Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 15 December 2000 — Page 2

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THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15,

January 16,2001 10am - 6pm Madame Walker Center Ballroom Indianapolis Indiana

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Lame-duck Congress may cut children’s programs

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By GLENDA CRANK HOLSTE WEnews Correspondent WASHINGTON — Major improvements in federal funding for child care. Head Start and afterschool programs are at risk during this post-election period of political uncertainty and increased partisanship. ' During its lame-duck session, children’s advocates fear, Congress might attempt to undo a joint House and Senate agreement on a higher level of funding for the departments of Labor, Education and Health and Human Services, through which the children’s programs are funded. Some political observers and children’s advocates said that Republicans might wish to reconsider higher spending levels, frequently favored by Democrats, especially if Texas Gov. George W. Bush is elected. The Children’s Defense Fund has launched a campaign to shore up support during the congressional deliberations. “We are asking people who care

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about children to weigh in with their member of Congress,” said Helen Blank, director of the Children’s Defense Fund’s child care and development division. “We would hope people would call their representatives and tell them families can’t wait” for the assistance this legislation provides. The funding agreed to in conference before the recess would add $1 billion this year to Head Start funding, for a federal total of $6.3 billion in the fiscal year that began on the first of October. The federal budgeting process is an annual one. In recent years, the discord between the Republican Congress and the Democratic White House has caused the final spending bills to be delayed. A continuation funding resolution is in place that allows all government functions to spend at last year’s levels until Congress passes and the president signs the remaining spending bills. At the start of the process of taking the budget approved by Congress and setting the spending, there were 13 such appropriations bills. The bill now being watched by child advocates consolidates spending for the three big social policy departments: Labor, Education and Health and Human Ser-

vices.

For reasons unrelated to the child funding measures, the conference report could be eroded in the highly partisan atmosphere. In other words, Republicans might try to reduce spending on social programs to benefit children, a traditional Democratic cause, because of general bickering in the aftermath of the undecided election, according to children’s advocates. This conference agreement also calls for an additional $817 million in child care block grant money to states and for $1 billion for the after-school program, known as the 21st Century Community Learn-

ing Centers.

Conferees,also,backed increases in smaller child care programs before recessing, without completing work on the final $350 billion

spending bill.

The final approval of the new funds could be in doubt, because if George W. Bush wins the presidency, his actions on such complex issues could not be predicted

at this time.

Patrick Lester, public policy director of the Washington-based Coalition on Human Needs, said that it is generally difficult to predict the future of the legislation, but the outcome of the presidential election ultimately holds the key to resolving this year’s budget. “If you have a President A1 Gore,” Lester said, ”he is likely to mirror the policies of the Clinton administration,” which Lester credits with insisting on the funding for Head Start and the other early childhood and extended-day programs in this legislation. A President Bush, Lester said, would probably mean that Congress will want to delay, pass a longer continuing funding resolution and possibly hold off taking action until February, when the new president’s wishes are known. Even if this legislation passes with the substantial funding increases, the resource needs in these child and family programs still far surpass federal funding prospects. Head Start eligibility extends to children 3 and 4 years old who live in poverty. Because some states augment the program, definitions vary. The early childhood program is designed to improve learning and social skills before children enter kindergarten. But full funding has never been in place, despite the proven efficacy of good Head Start programs. For instance, in Minnesota, a

generally progressive state that emphasizes children’s programs, the state estimates it is serving only 45 percent of the children eligible for Head Start, leaving out 16,500 because of funding shortages. In Minnesota, about 1,000 low-income families are on the, waiting list for basic sliding-fee childcare and thousands more are eligible. Blank, of the Children’s Defense Fund, said that consensus: about the need for more resources for children and the opportunity of utilizing surplus revenue were important in obtaining the increased funding agreed to earlier in this 1 session. , “The increases are pretty significant,” she said. “They provide major improvements in access,’.’ not only to the long-recognized Head Start program but also to* childcare and after-school pror grams. Head Start was once controversial but now enjoys wide accepi: tance. However, it was originally: hoped every child of parents currently living in poverty could bU enrolled, much like kindergarten, which also was once controver--sial. t..; “Research shows that, yes. Head Start does help to prepare lowincome children to be ready to leam when they enter school.- It improves academic readiness aiid achievement, self-esteem, social, behavior and physical health,” said. Kay Mills, a California author who; studied Head Start in order to write about the first 25 years of the program in her book, Something Better for My Children. Before they enter school. Head Start children also will have had: dental checkups, nutritional mealst; necessary immunizations, hearing and vision tests and other medical: screening and treatment. Mills said. Blank cited research that shows, after-school programs like the ones funded in the joint agreement help, kids of all socioeconomic back-i grounds succeed at school. • All sides in the pre-recess spending negotiations in Washington, Blank said, “realized that these issues aren’t political” and that assistance to families should not be held hostage during protracted; delays in appropriating federal!

funds.

“A family that needs child care now can’t wait until January,” she: added. ! Child advocates want Congress: to confirm the increased fundings especially during this climate of: uncertainty, at a time when $240 billion in proposed Republican tax' cuts are still officially on the table. * Historically, children’s issues havebeen vulnerable even in calmer political climates, and the currentdelay in resuming the congress sional session increases the uncer-< tainty and volatility of the issues. • The Children’s Defense Fundseeks these “must-haves” in ap-> propriations bills: • A $817-million increase in theChild Care and Development Block Grant. . . • A $1 billion increase in Head.

Start.

• $ 1 billion for the 21 st Century, Community Learning Centers - • A $ 15-million increase for campus-based child care. 1 • $10 million for a child care! loan forgiveness program. >1- ; • New funds for the Early Learfi-! ing Trust Fund and an Early Chdp-; hood Education and Development; Program, and nutritious meals For; low-income children enrolled! jh; community for-profit childcare; centers. ! • Glenda Crank Holste is a 7w*h Cities journalist who has covered social and economic policy for the last 10 years. v

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Memoirs: Journal of an HIV-Posi-tive Mother) will talk about her experience of being diagnosed with the disease. Participants will also hear from J.L. King, a man who confesses to having sex with both women and married men. While King is not infected with HIV, his personal story represents a facet many in the Black community are in denial

about, he said. ; “Many people think that because they are not gay, don’t use drugspr in what they think are monogli-; mous relationships they can’t HIV,” said Rhonda Bayless of the Woman to Woman Program, an event sponsor. “Hopefully this program will shatter some stereo-; types.” i