New Bill Intends to Expand and Improve Child Care

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Members of congress have joined toddler and infant advocates on the importance of the investment in high-quality early child care. Senator Casey and Representatives Crowley and Frankel have just introduced The Child Care Access to Resources for Early-learning Act (Child C.A.R.E. Act), a bill that will ensure that all low-income families with infants and toddlers will have access to high quality child care by 2021.

Matthew Melmed, Executive Director of ZERO TO THREE, a national nonprofit committed to promoting the health and development of infants and toddlers, said in a recent statement, “Babies learn and develop at an astonishing rate during the first three years, with their brains forming 700 new neural connections each second. This learning happens through experiences with their caregivers, whether at home or at child care. For the millions of babies who spend part of their days in child care, the quality of that environment is crucial to their healthy development and our country’s future success.”

This bill could be an exciting breakthrough for the children and families here in Alabama. Congress is proposing a bold investment in our early child care system, which will generate substantial benefits in our communities.  National studies have found that most infant-toddler child care is low quality-a very small percentage is of the high quality care that children need to succeed. The Child C.A.R.E. Act could change the odds for many low-income children so that when they start school they are healthy and ready to learn.

This bill will focus on:

·         Expanding the Child Care and Development Block Grant so that all families with children under the age of four who are living at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level will have access to quality child care.

·         Ensuring that the Child Care and Development Block Grant provider payment rates are set at a level high enough to provide quality child care and fair wages for child care workers.

·         Assisting infant and toddler child care providers in improving their programs and strengthening their skills.

We are excited to see Congress invest in our children and demonstrate their understanding of how critical the first few years of a child’s life really is.  To learn more about The Child Care Access to Resources For Early-learning Act (Child C.A.R.E Act) go to 

http://www.zerotothree.org/public-policy/press-release-presidents-budget-proposal-1.html or visit http://usa.childcareaware.org/2016/02/congress-to-introduce-new-child-care-legislation/.

How to Spot and Stop Bullying

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According to stopbullying.gov, bullying is unwanted or aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. When a child is being bullied, it normally means peers are intentionally causing harm. 160,000 children skip school every day because they fear being attacked or intimidated by other students. Bullying can start at a very young age and can be more frequent and aggressive than parents may anticipate. Cruel behavior often increases with age and could be damaging to a child’s psyche. Being bullied multiple times could cause a child emotional and mental distress, and could lower his or her self-esteem. Both boys and girls report high levels of emotional distress as well as lower self-esteem, loneliness, anxiety, and depression. In some situations, the outcome is tragic and the child may take his or her own life. Many children never report being bullied, so it’s important for adults to be able to recognize the nonverbal signs. Check out this list from Character.org to learn how to stop bullying at the first sign of distress. You can also visit stopbullying.gov for a variety of resources and information, including stopbullying.gov/kids for young children to learn more.

Alabama Quality STARS Rolling Out Statewide

The Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) has begun implementation of the Alabama Quality STARS Rating and Improvement System for child care. The Alabama Quality STARS is a five star building block system which rates the quality of child care centers that are above the minimum licensing requirements. The University of Alabama and DHR uses a national systematic approach that assesses, improves, and communicates the different levels of quality in early child care and education programs. The new Quality STARS rating system allows child care centers to demonstrate the top quality care they serve to children. DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner said, “It also provides a simple, but effective way for parents to choose a child care center that rises above the minimum standards that licensing requires.” The centers that participate in the voluntary STARS program will receive between one and five stars based on: Staff Qualifications and Professional Development, Management and Administrative Practices, Learning Environment and Curriculum, and Family Involvement and Community Partnerships. Programs that are eligible will be invited to register for an upcoming orientation session that must be attended if a center plans to apply and participate in Alabama Quality STARS. To learn more about Alabama Quality STARS, visit alabamaqualitystars.org. If you have any questions concerning the Alabama Quality STARS Program click here.

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HMG Staff Spotlight: Jackie Navidad

Jackie Navidad joined the Alabama Partnership for Children (APC) in January as Help Me Grow Alabama Professional Development Coordinator. She is a native of Peru and she is fluent in Spanish. She and her family immigrated to the United States in 1976 and resided in New Jersey. Her husband is a native of El Salvador and was stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1986, which began their journey living in the south. She and her husband have been married for 25 years and have two daughters, ages 10 and 13. Her background is in counseling, teaching and social services. She is also involved in empowering and supporting the Hispanic families and children living in the community. In her new position with the APC, she will focus on coordinating the developmental screening component of Help Me Grow Alabama. Her intention is to reach out to families with young children and offer them the support and referrals needed to live a successful life.