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from Rutgers University

Michigan Pre-K Funding: The Plot Thickens
We previously reported that the new FY 2010 Michigan budget calls for cuts to the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) of about 7 percent — a figure that, while unpleasant, seemed to ensure the program would remain largely intact. That's not such a sure thing now that budget language has surfaced enabling school districts to opt out of providing state pre-K and apply their GSRP funding toward shortfalls in their K-12 budgets. The temptation to opt out of providing state pre-K could be high since per-pupil K-12 education received across-the-board cuts ranging from $292 to as much as $600 per pupil depending on the district. Michigan school funding does not rely on local real estate taxes the way other states do, so districts have less leeway to make up for shortfalls. Lori Higgins of the Detroit Free Press explains.

Nationally Speaking, the Recession has Shut Down Progress in State Pre-K
Total state investments in pre-K will be effectively flat in FY10 rising slightly more than 1 percent to $5.3 billion, says Pre-K Now's recently released Votes Count: Legislative Action on Pre-K Fiscal Year 2010 report. After accounting for inflation, that is a decline in real dollars devoted to pre-K. Of course, some states fared better than others. Among the highlights are these: • Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia increased or are projected to increase pre-k investments by a total of more than $187 million. • Thirteen legislatures increased investment in existing programs by nearly $130 million: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. • Ten states decreased funding: Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Washington. • Among the best news is that two states with no state pre-K approved pilot initiatives: Alaska and Rhode Island.

Where Pre-K Was Cut the Consequences Will Be Deeply Felt
Whether you're an Ohio parent with a child slated to attend the Early Childhood Education program before it was eliminated or a North Carolinian whose preschooler is denied access to the state's down-sized More at Four program, the consequences are deeply felt — and all to often, lasting. NIEER co-director Steve Barnett addressed implications of the cutbacks in a recent guest blog for Thrive By Five Washington.

Latina Paradox: Despite Healthy Births a Cognitive Lag Shows Up in Toddlers
Poor immigrant Latina moms live healthier-than-average lifestyles and have healthy babies but by the time their kids are 2 or 3 years old, lags appear in cognitive skills such as understanding words, speaking in more complex ways and performing simple tasks say Bruce Fuller (University of California) and other researchers who analyzed data from a nationwide tracking study of more than 8,000 infants born in 2001. They point to low maternal education, large family size and home learning practices as causes. The article appears in the Maternal and Child Health Journal.

The Race is on with H1N1 Flu and Pre-K is a Critical Line of Defense
President Obama's declaration of a state of emergency regarding H1N1 flu comes on the heels of news that the virus may be spreading faster in some areas than the flow of H1N1 vaccine. That puts more pressure parents and child care and preschool providers to prepare. This week's Preschool Matters ... Today! blog post addresses the issue. We welcome your thoughts. Click here for the blog: Preschool Matters ... Today!

Pew Request for Proposals
With generous support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Pew Home Visiting Campaign – a project of the Pew Center on the States – is requesting research proposals to build the evidence needed to inform public policy decisions and advance effective practice in maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting programs. Pew is interested in large- ($125,000-$250,000 total award) intermediate- ($50,000-$125,000), and small- (less than $50,000) scale research projects that can be completed over an 18-24 month period. The full RFP and application materials are available on the Pew web site. Deadline: December 21.