locate where the smart people are,” Chris Holman of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. said.

Lawmakers this month are starting the budget process for next year. It will be another year of painful cuts in most every segment. But if state leaders truly want to reposition Michigan for success, they should not sacrifice on pre-k spending.

If Michigan takes the short-sighted approach, the state’s youngest residents aren’t the only ones who will pay the cost for years to come.

http://www.mlive.com/opinion/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/02/editorial_make_preschool_the_p.html

US – Officials say best way to combat childhood problems is by early boost

A group of 4- and 5-year-olds in Shelly Shafer’s preschool class enjoy snack time at Owosso’s Bentley School, which houses the district’s Bright Beginnings program. The 37-week morning class is $33 per week and prepares children for kindergarten and later education.

Officials say the best way to combat problems with child abuse, neglect, poverty and poor health is to funnel money into early childhood development resources so children can get off to a strong start in life.

Money spent on statewide preschool programs since 1974 ends up coming full circle – saving Michigan $1.15 billion in 2009 in both crime and education costs, according to a new Wilder Research study in St. Paul, Minn., for Michigan at-risk children.

“Basically, the best way to reduce the soaring child abuse and neglect numbers, is to invest in early childhood,” said Emily Brewer, early childhood director for the Shiawassee County Regional Education Service District (RESD). “The cost benefit of investing in early childhood is tremendous.”

The study reports reduced need for additional academic or behavorial assistance in the future following early intervention.

Kids Count numbers released in January suggest Shiawassee County is seeing an upswing in children struggling with abuse, neglect and poverty problems. The latest figures show the number of abuse victims surged from 165 in 2000 to 406 in 2008 – a 177 percent increase.

Early childhood education programs can help children and families reverse those types of statistics for a variety of reasons.

Among those seeing the benefits of early education first hand is Hattie Hanycz, who said the classroom-school environment at such a young age more adequately prepares children and their parents for kindergarten and life beyond.

“They know the expectations of being in that setting and it makes a huge difference between children who do it and those who don’t,” she said, observing Owosso Public Schools’ Bright Beginnings 4- and 5-year-olds in Shelly Shafer’s class at Bentley Elementary, from 9 to 11:45 a.m.

Tuition for the Bright Beginnings program is $33 per week for 37 weeks.

Mike Flanagan, state schools superintendent, has voiced support of spending more on preparing preschoolers for kindergarten, leading to a better Michigan and country.

His logic? Simply consult the numbers.

Roughly $221 million was saved in K-12 education from reduced spending on students repeating grades, special education and teacher-turnover costs related to student performance.

About $584 million was saved in reduced government spending and increased tax revenues for reduced costs of juvenile corrections, abuse/neglect, welfare/Medicaid and unemployment benefits.

“Not having a child enrolled in a prekindergarten program isn’t a bad thing, but the parents that can offer it? That’s huge,” Hanycz said. “The numbers don’t lie.”

And when it comes to reducing overall social costs, $347 million was saved in reference to victims of violent crimes ($259 million), increased productivity and incomes of employed parents while their children are in early education programs ($74 million) and health savings due to reduced alcohol and drug abuse ($14 million).

Shiawassee County was allocated 252 Great Start Readiness Program slots this year, an increase from 36 in 2008-09.

Additional funding for the prekindergarten group could come from reducing the costs of school employee benefits and reinvesting that revenue to expand preschool programs, which Flanagan suggested.

Researchers have proven children experiencing at least one year in high-quality learning environments led to positive developmental gains as opposed to children without it, according to the Michigan Department of Education’s Web site.

“I’ve been supervising 4-year-olds for more than 30 years and seeing children accomplish things at such a young age, breaking that barrier, is wonderful,” said Kelda Wilson, area supervisor for Capital Area Community Service’s Head Start program.

Wilson posed the question – what would the difference in accomplishments be for a child who had early childhood education compared to not utilizing it?

“I see a lot of success and their exposure at an introductory level goes a long way,” she added.

Bright Beginnings offers transition activities, such as tours to meet and greet teachers and staff, as well as getting a feel for the building early on.

A lot of preschool organizations are tuition-based, making it hard for parents to pay, so Bright Beginnings promotes the Shiawassee Preschool Scholarship to help mothers and fathers subsidize some payments through a co-pay.

A county-wide preschool scholarship program, funded through the United Way and the Owosso Kiwanis Club awarded more than $8,200 in preschool scholarships last school year, allowing 21 preschoolers to have a prekindergarten experience.

Wilson said targeting a child’s weaknesses, such as speech delays or orthopedic issues, as early as possible is crucial to ensure they overcome them.

Hanycz, director for OPS programs at Bentley and Roosevelt schools, said she’s not only seen a rise in productivity ratings at the preschool level, such as fixing speech impediments, but also the overall number of parents who understand the benefits.

But even with talks of expanding funding to prekindergarten programs across Michigan, Hanycz hasn’t seen any money come through. Not to mention, millions of dollars for Great Start Readiness Programs have been slashed throughout the state – which provides preschool for 47,000 low income 4-year-olds every year.

“We’ve had to be creative and flexible with our other programming, as the benefits of Title 1, seen in the elementary schools, is sometimes funneled down to the preschool levels,” she said.

The Bright Beginnings staff is trying to promote the program by visiting schools, grocery stores and laundromats – anywhere officials might find parents with preschool-aged children.

“We’re always asking ourselves: Who are we missing? What else can we do to get better?” Hanycz said.

ABC Playgroups and other community-based play groups are a great way for children and a parent or caregiver to have social interaction in a fun and learning atmosphere at no cost, Brewer said.

The Shiawassee Community Library recently hosted a six-week music play group and the YMCA will host a movement play group beginning Feb. 23. The Maternal and Infant Health Program offers pregnant women and women with infants an opportunity to ask questions and learn about the joys of parenthood.

While Head Start is a federally-funded program, Wilson said their building is committed to promoting a new organization, Early Head Start, for children 0 to 3 years old in Shiawassee County.

Currently, Early Head Start is looking for interested parents to enroll their kids and advance their lives by prepping them in the months following birth. Call the family advocate number at 725-9527 to see if you qualify, or to partake in the home visitors’ program.

http://www.argus-press.com/articles/2010/02/04/news/news1.txt

Early-childhood education: an issue of national security

Early-childhood education is not just an education imperative — it needs to be a national security priority. Let me tell you why.

Seventy-five percent of young Americans are not qualified to join the military, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. The three primary reasons are inadequate education, criminality and physical unfitness.

According to the U.S. Army Accession Command, approximately one out of four young Americans lacks a high school diploma. One in 10 young adults is ineligible due to a criminal conviction, and 27 percent of young Americans cannot enlist because they are too overweight to meet military physical requirements.

I want to focus on the education piece. Though sometimes a high school diploma requirement can be waived, about 30 percent of potential recruits with a high school diploma fail the Armed Forces Qualification Test. The 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, reported that 69 percent of the nation’s eighth-graders scored below proficiency level in math, and 70 percent scored below proficiency level in reading. Seventh and eighth grade is about the time that students start dropping out of school or mentally checking out of school.

Couple these facts with the upcoming U.S. Census data that will show tremendous growth in the very communities that will be needed to populate our armed forces. The very students we will need in uniform tomorrow are increasingly failing in school today. In the 2008-09 Texas school year, 51 percent of kindergartners were Hispanic and 65.4 percent of pre-kindergartners were Hispanic, foretelling the future population of possible military recruits. At the same time, this group arguably has the highest dropout rate in the state.

A recent report titled “Ready, Willing, and Unable to Serve” by the nonprofit organization Mission: Readiness, Military Leaders for Kids states that “early education is an investment in national security.” Improved educational outcomes increase the ability of the military to recruit the warriors we need to ensure America’s safety.

A recent report titled “Ready, Willing, and Unable to Serve” by the nonprofit organization Mission: Readiness, Military Leaders for Kids states that “early education is an investment in national security.” Improved educational outcomes increase the ability of the military to recruit the warriors we need to ensure America’s safety.

The research behind early education is irrefutable. Thirty years of research has demonstrated that 90 percent of a person’s adult brain weight is achieved by age 5. In the Institute of Medicine report “From Neurons to Neighborhoods,” brain scans and neuroscience demonstrated that the best time to influence a child’s intellectual development is when the brain is under most intense development. The most important changes in brain structure and development occur during the first five years.

We at Avance have been doing an intensive parent-child curriculum that addresses this in predominantly Hispanic communities for 37 years — a program that is built on the mother as the first teacher and home as the first classroom.

Our results? In the Dallas Independent School District, we have tracked Avance children to demonstrate that 95 percent of these students graduated from high school. In El Paso our Avance kids have consistently outperformed either the district average or the state average on the third-grade TAKS test.

Nobel laureate economist James Heckman estimates that for every dollar we fail to invest in early-childhood education, it will cost us $8 in addressing other social needs. He states that “early intervention reduces crime, promotes high school graduation and college attendance, reduces grade repetition and special education costs, and helps prevent teenage births. (It also) raises achievement as measured by test scores.” Although the financial consequences to our society are obvious and tangible, this call to action is not about our nation’s financial security. This is about investment for our national security.
Most people understand the importance of education in the success of America’s economic engines — the need for educated workers, the importance of continued innovation driving our prosperity. I would like to add to that understanding the importance of an educated pool of possible recruits for our military forces and public safety professionals, such as firefighters or police. The safety of our future and our nation depends on it.

Noriega is the new national president/CEO of Avance Inc., an early-childhood education program. He is a colonel in the Texas Army National Guard and an appointee to the Military Leadership Diversity Commission.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/6849841.html

NZ – Free ECE Hours “works” for New Zealand’s largest in-home child care provider

New Zealand’s largest provider of in-home child care PORSE says government funding for 20 hours ECE is having a positive impact, refuting claims that the funding is inadequate, as reported in the media this week.

PORSE committed to 20 hours ECE for 3 and 4 year olds when the initiative was first introduced by the Labour government in 2005.

PORSE founding director Jenny Yule confirmed that the policy is achieving the government’s aim of increasing participation in pre-school education of 3 and 4 year olds in neighbourhoods with greatest need.

“The growth of our services in lower decile areas, such as Manukau shows that the message of providing 3 and 4 year olds with a rich early learning programme prior to starting school, is working.”

PORSE’s expansion of services throughout New Zealand is in direct contrast to Barnardo’s reported closures in the Rodney district due to the costs associated with offering free places to 3 and 4 year olds.

The report comes just weeks after home-based provider Easy Mind was put into liquidation affecting families throughout the country.

Ms Yule suggests that home based services facing financial or resource difficulties in light of the free 20 hours ECE may need to review the structure of how they deliver services and not blame the “free” policy.

“In contrast to large group childcare where children have multiple carers, home based services need to expand, to give families more options when choosing a person who fits with their family and cultural values.”

Further comment made by the Family Day Care Association that capacity for providing care for under 2’s had been reduced by the policy is also questioned by PORSE.

Ms Yule agreed that the demand for care for children over 3 had increased in-line with the “free” funding but that had not stopped the ability of PORSE to also care for babies and under 3’s.

“We are constantly recruiting and training new educators to meet the demands for in-home childcare, with no shortage of places for under 2’s.”

Government funding for 3 and 4 year olds is also being extended to kohanga reo and play centre services later this year.

Ms Yule confirmed that government funding allowed PORSE to subsidise and maintain affordability of home childcare to families – often perceived as the Rolls Royce model of childcare.

“We continue to invest financially into up-skilling our nannies and home educators who do this most important work for families and community.

“It would be a backward step to generalize and say that this policy does not work for the sector. In-Home childcare impacts positively on early parenting and gives young children a wonderful natural environment to be raised in.”

Ms Yule, who sits on the Executive Committee for the NZ Infant Mental Health Association, said under 2’s benefitted most from a consistent attachment relationship in small groups, to support early brain development

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1001/S00044.htm

NZ – Has 20 hours free achieved its aim?

In the final part of a week-long series on the early childhood sector, Education Minister Anne Tolley answers questions about the way we are providing for our young children.

Anne Tolley says the Government is extending 20 hours free in order to reach more children. Photo / Supplied

Are you happy that the main outcome of 20 hours free has been a big increase in all-day care of 3- and 4-year-olds and a reduction in part-day “sessional” care, mainly in playcentres and kindergartens? Is this achieving the educational and child development goals of early childhood education [ECE]? If not, how do you think this imbalance could be redressed?

Do you agree with Barnardos that the 20 hours free policy has failed to make ECE more accessible to low-income families where the takeup of ECE has been lowest? Do you have any plans to make ECE more accessible to low-income families?

The Government made a manifesto commitment to extend 20 hours ECE to reach more children. From July 1, 2010 all kohanga reo and playcentres will be eligible to offer 20 hours ECE, and all 5-year-olds in ECE will also be eligible.

The trend for increasing provision of all-day ECE began before the introduction of 20 hours. Evidence I’ve seen suggests that at least 20 hours of ECE per week from the age of 3 provides the best support for future educational achievement [see Outcomes of Early Childhood Education: Literature Review (2008) on http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz].

Government funding currently gives parents choice in ECE, encouraging the ECE sector to be more responsive to parents’ preferences, such as language, culture and hours of ECE provision.

This Government has a priority to increase participation in ECE and is committed to working more closely with communities, local organisations and businesses to tailor solutions that better fit communities’ ECE needs.

Your 2008 election policy promised to “work across the education, health, housing and social welfare sectors to find new solutions to encourage parents who are reluctant to enrol their children in ECE and care services”. What progress are you making on this goal? What kinds of “new solutions” may be possible?

I have directed the Ministry of Education to work more closely with central and local government agencies, focusing on new ideas and more targeted and flexible ECE, that meets the needs of communities.

For example, we are leading the Counties Manukau ECE Implementation Group, including Te Puni Kokiri, Manukau City Council and the Ministry of Social Development, with Health and Housing representation, to explore opportunities and develop appropriate responses.

The Counties Manukau ECE Implementation Group is working to make the processes to establish new ECE services faster and easier to manage, and identify opportunities. We’re also piloting a new initiative, Supported Playgroups, in addition to educational play days and street-side playgroups to encourage families to use ECE.

When you took office you halted a Labour Government initiative to build ECE centres at nine schools in Manukau because you said it was based on an unrealistic expectation of “build something and they will come”. What are you doing instead to raise ECE participation in Manukau?

After discussions with all the schools and communities involved we are progressing with building three new ECE services on school sites at Homai Primary, Weymouth Intermediate and Mansell Senior schools. It is clear that building ECE services alone is not enough. As part of wider work to increase participation in ECE in Counties Manukau we have begun work to support families to use the new ECE services.

For some years there has been a policy to include provision for an ECE centre at all new schools, but at new schools such as Mission Heights in Manukau no ECE centre has actually been provided for many years afterwards because of lack of funding and/or trained staff. What are you doing to make sure ECE is actually provided in line with need in areas of new housing development?

Mission Heights received $1,365,000 funding from the Ministry of Education in 2009/10 to build a new ECE service. The Government also supports teacher supply through significant funding and scholarships directed to areas of high need.

We are planning ECE provision in consultation with councils in some areas where participation rates are low or there are real shortages of services. For example, in Counties Manukau, we are planning a joint initiative with Manukau City Council to provide ECE services on council-owned land, and as part of the Transforming Tamaki Project we are looking at existing ECE provision and developing a comprehensive plan to support future ECE.

Do you have any plans to promote new playgroups in areas of ECE shortage, perhaps led by state-funded educators?

Yes, based on successful work in Counties Manukau, we are piloting 25 playgroups this year to introduce families to ECE and support parents to learn with their children. These playgroups will receive extra funding for a skilled person to provide parents/whanau with regular support.

Much of the criticism of the 20 hours free policy has been based on the fact that the subsidy rates are below actual costs, particularly for home-based care and in high-cost areas such as Auckland. Are you reviewing the subsidy rates? Do you plan to increase the home-based care rate? Do you plan to introduce regional variations to allow for regional variations in costs?

Twenty hours ECE covers 100 per cent of the average cost of providing ECE. This means that some ECE providers will receive funding which is less than their cost and some will receive more than 100 per cent of their costs. Our evidence suggests the majority of providers of 20 hours ECE have their costs met by Government funding.

You have changed the name of the policy from “20 hours free” to “20 hours ECE”. Does this mean you accept that the Government will never pay the full costs of 20 hours ECE and parents will always have to pay extra fees?

We changed this name because it was clear it wasn’t “free” with many centres asking for donations or optional charges. Parents are not obliged to pay these as services cannot charge compulsory fees for hours of 20 hours ECE.

Will you continue to increase the 20 hours ECE subsidy rates in line with inflation as you did in 2009?

Any decisions on changes to rates will be taken as part of Budget 2010.

When do you plan to implement your election promise to raise the required teacher-child ratio for under-2 from 1:5 to 1:4?

A decision, taking teacher supply into account, has yet to be reached on the best time to implement changes to the teacher-child ratio for under-2.

Are you concerned that 25 per cent of infants under 2 are now in non-family care? Do you believe non-family care is good for infants in this age group?

The Government believes parents are able to make good decisions for their own families. Evidence shows that regular high-quality ECE can support future educational achievement [see Outcomes of Early Childhood Education: Literature Review (2008) on http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz].

Are you happy with the quality of non-family care for infants? In particular, are you reviewing the current minimum legal space in ECE centres of 2.5sq m per child?

Government regulates the quality of ECE so that children can benefit from learning opportunities in safe environments. The 2.5sq m per child relates to free indoor space (with an additional 5sq m of outdoor space). These are exceeded in many centres. The Government has promised to reduce bureaucracy, and I have no plans to impose further, burdensome regulations.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10622941&pnum=0

US – Study shows early development saves money

Like the motto “our children are our future”, a new study shows that early childhood development programs could help save Michigan’s future.

The Wilder Research Study is the first study to document the economic impact of early development programs in Michigan, and shows that over $1 billion can be saved.
“Basically it is talking about state programs that can save money on crime and education costs,” said Ionia County Great Start Collaborative (ICGSC) Director Cari O’Connor. “What it’s talking about is the productivity as children enter the workforce. Every dollar we cut is not going to save money, but cost us.”

Early development education is for children age birth to five, and prepares them for kindergarten and their futures.

Great Start Collaborative is funded through the state’s Early Childhood Investment Corporation, and works at providing information, services and resources for families.
“The earlier on we start the education of parents and the children, the better the chance in life the children will have,” said Crayon Box Childcare Center Director Erin Krause. “They do better with school work, social activities and behavior for the rest of their life.”

The money that the state looks at saving is in places like education, corrections and unemployment benefits.
The more the child is ready for when they enter school, the better the chance of them not repeating classes, which the report shows a savings of $136 million a year.
“Quality childcare is something we need, and we need to push for more money to make it more available,” said Krause. “There are children who didn’t qualify who could have received early education if there was more funding.”

According to the report, Great Start and Head Start programs help over 47,000 low income four year-olds in Michigan, and there is another 35,000 who are eligible but not being helped due to funding.
“There is another 35,000 children that could have qualified, and children here in Ionia if more money was available,” said O’Connor. “This study provides the data, it’s like the work behind the work, and there is no way you can argue with this study and the amount of money we will save if we invest now.”
The report also shows an increase of $33 million in tax and sales tax revenue due to a high worker productivity.

The thought is that the higher the education, the higher the work turnout and the less likely the child will end up in juvenile corrections or prison.
“It’s a philosophy of if you spend the money on the students, you won’t have to spend the money later on down the road,” said Krause. “When the funding gets cut, this is one of the first areas to go, and we really need to push for these funds.”

One of the things that the Great Start Collaborative is working on is getting a parent coalition started to help train parents and get them involved in Great Start activities.
“If they really want to get involved and in our system, the parents’ coalition is a great opportunity for them to do that,” said O’Connor.
To learn more information, go to www.greatstartioniacounty.org or call 616-522-1412.

http://www.sentinel-standard.com/news/x1090825465/Study-shows-early-development-saves-money