A bi-weekly e-brief of the DEC Children's Action Network
 
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washington
WHAT'S
HAPPENING
IN
WASHINGTON
★  On September 29th, the President signed a continuing resolution passed by Congress (H.R. 5325) that keeps the government operating by freezing current spending levels through December 9th. It also provides additional funding for military infrastructure and to address the Zika virus. To reach the deal, Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin (R) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California (D) agreed to put aside the issue of Flint Michigan's tainted water supply and infrastructure until after the November election. This means that Congress will revisit the issue of funding IDEA at that time, where proposed cuts to Part D as well as proposed funding freezes for Part C and Part B 619 for FY 2017 remain.




Join in Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Baby IDEA - A Message from the US Department of Education:

This October marks the 30th Anniversary of the passage of Public Law 99-457, which established Part C and mandated Part B, Section 619 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). As key partners in improving results and upholding the rights of infants, toddlers, and preschool children requiring early intervention and special education services, OSEP invites you to join in celebrating this important occasion!
 
Throughout the week of October 3-7, 2016, OSEP will run a campaign showcasing many perspectives from the field, including researchers, families, practitioners, and even individuals who participated in early childhood services through Part C and Part B, Section 619 Preschool. The week will culminate in a Google Hangout to discuss how the law has impacted the field, on Friday, October 7th.
 
So what can you do?
  • Share your story! Blog, Facebook post, Instagram, and share. Share how early childhood provisions in IDEA have affected their lives! Don't forget to tag the post using the #babyIDEAis30 hashtag.
  • Follow OSERS on Twitter, and check out the  Blog  and   YouTube channel throughout the week for new stories, interesting perspectives, and opportunities to discuss and share! The Department of Education is also on  Instagram  (@usedgov) and  Facebook  -don't forget to tag The Department of Education!
  • Upload Videos! We want to hear and see you! OSEP will release videos throughout the week of October 3-7th that shine a light on all that's been accomplished through IDEA services, and what's yet to come for infants, toddlers, and young children with disabilities. We want your insights-tag The Department of Education or use the #babyIDEAis30 hashtag to connect your video with all of us.
  • Tweet, retweet and tweet some more! Show your support on Twitter throughout the week. 
    • Sample tweets: 
      • "30 years of early intervention and preschool special education for kids with disabilities-- Let's continue to #teachthebabies! #babyIDEAis30" 
      • "30 years of improving outcomes for ALL children, at ALL ages. #babyIDEAis30 @ED_Sped_Rehab" 
      • "Investing in early learning-for children of ANY ABILITY- is investing in our future. #babyIDEAis30 @ED_Sped_Rehab" 
      • "Early Intervention leads to improved developmental outcomes. #babyIDEAis30" 
      • "________, what Part C means to me #babyIDEAis30"
      • "________, what 619 Preschool means to me #preK #babyIDEAis30 @ED_Sped_Rehab"
      • Hold an event! 30 years is quite a lot to celebrate, and let's not forget about all the work that led to the passage of PL 99-457! This Anniversary is a great opportunity to bring passionate and dedicated folks together to discuss the past, present, and future of early learning and children with disabilities.  Let The Department of Education know what you're doing to celebrate, and we'll be happy to help promote!
  •  Join the Department of Education on Friday, October 7th for our Early Childhood IDEA Google Hangout!   Visit their website  for more details once they become available.
Please contact Charlotte Stein (charlotte.stein@ed.gov) with questions and ideas. 

★ REMINDER: The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is developing recommendations for the eventual reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). The CEC Board of Directors has created an IDEA Work Group to guide the development of the principles and recommendations. At this time, CEC is seeking input from its members, units, and divisions regarding the successes and challenges of the statute in order to support the creation of these recommendations based on the feedback of membership. CEC tentatively plans to release these recommendations in early 2017. To add your voice and expertise to this important work, please take the CEC IDEA Reauthorization Input Survey by Wednesday, October 12th. Please consider taking this opportunity to share your thoughts, as we need the input of those working in Part C, Part B 619, and early childhood Part B programs. The contributions of DEC members will go a long way to ensuring the official CEC recommendations that are passed on to Congress include targeted recommendations specific to children 0-8 served through IDEA. Further, there will likely be additional opportunities to offer feedback on IDEA reauthorization at the DEC conference.  For more information, check out the CEC IDEA reauthorization flyer

Other updates, courtesy of the Council for Exceptional Children:

Additional national policy and advocacy updates that may be of interest to you from our partners:

 ★ F rom Child Care Aware ® : On September 23 rd , " the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) published the final rule for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) based on the 2014 Child Care and Development Block Grant Act (CCDBG). This final rule updates CCDF regulations for the first time since 1998. 
The final rule includes final regulatory changes on ensuring the health and safety of children in care, helping parents make informed choices on access to quality care, providing equal access to stable, high-quality care for low-income children, and enhancing the quality of care and the early childhood workforce.  
Stay tuned for an in-depth analysis of the final rule from Child Care Aware® of America. A copy of the final rule is available here. "

★ The American Evaluation Association (AEA) is encouraging its members and other national organizations to provide input to the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking (CEP). CEP will hold a public hearing on October 21, 2016 in Washington, DC. The CEP may be of interest to DEC members given its charge to broadly consider how data is used in the policy-making process. As just one example, legislation, rules, and regulations concerning State Performance Plans and Annual Performance Reports (SPP/APR) would be affected by any changes in evidence-based policymaking as determined by the CEP.

From AEA: " The public hearing will provide an opportunity for any interested stakeholder to present their views on issues relevant to the Commission's charge established in Public Law 114-140. This will be one of three such hearings, with others planned for the Midwest and West Coast regions in early 2017. Submit your request to participate to Input@cep.gov no later than October 16, 2016.Your request should include the following information:

     *   Name

     *   Professional Affiliation (if applicable)

     *   2-3 Sentence Abstract

     *   Written Statement (preferably in .pdf format)

Commission staff will inform you of your assigned speaking time and additional logistical details no later than October 19, 2016.  We cannot accommodate requests for specific timeslots.

Please note, any party may submit a written statement without requesting a speaking slot by following the above guidance, but clearly indicating you are not requesting a speaking slot.

All submitted statements will become part of the Commission record, and will be included in publically available records."

In addition, Regulations.gov has posted a Request for Comments for the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking
: "The Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission Act of 2016 (Pub. L. 114-140), enacted March 30, 2016, established a 15-member Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking. The Commission is charged with examining strategies to increase the availability and use of government data, in order to build evidence related to government programs and policies, while protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the data. Over the next year, the Commission will consider how data, research, and evaluation are currently used to build evidence and continuously improve public programs and policies, and how to strengthen evidence-building to inform program and policy design and implementation. The Commission's work will conclude with a presentation of findings and recommendations on evidence-building to Congress and the President. This request for comments seeks public input on a range of issues, including topics the authorizing law directs the Commission to consider. The public comments received from this request will be used to inform future deliberations of the Commission."

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
  • Consider reaching out to candidates in the 2016 election, including those for local, state, and federal office, by asking them targeted questions about their views and plans for early childhood. Check out the Save the Children Action Network for ideas and prompts you can use. 
news
DEC
POLICY  
&
ADVOCACY
NEWS
  • DEC is seeking a new Policy Council Chair! Ashley Lyons has served as Council Chair since its inception in 2014, but will now be transitioning into a new role at DEC, remaining national CAN Coordinator but also focused on content creation and serving in an advisory role to the Policy Council as well as DEC in general.The Chair(s) will continue the important work of planning and supporting DEC policy and advocacy activities that reflect the formal position of DEC, including developing and maintaining strategies and initiatives that are center to supporting DEC's mission and beliefs. We hope to name the new Chair at the annual conference. 
  • Also, we continue to seek new members who are interested in supporting our work. New members to the Council will be considered "at-large" and will shadow existing members to ensure a smooth transition. If you want to stay up-to-date about what is happening in the field and within DEC and would like to lend your voice, please complete our the application survey so we can match you to opportunities that fit best with your interest, experience, and availability.
Children's Action Network
events
UPCOMING DEC POLICY & ADVOCACY EVENTS
1 - DEC Advocacy Webinar
  • What: Follow up from the 32nd Annual International DEC Conference on Young Children with Disabilities and Their Families
  • When: Friday, October 28th at 4 to 5pm ET
  • Where: GoToTraining
  • How to attend: Register for the webinar at 
    https://attendee.gototraining.com/r/4068884992105638914

    After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the training. 
2 -   DEC 2016 Conference
  • What: DEC 32 nd Annual National Conference: A Winning Trifecta: Knowledge, Implementation, and Evaluation of DEC Recommended Practices
  • Where: Louisville, KY at the Galt House Hotel
  • When: October 18 th through October 20 th , 2016
  • Highlights: While there will be many engaging policy and advocacy specific sessions available, the following are DEC and/or OSEP-sponsored sessions that may be of interest:
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19TH
    • DEC POLICY AND ADVOCACY COUNCIL: Advocacy 101: Activating the Grassroots through CAN 9:15 AM until 10:15 AM 
    • OSEP-SPONSORED SESSION: Pay For Success: A New Approach for Funding Early Childhood Programs? 9:15 AM until 10:15 AM 
    • OSEP-SPONSORED SESSION: Seizing Opportunities in the Federal Child Care Law to Improve Inclusion 10:30 AM until 12:00 PM 
    • OSEP-SPONSORED SESSION: State Systemic Improvement Plans: Improving Infant and Toddler Outcomes in Part C 
      2:45 PM until 3:45 PM 
    • OSEP-SPONSORED SESSION: What's Happening in Washington? 
      4:00 PM until 5:30 PM
THURSDAY OCTOBER 20TH
    • OSEP-SPONSORED SESSION: Efforts to Address Disproportionate Discipline Practices in Early Childhood Programs9:15 AM until 10:15 AM 
    • OSEP-SPONSORED SESSION: Federal Early Childhood Policy Statements10:30 AM until 12:00 PM
    • OSEP AND DEC SPONSORED SESSION: Federal and DEC Listening Session 
       1:30 PM until 2:30 PM

telluswhatyouthink
TELL US
WHAT
YOU
THINK
 
★ Have you reviewed the new Child Care regulations?

YES       NO       UNSURE

Have you registered for the DEC Conference in Louisville? 

YES       NO       UNSURE

Will you participate in the CEP public hearing in D.C. on October 21st?  

YES       NO       UNSURE

Are you interested in submitting a public comment regarding evidence-based policymaking?
 
   YES      NO      
 
Do you plan to complete CEC IDEA Reauthorization Input Survey (or have you already)? 
  
    YES      NO      

★ Will you pledge to take action to contact your representatives and senators to improve IDEA funding for early childhood intervention and early intervention in the continuing resolution (CR) when prompted?  
  
    YES      NO      
 
★ Will you apply, or ask a colleague to apply, for the Policy and Advocacy Council Chair position?  
  
    YES      NO      
states
 U
Have an early childhood special education policy or advocacy story you would like to share? Whether you are a Subdivision leader/member or just an interested DEC member unaffiliated with a Subdivision, contact brittany@dec-sped.org or DEC CAN Coordinator anlyons@kent.edu to share what's happening in your state or Subdivision or just to bring awareness to an important policy or advocacy issue relevant to DEC. 
Please note that all story submissions must be non-partisan in nature. If you are interested in guidance on how to craft your story and/or how to ensure it is non-partisan, Ashley Lyons will be happy to help! Selected stories will be shared in a future issue of YES DEC CAN!