Early learning initiatives are winning fresh federal funding these days from the economic stimulus package, but what happens when this one-time river of money runs dry?
Today, the excellent Politics K-12 blog writes about this funding cliff – when stimulus dollars states use “to backfill cuts and free up money to balance other parts of their budgets” run out in 2011 – and it seems early education could face a similar fall.
The funding collapse could impact pre-kindergarten and preschool programs in a few ways, Politics K-12 blogger Michele McNeil said in an email interview.
“…Some states build pre-K into their bigger K-12 funding formulas…others have it as a separate line-item. If early ed is in the broader funding formula, then it will face the same fate (e.g. potential cuts) as general K-12 funding. If early ed is a separate line item, then when the funding cliff comes and state budget writers are staring a deficit in the face, they will likely protect K-12 first, which means they may cut or reduce the early ed line item if they need to make budget cuts,” the Education Week reporter wrote.
Funding of pre-kindergarten may change sooner than 2011.
"This fall will see a halt, or at least a temporary pause, in the rapid increase in state Pre-K that we have seen over the past several years. In some states this is a disaster. Ohio's program has been eliminated, and a whole laundry list of state's have had their programs cut. These cuts will set back children's learning and development and make it more difficult for their parents' to hold down a job because preschool programs provide education and child care," National Institute for Early Education Research co-director Steve Barnett wrote in recent weeks.
Once money runs out, early learning has a few things going for it. It is a hot topic in statehouses and Congress, with more permanent funding in the federal legislative pipeline, as lawmakers recognize the social and economic gains of quality early education. Plus, President Barack Obama is a big fan of the work.
Even with Obama’s support, money may be hard to find with the federal budget deficit at record levels.
Home Visitation Update: Congress pushed home visitation legislation closer to the president’s desk this week, when the Senate Finance Committee passed it as part of a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s health care system, The Early Ed Watch Blog reports.
The blog offers this hopeful conclusion:
Unless something unexpected happens – and anything is possible given the overheated environment surrounding health care reform (see our post on Chuck Norris) – chances are good that any health care bill that passes the House and Senate will bring home visitation along for the ride.
Check out Early Ed’s complete analysis in its full story.