Early Childhood

 

 

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Featured Resource

 

What is WIC? - WIC is a food and nutrition program funded by the USDA through the Michigan Department of Community Health.  Local agencies, such as health departments and non-profit organizations, deliver WIC services and benefits to the public.

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 Articles Related to Early Childhood

 

Building the Foundation for Bright Futures: Final Report of the NGA Task Force on School Readiness - The Governors Association Task Force on School Readiness spent 2 years identifying actions that governors and states can take to support families, schools, and communities in preparing children for school. The final report describes these policy recommendations and a companion guide ties the recommendations to concrete examples.

 

Study: Young Children Are Good Investments - According to a report released this week, smart investments in young children will produce increases in economic productivity and growth, and reduce the burden on taxpayers of the costs of remedial education, welfare, crime and poverty. The report was released by the Michigan League for Human Services and Michigan's Children.

 

'Invest in Kids' Taken Literally - Economists say money put toward early-childhood programs offers great returns and may be the best form of economic development out there.

 

Early Childhood Development: Economic Development with a High Public Return

 

Three No-Brainers For New Parents - As a new parent you'll be faced with many decisions. Some are more clear cut than others. Fortunately for you there are a few decisions that are real no-brainers.

 

Checklist for Growing Children - Here’s what you can expect your child to be doing, from birth to age three. If your baby's development seems to be progressing differently call your local Michigan Early On Coordinator.
 

Read the Review and then Download the Book!  Outwitting Toddlers: The Parent’s Guide to Getting Your One-to-Four-Year-Old To Do What You Want Without Bribes, Threats or Tears

 

Read the article "Baby & Toddler: How to treat the top 8 illnesses"

 

TN New kindergarten: less play, more work

 

U.S. Bush signs tougher kids seat belt law

 

Early Childhood Information  A "Noble Bet" in Early Care and Education: Lessons from One Community's Experience - Executive Summary 

 

LD and Your Child: An Age-by-Age Guide

 

MA Staples' growing child-care center serves as state, national model

 

All-Day Kindergarten Posts Big Gains in Montgomery

 

MA Business adds muscle to early education movement

 

Eye Problems Sometimes Mistaken For Learning Disabilities - Kids' Vision Problems Often Go Unnoticed.

 

WVU research looks into role of parents in preschool
 

Lead Paint Suits Echo Approach to Tobacco

 

Universal Preschool a Daunting Task - Children: Experts say plan for a countywide system will require consensus-building, political support.

 

Read the article "Help for Parents of Children Born with Heart Problems

 

The Promise of Preschool - For parents, educators, and lawmakers, the promise of preschool is that children will enter school ready to learn, but, in reality, the results are mixed. In America, most parents have to pay for preschool, and quality varies. In France, as in most European countries, high quality preschool is a universal right guaranteed to all children.  

  

CA L.A. Preschool Plan Draws Attention - A recently approved plan to spend $100 million over the next five years to make preschool more widely available to youngsters in Los Angeles County is being touted as a national model.

 

Joshua's Journey: Diagnosis and Decision (Part 1 of 3)

 

Joshua's Journey: The surgery (Part 2 of 3)

 

Joshua's Journey: A new beginning (Part 3 of 3)

 

CA Providing preschool for all - Goal is to improve literacy, social skills.

 

CA Officials eye tobacco tax for schools - Bay Area officials are looking closely, yet skeptically, at a Los Angeles County program that provides free preschool using proceeds from state cigarette taxes.

 

Early Childhood: Conference Explores the Learning Business

 

Kids Lag Behind When Mom Goes Off to Work - The children of mothers who go to work full time before the youngsters are 9 months old have poorer mental and verbal development at age 3 than those with stay-at-home mothers, Columbia University researchers report.

 

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 Miscellaneous Resources

 

Operation Bright Start (OBS) is a program designed to provide eye and vision assessments to children during their first year of life. The goal of OBS is to provide for early diagnosis of vision impairments that act as barriers to normal child development.

 

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 Early Intervention & Prevention

 

PA "Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention Services For Children with Autism-Related Disorders" (pdf version) results from statewide hearings held throughout Pennsylvania to identify areas in which services should focus to bring about positive results for young children with autism-related disorders.

 

Leaving Too Many Children Behind - (PDF size=270kb) A Demographer’s View on the Neglect of America’s Youngest Children.

 

Child Delinquency: Early Intervention and Prevention - Read the summary of findings from OJJDP identifying risk and protective factors that are crucial to developing early intervention and protection programs for very young offenders - click here.

 

Early Intervention For Children with Disabilities
 

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 Early Education (also, see Head Start)

 

Study Links Smart Start, Child Care Quality, and Children's Outcomes

 

U.S. EDC Releases Study On Early Education Partnerships - Study finds state and local leaders see partnerships key to quality, accessibilityA new study of early childhood education programs across the country explores different ways states and local early education programs have used their funding and resources to improve child care services.

 

PA Pennsylvania Task Force on Early Childhood and Education Releases Reports - Several reports from Pennsylvania Governor Mark Schweiker's Task Force on Early Childhood and Education are now available.  In Early Care and Education: The Keystone of Pennsylvania's Future, the task force recommends supporting school readiness as a top priority. A second report, the Pennsylvania Quality of Early Childhood Settings Study,  discusses issues of quality in early childhood settings.  Other reports include benchmarks, research to practice issues, and survey results.

 

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 Michigan-specific Resources & Articles
 

Oakland Early On Play & Support Group - Every Friday from 2:00-3:30 pm, Community Services of Oakland has a support group.  "From 2-3, Adults talk while someone watches our children and then from 3-3:30, we do a social interaction with the children."  If anyone is interested, you can contact Sheryl Nelson at (248) 542-5860, Ext. 226 or email JoAnn at joann4dk@yahoo.comThe ages for the group is Age 6 or under who have been diagnosed with Autism.  The group meeting is held in Ferndale.

 

MI Press Release: State Board of Education Adopts Substantive Policies for Early Childhood Literacy, Elevating Educational Leadership

 

Midland County ESA to give family support - Some teachers soon will make pupils’ homes their classrooms.

 

MI Gongwer 8/9/02 - Board Hears Calls for Early Childhood Funding

 

MI Finance issues endanger child special-needs project - Organizers fear funding change will deter clients.

 

District seeking donors for First Steps Washtenaw - Supporters of early-childhood program seek to fill state funding gaps.

 

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