Budget Cuts May Loom For Fed Money For Children

More from the NAEYC:

FEDERAL BUDGET IN CONFERENCE

The House and Senate have adopted different versions of a budget for Fiscal Year 2008 and are now “in conference” to negotiate the differences into a single budget resolution.
Action needed: Please call your Senators and Representatives and tell them that the final budget agreement must:

• adopt the House of Representative’s amount for the overall domestic discretionary funding increases. The House version provides roughly $7 billion more than the Senate budget. (Discretionary programs include Head Start, part of CCDBG, and other education programs)
  
• adopt the Senate’s reserve fund to increase mandatory funding for child care
  
• adopt the $50 billion increase in SCHIP which is in both the House and Senate bills
  
• adopt the larger House amount for Food Stamps to reduce hunger
  
• not extend or create new tax cuts that reduce needed revenues to increase critical programs such as Head Start and child care

Capitol Hill Switchboard: 202-224-3121 or 202-225-3121.

Call 'em if you care...I do.

HOR Speaker Announces Children's Summit

This just in from Washington (via the NAEYC):

SPEAKER PELOSI ANNOUNCES CHILDREN’S SUMMIT

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will convene a National Summit on America's
Children in Washington that will feature national experts and practitioners
speaking to legislators about effective strategies for supporting young children
and their families in the areas of early childhood development, health, and
family income support. The Summit will take place in D.C. on Tuesday, May 22,
and will be chaired by Reps. George Miller, Rosa DeLauro, and Chaka Fattah. We
will let you know more about the summit as details are finalized.

Setting Parenting Philosophies

Parent and Child Magazine presented these superb tips to prioritize your child-rearing:

1. Your Relationship You are the most powerful influence in your child's life. Without a connection to your child, none of the other priorities will be possible. Well-adjusted kids have strong, respect-based relationships with their parents. These parents tend not to be drill sergeants or buddies. Instead, they consistently hold to fair limits for their child. These parents approach borders with calm, not rage, and teach values with love, not a fear of whether or not their child will make the right decisions.

2. Your Child's Heart Integrity, compassion, courage - these aspects of your child's character push the values in his mind into actions. Values without heart are useless. Encourage experiences where your child will interact with and see things firsthand. Better yet, model them. Focus on who you want your child to be at age 40, not 19. Your job is not to raise an Ivy Leaguer, but to shape the parent of your grandchildren.

3. Your Child's Identity Instead of controlling your child, help her learn to control herself. This requires that she develop values that are her own. The successful (and safe) teen doesn't say, "No thanks. I can't drink - my dad would kill me." She says, "No thanks. I don't drink." Building positive values comes from allowing kids to explore who they are and what they believe. Whenever possible, encourage your child to make age-appropriate decisions about appearance, interests, and ethics.

4. Your Child's Academic Success Do what you can to use positive incentives for great grades, but know that tormenting your child for academic excellence can be detrimental. Insist on academic successes that are appropriate for your child. Remember that when the time comes there are safety nets for older kids who haven't learned how to learn. For example, community colleges can be great launching pads to the best schools in the world. Immediate excellence won't make or break your child.

5. Your Child's Activities Sports, music, and enrichment programs are wonderful things, but only in the dose that's correct for your child. Each kid is unique. As a rule of thumb, push for at least one activity. But be sure to remember that unstructured pastimes (like your young child's dollhouse or a teen's rock band) are great places to learn many complex and critical life skills like discipline, negotiation, and tolerance.