Web Resources

Zero To Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org/  

Overview"ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit that informs, trains and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers" (Zero To Three, 2011).

"Our mission is to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers"(Zero To Three, 2011).
 

"Our Vision At ZERO TO THREE we envision a society that has the knowledge and will to support all infants and toddlers in reaching their full potential" (Zero To Three, 2011).

"Organizational Goals:

·         Training Professionals and Building Networks of Leaders

·         Influencing Policies & Practices

·         Raising Public Awareness of Early Childhood Issues" (Zero To Three, 2011).

"Our Work ZERO TO THREE is unique in our multidisciplinary approach to child development. Our emphasis on bringing together the perspectives of many fields and many specialists is rooted in the robust research studies showing that all domains of development—social, emotional, intellectual, language and physical—are interdependent and work together to promote a child’s overall health and well-being in the context of his family and culture" (Zero To Three, 2011).
 

The Current Trend that caught my attention this week:

"Promoting Early Language and Literacy Development - ZERO TO THREE’s Policy Center announces the release of a video and a new policy brief illustrating how early language and literacy development contributes to a child’s success throughout life. You can play the video right from their website and show it to policymakers, advocates, community partners, and others. In this policy brief, the terms early literacy and emergent literacy refer to what children know about communication, language (verbal and nonverbal), reading, and writing before they can actually read and write. Early literacy encompasses all of a child’s experiences with conversation, stories (oral and written), books, and print" (Zero To Three, 2011).

National Head Start Association
http://www.nhsa.org/  

"Our vision is

To lead. To be the untiring voice that will not be quiet until every vulnerable child is served with the Head Start model of support for the whole child, the family and the community" (National Head Start Association [NHSA], 2011).

"To advocate. To work diligently for policy and institutional changes that ensure all vulnerable children and families have what they need to succeed" (NHSA, 2011).

"NHSA Mission

Our mission is to coalesce, inspire and support the Head Start field as a leader in early childhood development and education. We are compelled to fulfill this mission by the promise of all the possible outcomes:

• one powerful, united Head Start voice;
• a collegial, collaborative Head Start field, one that is a valuable and valued partner and resource to early childhood development and education;
• nonpartisan support of increased Federal commitment to Head Start and, ultimately
• healthier, empowered children and families and stronger, more vibrant communities" (NHSA, 2011).

"NHSA Values

We are determined to play a valued leadership role in this country's efforts to educate and serve its most vulnerable children and families.

We are actively committed to being a high impact organization.

We value partnerships and collaboration and are intent on transforming ourselves into a relationship-based organization.

We are accountable to our members and funders, practicing the highest standards of governance and financial stewardship, ensuring transparency in our operations and living up to the highest standards of quality" (NHSA, 2011).

 One current Issue that caught my attention this week on this website was the about the budget. Below is a small portion of the new release:

"Government Affiars Update Week of March 11, 2011

Date Posted: 03/11/2011

Appropriations Update:

The Good News:
The U.S. Senate rejected HR1, the House bill that would have cut more than 218,000 children from Head Start and eliminate 55,000 jobs.

The Bad News:
An alternative Senate bill, which would have preserved funding for Head Start, was also rejected.

Moving forward:
Negotiations over federal spending will continue among Senate leadership, Vice President Biden, and House leadership. It is important to note that both the House and Senate must act on federal spending prior to March 18th, 2011 in order to avoid a federal government shut down. It is uncertain whether they will come to an agreement, extend the deadline, or shut down the government.

NHSA is actively monitoring the latest developments and will keep you updated. For up-to-the-minute information, make sure to follow NHSA on Twitter and like us on Facebook – see below for more details.

Grassroots Advocacy Update:

The Head Start community has done an amazing job over the past several weeks of standing up for Head Start. Since the first of the year, you have sent over 102,000 emails and phone calls to Congress.

Additionally, the 2011 Head Start Stroll-In was a great success! There were Stroll-Ins in at least 20 states and more than 60 news pieces have appeared in local media outlets. As a result of your efforts, the nation is beginning to understand the value of Head Start and the public will to preserve Head Start is growing.

  

Make sure you keep in touch with your Senators and Representative and stay connected to NHSA for updates as the Congressional budget negotiations continue. Together, we truly are making a difference!" (NHSA, 2011).

References:

National Head Start Association. (2011). Retrieved from  http://www.nhsa.org/  

Zero To Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2011). Retrieved from  http://www.zerotothree.org/