Tuned In is taking another short spring break next week and will return on April 22. 
Quotable & Notable
“BIPOC children are subject to surveillance and punitive discipline beginning in their early childhood years. Research has shown that young Black children specifically are disciplined at higher rates than their peers, are both over and underrepresented in the special education population, and are more likely to be chronically absent than White children.” 
Fact of the Week
When pandemic school shutdowns began, the USDA relaxed the rules surrounding the school breakfast and lunch program, allowing all students to get free meals while learning remotely. At the height of the pandemic, about 700,000 Ohio children were considered food insecure. However, these rules are set to expire at the end of the current school year.
Policy Radar
County 
Franklin County commissioners recently announced a $23 million investment into the Franklin County RISE Initiative. The program will provide early learning scholarships for families who make too much to qualify for assistance but cannot afford to pay out of pocket; provide financial incentives to child care providers to accept low-income families, improve quality ratings, and expand their hours; and provide rental assistance to child care workers who are historically underpaid. 
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State 
State Sen. Teresa Fedor has introduced a bill that would create a universal preschool program, an initiative she has championed in the past. SB 318 would require Ohio to establish a statewide program should Congress appropriate the funds (as it would have under the Build Back Better Act). According to Gongwer News, Sen. Fedor plans to re-introduce a joint resolution that would require Ohio to establish universal preschool – an effort she has made in past legislative sessions. 
 
Ohio is one of just 10 states without an online program to enroll in WIC (a supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children). The Center for Community Solutions is highlighting this issue and calling for Ohio to modernize its system so as to improve uptake rates and improve overall health and well-being for women and children. 
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New from Crane
Crane’s latest Riveting Research blog explains the importance of having warm, positive interactions when reading with children. Read the piece here, by guest author Dr. Rebecca Dore, Director of Research in the Crane Center.  
What We're Reading
The Columbus Dispatch sounded the alarm on stark increases to the number of children in our area who failed their speech and hearing tests (comparing 2019 to 2021). The article describes possible reasons for the worrisome trend: “With families on lock-down for much of the pandemic, many kids missed out on play dates, story time at the library and other outings where they could socialize with other children. And without being around other families, doctors and educators, some parents had a hard time figuring out whether their children were developmentally on track or not.” 
 
Meanwhile, New America brings attention to the mental health and behavioral challenges facing early childhood providers, through the lens of ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) and what must be done to prioritize child wellness. 
 
Finally, this article in BBC News reminds us that the developmental challenges being seen during the pandemic aren’t limited by geography. The article describes similar speech, language, and mental health challenges in England, based on a government report by the country’s Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills.
Research Round Up
A new study led by OSU professor Dr. Wendy Xu found that almost one in five children with chronic medical conditions who also require behavioral health treatment must see out-of-network specialists for treatment. This study is unique because, according to the authors, there currently doesn’t exist a wide breadth of research on pediatric out-of-network health coverage. Dr. Xu offers policy solutions, including implementing a requirement for a minimum number of specialty healthcare providers based on insurance plan enrollment. 
 
According to new research from Georgetown University, University of Wisconsin, and ChildTrends, Tulsa (Oklahoma) preschoolers who participated in the universal, state-funded preschool program were more likely to take advanced courses in high school and attend school regularly. This study adds more valuable insight to the discussion about preschool “fadeout”, especially following the latest and much-talked-about study on Tennessee’s state-funded program. Lead author of the study Sara Amadon noted, “The fact that students were attending school more days, the fact that they were enrolling in different types of courses indicates some sort of different engagement in and commitment to their education and their schooling… It didn’t translate to GPA or test scores, but, you know, we also know that GPA and test scores are just one part of the puzzle of persistence and engagement through high school. Those behavioral indicators are also really powerful predictors of graduation.” 
This edition written by: Jamie O'Leary and Caitlin Lennon
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