“While there are a plethora of reasons people of birthing age are opting out of parenthood, such as prioritization of education and careers, easy access to contraception, pandemic fears, and contentment with their current livelihood, a growing share of childless adults cite financial reasons and economic instability as a deterrent for having children or choosing to have fewer children. Having children in today’s society is becoming a social privilege and unattainable for many.”
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A survey conducted by Motherly on “the state of motherhood” found that mothers who have remained in the workforce throughout the pandemic have become more pessimistic about combining a career and motherhood: 23% surveyed said they don’t think it’s possible to combine them (up from 17% in 2021). For non-working mothers, 30% feel combining work and motherhood is impossible (up from 26% in 2021).
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State
Ohio has selected its new state superintendent of public instruction – Steve Dackin, whose former roles have included superintendent of Reynoldsburg City Schools, superintendent of school and community partnerships for Columbus State University, and former vice president for the Ohio State Board of Education.
Ohio families receiving publicly funded child care (PFCC) assistance will see their copayments waived temporarily, according to new guidance from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS). (Ohio families living at up to 142% of the federal poverty line qualify for PFCC; those at 100% or less have no copayments, while those between 100% and 142% have a small copayment amount based on family size and income.) The recent announcement of copayment relief was made possible from a provision passed in last year’s state biennial budget that set aside $50 million from federal funds to provide discounts in co-payments to families. The one-time nature of this set-aside in federal funds means that the financial relief will be available to PFCC-receiving families only temporarily and it is difficult to estimate how long the waiver will last.
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Federal
Congress is working on child care funding solutions, with Democrats pitching a $150-200 billion proposal that would go toward the Children Care and Development Block Grant, Head Start, and a new grant program for states to expand pre-K access. Politico explains it here.
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Crane faculty affiliate Eric Anderman joined the College of Education and Human Ecology’s Inspire Podcast discussing teacher turnover during – and even before – the pandemic.
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In Connecticut, the state legislature approved a $150 million investment in child care as part of its state budget. The funding will provide more than a thousand infant and toddler child care slots, paid apprenticeship programs, and wage supplements for all state child care providers. According to the governor, it represents the largest state investment into child care in Connecticut.
Chalkbeat Colorado has two reads on efforts to expand the state’s preschool teacher workforce:
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This article highlights a new state program that pays for two introductory early childhood college courses, part of an initiative to attract and hire more early childhood teachers before the state launches universal preschool in 2023.
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This piece focuses on a Colorado child care center run by an organization which works with refugee families to provide child care, housing, language resources, job readiness, and mental health services. The organization, The Village Institute, also works with refugee women to help them advance their careers with college classes and certification courses. Two women who benefitted from this programming took courses to become preschool teachers at the center to give back and serve other refugee families.
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Next week (Monday, May 16 at 2pm) the Ohio Legislative Children’s Caucus is hosting an event to highlight Foster Care Awareness Month. Register here.
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Here’s an important read on the role and importance of mixed-delivery pre-K programs (public and private) and the economics behind it, written by Hunt Institute CEO Javaid Siddiqi.
A vice president of education policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Cheryl Oldham, lists five immediate steps policy leaders should take to ease the country’s child care crisis.
ZERO TO THREE has released its latest yearbook on the State of Babies, which is chock full of data and analysis on trends affecting our nation’s youngest as well as state-specific findings that are easily searchable.
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Kindergarteners who display disruptive behavior are at risk for later bullying, according to researchers who explain their findings in The Conversation. The study is the first of its kind, with the authors noting that they “hope the information helps parents and school staff identify and support young children who are especially likely to be bullied.”
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This edition written by: Jamie O'Leary and Caitlin Lennon |
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