Obama’s FY11 Budget Requests a Boost for Early Childhood Programs

Poring over budgets is not typically a fun exercise in hard economic times, especially for those in early childhood fields who typically see cuts. But Obama’s budget offers a real contrast. Under the administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2011, child care programs and Head Start would both receive a significant boost in funding.

The administration has requested an additional $989 million in funding for Head Start, and an additional $1.6 billion for federally funded child care programs. The potential boost for Head Start is eight times more than the modest $122 million increase the program received last year. (And even more than the increase Obama had proposed last year). Here’s what spending looks like for 2010 and what has been requested for 2011 for the Department of Health and Human Services:

  <div>&nbsp;</div>  <table style="width: 435px; height: 193px;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">  <tbody><tr>   <td colspan="4" valign="bottom" width="424" nowrap="nowrap"><div><b>Major   Early Childhood Programs in HHS Budget (in millions)</b></div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td valign="bottom" width="224" nowrap="nowrap"><div><b>&nbsp;</b></div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="63" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="center">2010</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="63" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="center">2011</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="75" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="center"><i>Difference</i></div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td valign="bottom" width="224" nowrap="nowrap"><div>Head   Start (incl. Early Head Start)</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="63" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$7,235</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="63" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$8,224</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="75" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right"><i>$989</i></div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td valign="bottom" width="224" nowrap="nowrap"><div>CCDBG</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="63" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$2,127</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="63" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$2,927</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="75" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right"><i>$800</i></div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td valign="bottom" width="224" nowrap="nowrap"><div>Child   Care Entitlement to States</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="63" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$2,917</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="63" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$3,717</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="75" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right"><i>$800</i></div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td valign="bottom" width="224" nowrap="nowrap"><div><b>TOTAL</b></div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="63" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right"><b>$14,289</b></div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="63" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right"><b>$16,879</b></div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="75" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right"><b><i>$2,589</i></b></div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td valign="bottom" width="224" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td colspan="3" valign="bottom" width="200" nowrap="nowrap"><div>Source:   Department of HHS</div></td>  </tr> </tbody></table>  <div>&nbsp;</div>  <div>The <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget11/index.html">Department of Education budget</a> requests changes to early learning programs too, but it is not yet clear what they will mean to programs that focus on pre-K through the 3<sup>rd</sup> grade. For example, the education budget consolidates 38 education programs into 11, and literacy programs are part of the restructuring. They will be subsumed into a broader program called Effective Teaching and Learning. This broader program will have three sections: 1) literacy, 2) science, math, engineering and technology (STEM); and 3) programs that the administration says provide a “well-rounded education,” such as history, art, and economics.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Details are still to come on how the literacy program will work and what types of initiatives it will fund. One of our questions, noted in the Federal Education Budget Project’s “<a href="/downloads/Key_Questions_2011.pdf">Key Questions</a>” <a href="http://edmoney.newamerica.net/blogmain">released yesterday</a>, is whether literacy programs for the PreK-3rd grades will occupy a critical place in this program designed to reach from pre-K through 12<sup>th</sup> grade. But it’s encouraging to see that the budget request is substantial: The administration has requested $450 million to rework $413 million worth of initiatives. Here are the programs that the Department of Education plans to fold under the literacy umbrella:</div>      <div>&nbsp;</div>  <table style="width: 568px; height: 313px;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">  <tbody><tr>   <td colspan="6" valign="bottom" width="408" nowrap="nowrap"><div><b>Literacy programs&nbsp;</b></div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="center"><b>2010</b></div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="center"><b>2011</b></div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td valign="bottom" width="72" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td colspan="4" valign="bottom" width="272" nowrap="nowrap"><div><i>program   expenditures in millions <br></i></div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td colspan="5" valign="bottom" width="344" nowrap="nowrap"><div>Effective   teaching and learning: Literacy (proposed)</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$0</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$450</div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td colspan="3" valign="bottom" width="216" nowrap="nowrap"><div>Early Reading First</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$0</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$0</div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td colspan="3" valign="bottom" width="216" nowrap="nowrap"><div>Striving readers</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$250</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$0</div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td colspan="2" valign="bottom" width="144" nowrap="nowrap"><div>Even start</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="72" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$66</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$0</div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td colspan="4" valign="bottom" width="280" nowrap="nowrap"><div>Literacy through school libraries</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$19</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$0</div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td colspan="3" valign="bottom" width="216" nowrap="nowrap"><div>National writing project</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$26</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$0</div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td colspan="6" valign="bottom" width="408" nowrap="nowrap"><div>Reading is fundamental/Inexpensive book distribution</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$25</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$0</div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td colspan="3" valign="bottom" width="216" nowrap="nowrap"><div>Ready-to-learn television</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$27</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$0</div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td valign="bottom" width="72" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="72" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="72" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td valign="bottom" width="72" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td colspan="3" valign="bottom" width="208" nowrap="nowrap"><div>Total for   literacy programs</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$413</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div align="right">$450</div></td>  </tr>  <tr>   <td valign="bottom" width="72" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="72" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="72" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td valign="bottom" width="64" nowrap="nowrap"><div>&nbsp;</div></td>   <td colspan="4" valign="bottom" width="256" nowrap="nowrap"><div><a href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget11/summary/11summary.pdf">Source</a>: U.S.   Department of Education</div></td>  </tr> </tbody></table>  <div>&nbsp;</div>  <div>The Education budget also supports the Early Learning Challenge Fund, which has been passed by the House as part of the Student Aid and Financial Responsibility Act but <a href="http://higheredwatch.newamerica.net/blogposts/2010/the_day_after_republican_victory_in_mass_could_complicate_student_loan_reform_effort-">has not yet been taken up by the Senate</a>. In the House version, the program would be funded at $1 billion a year for eight years. In Obama’s budget, the funding is described as $9.3 billion over 10 years.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><i>Early Ed Watch </i>and our sister blog, <i><a href="http://edmoney.newamerica.net/blogmain">Ed Money Watch</a>, </i>will be analyzing the budget in detail this week<i>. </i>Stay tuned for more details.</div><p>P.S. You may also be interested in <a href="http://earlyed.newamerica.net/blogposts/2010/boosting_the_child_care_tax_credit_the_impact_on_3_hypothetical_families-26794">our post last week </a>on Obama's proposal to increase the tax credit for child care expenses.</p>