Federal Stimulus FAQ
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Frequently Asked Questions
5. How do Committee for Children programs align with the following programs receiving stimulus money?
c. Head Start
May 5, 2009 Update: Head Start Stimulus Request for Proposal Letters Are Out!
(5)(A)(i) and (5)(B)(i): Teacher training: According to the Program Instruction, Section (5)(A)(ii), Quality Improvement funds may be used to “improve staff qualifications and assist with the implementation of career development programs for staff that support ongoing improvement of their skills and expertise.” And section (5)(B)(i) allows for staff training and other services necessary to address challenges faced by children from a number of groups, including children from immigrant families, children in foster care, limited English proficient children, children from families in crisis, and children who are exposed to chronic violence or substance abuse, among others.
Our programs can also help teachers address some of the special challenges faced by many of the groups listed in Section (5)(B)(i) of the Program Instruction. The SECOND STEP and TALKING ABOUT TOUCHING programs are designed to improve school climate and strengthen children’s social and emotional skills. The SECOND STEP program support cognitive and language development, and the SECOprogram includes detailed information on customizing the curriculum for specific groups, including limited English proficient children.
Measuring QI: How do educators determine whether quality improvements are taking place? A commitment to QI requires assessment of child progress in vital learning areas. The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) kit and training program helps educators assess child resiliency and social-emotional competence—key areas of child mental health. SECOND STEP lessons strengthen children’s self-control, attachment, and initiative—important protective factors measured in the DECA Program.
The SECOND STEP Pre/K and TALKING ABOUT TOUCHING programs all align with Head Start Performance Standards. The standards with the strongest connection to our programs are listed below. For a detailed chart showing how the SECOND STEP Pre/K and TALKING ABOUT TOUCHING programs align to Head Start Performance Standards, contact us at 800-634-4449, ext. 200.
1304.21: Child development. Parts A and C call for creation of a positive environment, support of children’s social and emotional development, and development of cognitive and language skills. Two main goals of the SECOND STEP Pre/K and TALKING ABOUT TOUCHING programs are to help improve school climate and strengthen children’s social and emotional skills. All three programs also support cognitive and language development.
1304.22: Child health and safety. Part D calls for fostering safety awareness. One of the major goals of the TALKING ABOUT TOUCHING program is to teach children how to keep themselves safe using personal safety skills.
1304.40: Family partnerships. Part E calls for fostering partnerships with parents. All four Committee for Children programs contain Take-Home or Family Letters to communicate to parents and caretakers what children are learning at school. In addition, the SECOND STEP program for Pre/K–Grade 5 has a family component, the SECOND STEP Family Guide, and Spanish-language supplements are available.
1304.52: Teacher training and development. Part K calls for training for teachers. Read more about our programs and teacher training and technical assistance.
Educators have been receiving their Head Start Request for Proposal (RFP) letters, which contain Program Instruction from the Administration on Children and Families on how they can use ARRA Head Start funds. We already know that Committee for Children programs and trainings align with Head Start Performance Standards. But this week we’ve been talking to Head Start educators who are applying for these funds, and they’ve told us that they think Committee for Children programs also fit well under the Quality Improvement (QI) section of the ARRA.
Committee for Children provides professional development in social and emotional learning (SEL), emergent literacy, and child personal safety. In our trainings, educators learn how to implement our evidence-based curricula; gain skills in promoting social and emotional competence and literacy in children and handling disclosures of abuse; and become versed in research about SEL, emergent literacy, and child personal safety. Training participants in our Training for Trainers also learn how to teach their peers to use our programs. Staff Training participants may qualify for clock hours, and Training for Trainers participants qualify for CEUs. Read more about our programs and teacher training and technical assistance.
