OK- perhaps a “play on words”, but it is time we thought seriously about why and how many youth that appear in juvenile courts across the state are shackled, despite no evidence that unshackling youth results in any danger to anyone. Congratulations to the judiciary in Maine that took up this issue following sustained advocacy from some...
Last month the Department of Children and Families (DCF) released the first part of a two-part multi-year study of the YoungStar quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for child care. Here is a link to the Executive Summary. The study was done by Katherine Magnuson, PhD who is at UW-Madison. Her conclusion is that yes, "star...
The federal Medicaid agency took a significant step last week toward improving access to health services for Medicaid participants. On October 29, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a long-awaited rule that directs states to ensure compliance with Medicaid access standards in the Affordable Care Act (ACA)....
A new report from the from the Georgetown Center for Children and Families finds that across the nation the rate of uninsured children declined sharply in 2014 following the implementation of key Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions. The percentage of children in the U.S. who are uninsured dropped to 6.0 percent in 2014, from 7.1...
Once again a national poll shows strong voter approval for early childhood education. The bipartisan poll demonstrates remarkable support for early learning and development. Some key findings: 91% believe that learning in the early years is critical for future success. 89% agree that access to quality early childhood education is a...
This report is an update of prior reports and includes data up through 2014. Many of the trends noted in the earlier report have continued, as juvenile arrests have continued to decline and we have seen a growth in support for successful community-based programs.
As the battle about the impact of early education rages, yet another study appears. North Carolina has evaluated the long-term effects of its pre-k program and found relationships between pre-k participation and 3rd grade math and reading skills. According to the study, Long-term effects of the North Carolina Pre-K program (by...
A group of comprehensive new bills which aim to keep youth out of the adult criminal justice system has been introduced to the Michigan state legislature. The Youth in Prison package, which has bi-partisan support, takes recommendations from the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency’s recent Youth Behind Bars report and includes...
Child Care Aware has released a Wisconsin Child Care Fact Sheet, with up-to-date info on: Children under 6 likely needing child care: 296,986 Working mothers: with children under 6: 226,313 Regulated child care capacity: 136,519 Annual cost of full-day care in a center: Infant: $11,579 4-year-old: $9,469 School-age: $8,849...
A new study on the impacts of Pre-K in Tennessee has triggered the ongoing controversy about the effectiveness of early education. An article in the New York Times, Does PreK Make Any Difference? provides an analysis of several studies on Pre-K and its impact by David Kirp, a professor of public policy at University of...
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