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Presidential Candidate Stances on Child Welfare
CWLA continues to monitor the platforms and statements of ALL Presidential candidates in order to track their stances on child welfare issues.
The information below has been taken verbatim from the candidates' websites, statements, and press releases. All information is direct quotes from their materials. We specifically looked for information on child abuse, foster care, adoptions, youth at risk, home visiting, and broadly defined child care (child care, Head Start and Pre-K). By law, CWLA does not support any one candidate, but is providing their stances for educational purposes.
Senator Hillary Clinton
Foster Care/Adoption
Throughout her adult life, Hillary has worked to help children in foster care. She believes that children in foster care are "our children," that they face unique challenges, and that they deserve permanent loving homes. For over thirty-five years, Hillary has fought for policies that will give all children in foster care the opportunity to fulfill their God-given potential.
As a young law student, Hillary worked at the Yale New Haven Hospital, helping to develop approaches for determining when child abuse was occurring and what steps to take. As First Lady, Hillary helped enact the Adoption and Safe Families Act, which doubled the number of adoptions out of foster care. Achieving that goal represented enormous progress. Yet still 514,000 children are in foster care, and this year, more than 24,000 children aged out of foster care--the highest number since states began keeping track in 1998. Today, Hillary is announcing a plan to redouble our efforts--again to double the number of children adopted out of foster care from 50,000 to 100,000 over five years--and to restore the foster care system to its original intent--a temporary home, not a home for life.
In order to achieve this goal, Hillary will reform the way our nation funds child welfare services. In theory, these systems are supposed to encourage "permanency": a permanent loving relationship-with birth parents whenever possible, and if that is impossible, in another permanent home. Yet in practice, we create the wrong incentives, funding states heavily based on the number of children in foster care. As a result, states lose out if they succeed in keeping families together in the first place or in moving children toward adoption. And funds are tightly tied to foster care, so that states can not invest in preventing foster care placement, for example by providing emergency housing for a family on the verge of eviction. As President, Hillary will preserve the entitlement for children in foster care, yet at the same time create more flexibility and new resources so that states can put the interests of children first.
Through her new approach, she'll prevent many children from entering foster care in the first place by giving their families the help they need before a crisis occurs. When children must be removed from a family, she will move the system towards making foster care temporary so that the child can return home safely and quickly. And when a child can't return home, Hillary will work to ensure prompt adoption, or in some cases, a permanent home with a family member. In every case, she will make sure families have what they need to do what only families can do: keep children safe and loved.
Getting Adoptive Parents in the Door -- A recent study found that 48 million Americans have said they would consider adopting out of foster care. Approximately 240,000 Americans reach out to child welfare agencies each year to inquire about adopting or fostering a child, but only 22% of those fill out an application or attend an orientation meeting; only 6% complete the adoption home-study; and an even smaller fraction actually adopts or fosters a child. The problem is that states aren't investing in encouraging parents to adopt; while 22% of children in the foster care system are available for adoption, yet states spend only 1.3% of their foster care funds on recruiting and training foster and adoptive parents. We can do much more to draw in prospective parents and connect them with children who desperately need loving families. As President, Hillary will:
Recruit Prospective Adoptive Parents -- Hillary will provide an enhanced federal match for child welfare funds spent on parent recruitment initiatives. She will also provide $50 million for innovative public-private partnerships designed to recruit and retain prospective parents. Hillary's guiding principle will be that no child should remain in foster care for one day longer than is necessary.
Require states to streamline their adoption processes in order to make them user-friendly. As President, Hillary will require states--as a condition of receiving child welfare funding--to develop and implement improved systems for retaining adoptive parents all the way through the process. States will be required to track the number of inquiries they receive as well as their retention rate at every step in the process, and to develop and implement an action plan based on their findings. And she will gather and disseminate information on the best practices communities are using to recruit and retain adoptive parents so that states and communities can build on each other's successes in this area.
Make the Adoption Tax Credit Permanent. The Adoption Tax Credit provides $10,960 to cover any costs incurred in the course of an adoption, or in the case of children adopted out of foster care, any tax liability of the adoptive parents. This credit is set to expire in 2010. As President, Hillary will make this tax credit permanent. She will also look for ways to provide an even greater incentive to adopt children out of foster care, such as making it partially refundable.
Keeping Adoptive Families Together. While most adoptions succeed, 10 to 25 percent of adoptions out of foster care are dissolved or disrupted. One major reason is that adoptive parents often can't get the support their children need. In the most tragic instances, adoptive families have to send children back to foster care to get them the services they need, such as mental health treatment. In addition, many states provide less in adoption assistance than foster care assistance, discouraging foster parents who'd like to adopt from actually doing so. As President, Hillary will:
Fund comprehensive post-adoption services. Hillary will ensure that federal funds support children who have been adopted out of foster care and make mental health and other services for adopted children reimbursable under federal child welfare guidelines, just as these services are for children in foster care.
Increase access to adoption assistance. Hillary will put adoption on a level playing field with foster care by increasing adoption assistance payments to the same level as foster care payments, in states where they are lower.
Subsidized Guardianship. Hillary will also support families doing what they have done for generations--caring for their extended kin. She will provide federal resources to support subsidized guardianship programs for children who have been in foster care for at least one year, are not candidates for adoption or returning home, and who demonstrate a strong attachment to a relative who is willing and able to care for them. Through subsidized guardianship, children can achieve permanency yet remain connected to their biological relatives. Research has shown that the availability of guardianships encourages permanency, including adoptions, by encouraging family members to think in terms of the children's long-term interests. Because subsidized guardianship has worked in the states where it is available, Hillary will support it nationwide.
-- From Hillary Clinton: Promoting a Loving Family for Every Child12/23/2007 Press Release
Home visiting (including Nurse Family Practitioner)
Nurse-Home Visitation for Every New At-Risk Mother. Building on her long history of working to expand home visiting programs in Arkansas and First Lady, Hillary will expand home visitation programs, including The Nurse Family Partnership program, one of the most proven interventions for improving child outcomes for at-risk children. These programs send qualified nurses and social workers to meet with first time, at risk, pregnant women to help them maintain their prenatal health and develop their parenting skills. Over fifteen years the Nurse Family Partnership program has achieved stunning results: 48 percent less incidence of child abuse and neglect; an 83 percent increase in workforce participation by low-income unmarried mothers; 69 percent fewer convictions at age 15; 56 percent fewer doctor and hospital visits due to childhood injuries through child age; and a 25 percent reduction in cigarette smoking by mothers during pregnancy. As president, Hillary will ensure that every new at-risk mother is offered access to this valuable intervention.
-- From Giving Every Child a Chance Hillary Clinton's Plan to Reduce Child Poverty 2/28/2008 Press Release
At Risk Youth
Many at-risk youth are falling off the track to higher education and career success early in their middle school years because they lack the tools and positive role models to help them succeed. To help keep at-risk youth motivated to stay in school, pursue higher education and good jobs, Hillary will:
Expand Early-Intervention Mentoring Programs to Help One Million At-Risk Youth Aspire for College and Job Success: Successful preparation for post-secondary education is increasingly vital for young workers to succeed in our globalized economy. The federal GEAR UP program currently supports innovative partnerships between local school systems, colleges, businesses, and non-profit organizations to provide middle-school students in high risk schools with comprehensive college-readiness services -- including tutoring, mentoring, and college visits. Students remain enrolled in the program as they transition into high school, and receive curricular and academic support at key points in their academic career. Other mentoring programs like the Hillside Work Scholarship Connection in Rochester, New York have employed promising strategies, including the development of individualized college and career plans for middle-school students. Despite promising results, the Bush Administration has consistently tried to eliminate federal funding for such early-intervention mentoring programs. Hillary will double federal support for early intervention mentoring programs over five years, benefiting an additional one million middle-school students in high-risk schools.
Invest $100 Million in a New Public/Private Summer Internship Program: The summer months are critical for at-risk youth. Without positive enrichment, these youth can lose ground academically, further widening the achievement gap and increasing the likelihood that they will drop-out of school. Yet when young people have a chance to work in a job setting or on meaningful service during the summer, they learn the value and potential of work, and are more likely to stay in school and stay on track. In addition, well-designed summer internships provide valuable access to informal networks, which are vital in a job market where about 70% of jobs are secured through such connections.
Many businesses are eager to take on summer interns or apprentices to fill growing labor shortages, and are willing to help cover costs. But to participate, they need confidence that they are working with a trusted intermediary that will manage placement and prepare students so they are ready to contribute on day one. A number of organizations across the country are pioneering innovative partnerships with local schools and businesses to facilitate high-quality summer internships that teach work and academic skills. As President, Hillary will provide $100 million over five years in challenge grants to scale successful models and create internship coordination centers in cities across the country.
Support Comprehensive, Community-Based Approaches to Reengaging Disconnected Youth: While education is fundamentally important to improving the life chances of at-risk youth, more must be done to provide second-chances to those who fall out of the education system. Hillary will:
Provide Opportunity for 1.5 Million Disconnected Youth in Job Programs Linked to High-Growth Economic Sectors: Hillary understands that young people who are out of work and out of school need more than a minimum-wage job -- they need skills, self-confidence, a supportive community, and relevant academic and skills training that can put them back on the path to education or a high-paying job in their own community. Yet currently the federal government provides such training to less than 200,000 disconnected young people each year. As President, Hillary will double the number of education and job training opportunities available over 5 years -- providing support to more than 1.5 million new youth over the next decade. She will do so by expanding successful federal programs -- such as Youth Build, Job Corps, National Guard Challenge, AmeriCorps and Youth Service Corps--that allow youth to serve their communities and learn to make a difference while making a living. She will also invest in promising new state and local programs and new sectoral training partnerships that prepare youth for jobs in high-growth industries in their own communities, including renewable energy, health care, engineering, construction and financial services. These programs should work closely with area businesses so participants can see tangible job prospects at the end of the process. They should also seek to provide a critical mass of peer and community support to help young people make a break from gangs or drugs and get on the right path.
Support City and Community Plans to Track Drop-Outs and Take Responsibility for Disconnected Youth: Hillary believes it will truly "take a village" to address the overlapping educational, economic and social challenges facing disconnected youth. She will call on mayors and other local officials to convene leaders from the education, business, non-profit, religious and workforce development sectors to develop comprehensive, locally-owned strategies to reengage at-risk youth. The federal government will support this process by awarding $250 million per year in competitive grants to lower-income cities and communities. Communities will be encouraged to build off promising models like creating community youth centers with case managers to track youth and provide support services, and expanding alternative education and Career Academy programs.
--From Hillary's Youth Opportunity Agenda Fact Sheet
Child Care (Child care, Head start and Pre-K)
Child Care
Hillary has worked on expanding access and improving the quality of child care in our country for decades. The Bush Administration has essentially frozen the level of child care funding for the last eight years. As a result, the real purchasing power of child care subsidies has fallen significantly. According to the Bush Administration's own estimates, 300,000 children will lose child care assistance by 2010, and 150,000 have already lost child care assistance since 2000.
Hillary believes we need to increase child care funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant and return the program to it's original intent: to serve working families. She will also work with Congress to reform the Dependent Care Tax Credit to address its shortcomings. And she will improve the quality of child care by investing in:
- Helping states improve and enforce licensing and safety standards;
- Supporting innovative public-private partnerships that increase the supply of affordable, high quality child care for working families;
- Promoting and supporting quality rating systems that help families evaluate programs; and
- Supporting workforce initiatives that help child care providers get the right training
Enabling Working Parents to Take Leave to Stay Home with Their Children. Hillary has long supported giving every parent a real choice about whether to stay home and care for their children full time or work outside the home. That is why she is proposing to allow qualifying, low-income parents who want to stay at home rather than place their children in child care to receive child care subsidies through the Child Care Development Block Grant. This program would award grants to states to support stay-at-home parents. Currently, only parents who place their children in child care are eligible to receive assistance to the Child Care Development Block Grant. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
-- From: Hillary Clinton's Agenda for Working Families: Helping Parents Balance Work & Family Press Release 10/16/07
Head Start
For almost 40 years, Head Start has helped prepare children to succeed in school by providing comprehensive services addressing all the barriers children in poverty face. Today, almost 50,000 of New York's lowest-income families benefit from the educational, health, mental health, dental, nutritional, and parent involvement services provided by Head Start, and research shows this program is working.
According to recent data, Head Start participants increased their vocabulary and writing skills more than the average American child. Furthermore, parents are overwhelmingly pleased with their child's Head Start experience. According to the President Bush's Management Council, Head Start received the highest customer satisfaction score of any government agency.
I strongly supported the Senate passage of S.556, the Head Start for School Readiness Act. This legislation increases Head Start funding to $7.350 billion for FY 2008--an increase of 6% in the first year. The Head Start for School Readiness Act also:
- Increases eligibility guidelines from 100% to 130% of the poverty level and expand Early Head Start to reach more infants and toddlers;
- Increases the skills, training, and compensation of Head Start teachers , while ensuring that parents' voices are heard in the day-to-day operations of Head Start programs; and
- Improves services to emerging disadvantaged populations.
The first three years of any child's life are the most important developmentally. The Head Start for School Readiness Act supports programs that ensure infants and toddlers are stimulated, read to, and nurtured so that that they grow into strong, healthy, curious adults.
-- From Hillary Clinton's Senate website: Education
Pre-K
Today, Hillary Clinton announced a proposal to provide quality pre-kindergarten to all children to ensure that they are ready to learn when they start school. Currently, less than 20 percent--only 800,000 out of four million--of four year olds and 120,000 three year olds are enrolled in state pre-K programs, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research. Hillary's proposal would ensure that every child who needs pre-K would receive it by providing universal access to high quality pre-K for four year olds in five years through a federal-state partnership. Her proposal also provides flexibility to allow states to serve younger children once they have provided pre-K to all four year olds who need it. This Presidential policy builds on her record of working for children over the last 35 years.
Hillary Clinton is proposing a national Pre-K initiative that would provide funding to states to establish high-quality pre-K programs. States would have to devise a plan for making voluntary pre-K services universally available for all four year olds in the state in order to participate. In addition, they would provide pre-K at no cost to children from low-income and/or limited English homes. As states increase participation and growth their programs, the federal government will be their partner, scaling up its investment in concert with states.
To ensure that programs prepare children to be ready to learn, states would have to ensure their pre-K programs they are high quality. This means hiring teachers with a bachelor's degree and specialized training in early childhood development; using an age-appropriate curriculum; ensuring that each child receives individualized attention through low teacher to child ratios; and monitoring and providing oversight of children's health and safety. If states have achieved these quality benchmarks, they will be able to use the funds flexibly to meet the needs of their local communities. They could serve younger children; raise teachers' salaries; provide additional support and training for teachers or engage in other activities that expand and improve their pre-K programs.
Because states use different methods for administering their early childhood systems, funds from this program will be allocated to Governors. Governors will use this funding to build upon their early childhood systems.
The proposal requires states to work with existing community-based preschools to ensure that parents a range of options when deciding where to enroll their children.
States will match the federal investment dollar for dollar. States' must provide pre-K services free of charge to four year olds from low-income working families and children from limited English households. States may also use these funds to expand their Head Start programs. The federal government will allocate $5 billion in the first year to states to establish and administer universal Pre-K. Over the next five years, the federal commitment will increase to $10 billion as states increase their commitment to Pre-K.
According to Nobel Laureate James Heckman of the University of Chicago, one half of the black-white achievement gap present at the end of high school is evident before children start school. Studies show children aged 2-4 who participate in high quality, intensive preschool interventions:
- Are less likely to repeat a grade (Yale Child Study Center, "State Efforts to Evaluate the Effects of Pre-Kindergarten
- Are less likely to be placed in special education (Chicago Longitudinal Study)
- Score higher on 4th grade math and reading proficiency tests (Yale Child Study Center, "State Efforts to Evaluate the Effects of Pre-Kindergarten).
- Graduate from high school at higher rates (Chicago Longitudinal Study).
- Are employed at higher rates and earn higher wages (High/Scope Perry Preschool Project).
According to a recent analysis by economist Robert Lynch, high quality universal pre-kindergarten programs pay for themselves after nine years and produce a growing annual return in the years beyond. In response to this research, states have increased their investments in pre-K significantly in recent years. State level spending has increased by $1 billion in the last two years alone. Yet, state-funded pre-k programs still serve less than one in five four year olds in the U.S.
Hillary Clinton is committed to achieving big goals while maintaining a commitment to fiscal discipline. She will invest in providing pre-k for all children without increasing the deficit by ending the abuse of no-bid contracts and cutting the number of contractors working for the federal government by 500,000 over the next ten years through an Executive Order, saving $10 to $18 billion a year.
-- From Universal Pre-K Fact Sheet
Senator John McCain
Child Abuse
Protecting Children from Internet Pornography
John McCain believes the Internet offers tremendous promise in terms of freedom of expression, information sharing, and the spread of knowledge and commerce. It represents the greatest innovation of the modern era in terms of the democratization of free speech and access to information. From human rights groups in China to bloggers here in the United States, the Internet has opened a global dialogue that has propelled the world into an exciting new century of connectivity and communication.
However, there is a darker side to the Internet. Along with the access and anonymity of the Internet have come those who would use it to peddle child pornography and other sexually explicit material and to prey upon children.
-- From On the Issues-Human Dignity & the Sanctity of Life
John McCain has been a leader in pushing legislation through Congress that requires all schools and libraries receiving federal subsidies for Internet connectivity to utilize technology to restrict access to sexually explicit material by children using such computers. While the first line of defense for children will always be strong and involved parents, when they send their child to school or drop their child off at the library, parents have the right to feel safe that someone is going to be looking out for their children.
-- From On the Issues-Human Dignity & the Sanctity of Life
Protecting Children from Online Predators
America's most precious asset is its children. The innocence of childhood provides hope for the future and refreshes and restores the ideals of this great country. However, there are those who prey upon this innocence and the Internet offers these predators unprecedented, often anonymous, access to children. John McCain has taken a hard line against pedophiles that would use the Internet to prey upon children by proposing the first-of-its-kind national online registry for persons who have been convicted of sex crimes against children. Senator McCain's legislation requires that sex offenders register all online accounts in a national database that can be used by law enforcement to investigate crimes against children. If these predators fail to register they would be sent to prison for ten years. The legislation also makes use of the Internet an "aggravating factor" in sex crimes against children, adding an additional ten years to any conviction. It is the responsibility of government to do all that can be done to protect children from predators who lurk on the Internet.
-- From On the Issues-Human Dignity & the Sanctity of Life
Adoption
In 1993, John McCain and his wife, Cindy, adopted a little girl from Mother Teresa's orphanage in Bangladesh. She has been a blessing to the McCain family and helped make adoption advocacy a personal issue for the Senator.
The McCain family experience is not unique; millions of families have had their lives transformed by the adoption of a child. As president, motivated by his personal experience, John McCain will seek ways to promote adoption as a first option for women struggling with a crisis pregnancy. In the past, he cosponsored legislation to prohibit discrimination against families with adopted children, to provide adoption education, and to permit tax deductions for qualified adoption expenses, as well as to remove barriers to interracial and inter-ethnic adoptions.
-- From On the Issues-Human Dignity & the Sanctity of Life
Senator Barack Obama
Child Abuse
Reduce Domestic Violence: One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. Obama will protect women and children from domestic violence. He introduced legislation to combat domestic violence by providing $25 million a year for partnerships between domestic violence prevention organizations and fatherhood or marriage programs to train staff in domestic violence services, provide services to families affected by domestic violence, and to develop best practices in domestic violence prevention.
-- From BARACK OBAMA: A CHAMPION FOR CHILDREN
Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect: There are nearly three million annual reports of child abuse and neglect. The tragedy of child abuse claims thousands of innocent lives each year, while ruining millions more. Moreover, it has been estimated that the direct cost to taxpayers of child protection and foster care is $20 billion, while another $100 billion is spent on issues related to child abuse, including crime, prisons, mental health, special education, medical care, and drug abuse. Obama is committed to preventing child abuse and supports proven and effective means to combat the tragedy of child abuse.
--From BARACK OBAMA: A CHAMPION FOR CHILDREN
Register and Restrict Sex Offenders: Barack Obama helped create a national sex offender database through his cosponsorship of Dru's Law. The law was incorporated into the larger Adam Walsh Child Protection Act, a measure Obama also supported. Obama also cosponsored the Sex Offender registration and Notification Act. The bill is set to bring stiffer penalties to bear against those who commit sex crimes against children under the age of 12. It also creates an online National Sex Offender Public Registry and gives grants to local law enforcement agencies for prevention and investigation. Obama supports the KIDSA Act, which requires sex offenders to provide their Internet identifies (email addresses, instant messaging tags, etc.) for use in the National Sex Offender Public Registry
-- From BARACK OBAMA: A CHAMPION FOR CHILDREN
Protecting Meth's Youngest Victims: Children living in or visiting methamphetamine labs not only face great physical danger from chemical contamination and fire and explosion, but they are at a heightened risk for abuse, neglect, and continued social and developmental problems. Obama cosponsored legislation providing assistance to the children of methamphetamine abusers in the U.S. Senate, and he will continue to support meth's youngest victims as president.
-- From BARACK OBAMA: A CHAMPION FOR CHILDREN
Foster Care
The foster care system is failing children who need help the most. Obama recognizes that part of the solution is to increase the quantity of foster homes improve training for foster parents and increase coordination between law enforcement and child welfare officials so that abuse can be stopped. Young adults graduating from foster care often have a rough time living independently. One study found that within two to four years only 54% had completed high school, less than half had jobs and 25% had experienced homelessness. Obama will invest in innovative new job training and workforce development programs that will provided those in foster care with the skills necessary to compete in the modern American workforce.
-- From BARACK OBAMA: A CHAMPION FOR CHILDREN
Home Visiting (including Nurse Family Practitioner)
Barack Obama would expand the highly programs like the successful Nurse-Family Partnership to all low-income, first-time mothers. The Nurse-Family Partnership provides home visits by trained registered nurses to low-income expectant mothers and their families. The trained nurses use proven methods to help improve the mental and physical health of the family by providing counseling on substance abuse, creating and achieving personal goals, and effective methods of nurturing children. Proven benefits of these types of programs include improved women's prenatal health, a reduction in childhood injuries, fewer unintended pregnancies, increased father involvement and women's employment, reduced use of welfare and food stamps, and increased children's school readiness. Researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis concluded that these programs produced an average of five dollars in savings for every dollar invested and produced more than $28,000 in net savings for every high-risk family enrolled in the program. The Obama plan would assist approximately 570,000 first-time mothers each year.
-- From FAMILY
At Risk Youth
Reduce the High School Dropout Rate
Only 70 percent of U.S. high school students graduate with a diploma. African American and Latino students are significantly less likely to graduate than white students. Today, dropouts are twice as likely to be unemployed, and for those who work, pay is low, advancement limited and health insurance less available
Success in the Middle: The dropout problem begins well before high school. The middle grades (grades 5, 6, 7, 8) are a crucial, but often overlooked, segment of the educational pipeline. Middle school students must gain skills in reading, mathematics, and other subjects to be successful in the rigorous high school coursework that follows. Early indicators can reveal students that need the most help. Sixth-grade students who do not attend school regularly, who undergo frequent disciplinary actions, or who fail mathematics or English have only a 10 percent chance of graduating high school on time. The eight-grade gap in NAEP mathematics scores between white and Hispanic students was as wide in 2007 in 1990. Without effective interventions and supports, at-risk sixth-grade students are at risk of becoming tenth-grade dropouts. As president, Barack Obama will address these risks at the appropriate time, rather than waiting for ninth-grade to start taking action. In the U.S. Senate, Obama has introduced the "Success in the Middle Act," which will provide federal support to improve the education of middle grades students in low-performing schools by:
- Requiring states to develop a detailed plan to improve middle-school student achievement.
- Developing and utilizing early identification data systems to identify those students most at-risk of dropping out.
- Investing in proven strategies such as: (1) providing professional development and coaching to school leaders, teachers and other school personnel in addressing the needs of diverse learners and in using challenging and relevant research-based best practices and curriculum; and (2) developing and implementing comprehensive, school-wide improvement efforts and implementing student supports such as personal academic plans, teaching teams, parent involvement, mentoring, intensive reading and math instruction and extended learning time that enables all students to stay on the path to graduation.
-- From BARACK OBAMA'S PLAN FOR LIFETIME SUCCESS THROUGH EDUCATION
Strengthen Fatherhood and Families
Since 1960, the number of American children without fathers in their lives has quadrupled, from 6 million to more than 24 million. Children without fathers in their lives are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime, nine times more likely to drop out of school, and 20 times more likely to end up in prison. Obama has re-introduced the Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act to remove some of the government penalties on married families, crack down on men avoiding child support payments, ensure that support payments go to families instead of state bureaucracies, fund support services for fathers and their families, and support domestic violence prevention efforts. As president, Obama will sign this bill into law and continue to implement innovative measures to strengthen families.
--From BARACK OBAMA: A CHAMPION FOR CHILDREN
Child Care
Affordable, High-Quality Child Care: Obama will also provide affordable and high-quality child care to ease the burden on working families.
Expand High-Quality Afterschool Opportunities: Obama will double funding for the main federal support for afterschool programs, the 21st Century Learning Centers program, to serve one million more children.
Expand Summer Learning Opportunities: Obama's "STEP UP" plan addresses the achievement gap by supporting summer learning opportunities for disadvantaged children through partnerships between local schools and community organizations.
-- From EDUCATION
Expand High-Quality Afterschool Opportunities: Obama will double funding for the main federal support for afterschool programs, the 21st Century Learning Centers program, to serve a million more children. Obama will include measures to maximize performance and effectiveness across grantees nationwide.
-- From ECONOMY
Expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit: The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit provides too little relief to families that struggle to afford child care expenses. Obama will reform the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit by making it refundable and allowing low-income families to receive up to a 50 percent credit for their child care expenses.
-- From ECONOMY
Increase funding for the child care development block grant program: The Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program provides critical support to low-income families to pay for child care. However, the Bush administration has funded this program at a constant level, while costs per child have increased. As a result, 150,000 fewer children receive CCDBG assistance today than at the beginning of the Bush Administration. If these misguided priorities continue, 300,000 children are expected to lose federal CCDBG by 2010. Barack Obama will reverse this policy and ensure that CCDBG remains adequately funded every year.
-- From BARACK OBAMA'S PLAN FOR LIFETIME SUCCESS THROUGH EDUCATION
Improve Child Care Quality: Since his days as an Illinois legislator, Barack Obama has been a champion of improving the quality of child care services. The Obama administration will encourage states to use their CCDBG quality set-aside funding and other federal supports to develop strategic plans that better coordinate all state birth-to-five services. This measure will help ensure that state and local programs act in an efficient manner to provide all children with the early learning resources they need for a lifetime of success. Obama will also double the resources for quality within the CCDBG quality set-aside funding and other federal supports to develop strategic plans that better coordinate all state birth-to-five services. This measure will help ensure that state and local programs act in an efficient manner to provide all children with the early learning resources they need for a lifetime of success. Obama will also double the resources for quality within CCDBG to support efforts such as developing quality rating systems for child care that reflect higher standards and supports for teacher training and professional development. Other examples of quality enhancements include improving student/teacher ratios, providing family support in child care settings and increasing professional development and teacher training.
-- From BARACK OBAMA'S PLAN FOR LIFETIME SUCCESS THROUGH EDUCATION
Head Start
Expand Early Head Start:
Barack Obama will quadruple the number of infants and toddlers participating in Early Head Start. Early Head Start (EHS) is the nation's primary early education program for children from birth to age three. It is known for its comprehensive vision of care for low-income children and its high standards of quality services. EHS is designed to foster the child's social, emotional, cognitive and physical development while supporting the important role of parents and caregivers in early learning. EHS enables communities to design flexible programs through a variety of service delivery options including home-based services, but requires that programs adhere to research-based standards and principles to best support children and families.
-- From BARACK OBAMA'S PLAN FOR LIFETIME SUCCESS THROUGH EDUCATION
Pre-K
Encourage all states to adopt voluntary, universal pre-school-Total enrollment in state-funded pre-K by four year olds rose by 40 percent over the past five years. Yet state pre-K remains solely a program for four-year-olds in most states with a very small number of children served at younger ages. Barack Obama will provide funding to states to accelerate the trend toward voluntary, universal pre-school for all. States may use Early Learning Challenge Grants to fund high-quality preschool programs that seek to enroll every four-year-old or every three-and four-year-old. The Early Learning Challenge Grants will provide states with the flexibility to adopt sliding-scale systems, targets and other measures designed to give children in greatest need priority.
-- From BARACK OBAMA'S PLAN FOR LIFETIME SUCCESS THROUGH EDUCATION
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