Workforce and Family Program

Nearly 11 million American children under 5 spend part of their day in a child care setting, yet only a small fraction are in early learning programs that meet high standards. Families face a huge challenge in finding programs that fit the demands of work schedules while also providing good, affordable learning centers for their kids. Overcoming this challenge is a key lever for promoting social mobility and preparing children for the future.
 

Last month Joan Lombardi, a nationally-recognized early childhood researcher, retired from the Administration of Children and Families (ACF), the section of the federal Department of Health and Human Services that deals with Head Start and child care programs. Lombardi had served as deputy assistant secretary and inter-departmental liaison for early childhood development since 2009.

More than 11 million American children spend time in non-parental care each day. Millions of families rely on some aspect of America's publicly funded programs for their children as they go to work. Most are looking for a high-quality setting in which their children can learn. Yet, current situations fail too many families. The cost of care is too high while salaries for staff are too low. There are gaps in the regulatory oversight and in the quality of care, and there is too little learning for too many children.

Journalist Dayo Olopade tells Inside Africa that advanced economies can learn from Africa's innovative spirit.

Original article

Those out-of-school variations were highlighted during a discussion at the New America Foundation last week. The particular struggles of low-wage hourly workers were examined, demystifying some of the quotidian challenges families of low-income ...

In May, President Obama announced a $500 million federal grant competition to improve early childhood education in America.  This competition, modeled on the Race to the Top program that spotlighted the need for public school reform, has the potential to increase the focus on the importance of children’s earliest years of life for healthy cognitive and social development.  This comes at a time when Congress and the states are thinking about ways to improve child care.  

"People are working in different ways," says David Gray, director of the Workforce and Family Program at the New America Foundation, a Washington-based think tank. "I do a lot of work in the evenings," says Gray, the father of four under age 5, ...

Meeting the demands of everyday life while holding down a job has been a kitchen table issue for decades. For low-wage workers the daily struggle is often even harder. These workers are the least likely to have flexibility at work, and the least likely to be able to pay someone to take care of their obligations outside of work. But what types of flexible work arrangements do low-wage workers need?

“Everybody is exhausted just trying to hang on to what exists, with attacks from every direction.”

That’s a quote from a leading child care advocate in California . . . a very tired advocate.

After months of budget battles, California’s child care system was ultimately pared down with a sharp scalpel, as were most health and social service programs.

California’s welfare system, known as CalWORKs, is designed as a time-limited cash assistance and welfare-to-work program to help recipients get trained and employed. Self-sufficiency is the buzz word.