Little Citizens, Big Issues

Mayoral candidates address issues affecting D.C.'s youngest citizens

By Aparna Kumar on 09/03/10

Last night's candidate forum at the Channel Inn was attended by dozens of voters who care for and about young children in the District. Many thanks to our partners at the DC Association for the Education of Young Children and Pre-K for All DC for putting on a great event. 

Five candidates were there: Vincent Gray, Michael Green, Leo Alexander, Sulaimon Brown and Ernest Johnson. It was particularly refreshing to finally hear the views of candidates who have more or less been ignored by the mainstream media. Each and every one expressed the importance of quality early care and education programs in our city, but differed on specifics, including how to pay... Read More

DCAEYC mayoral candidate forum this Thursday, Sept. 2

By Aparna Kumar on 08/31/10

It may feel like a dead heat at the end of August, but it's not too late to hear from D.C.'s mayoral candidates on how they would address issues affecting young children and those who care for them -- from birth to child care, Pre-K and beyond. 

We hope you'll make it to the mayoral candidate forum this Thursday evening in SW, hosted by the DC Association for the Education of Young Children. 

Here's the info:

6-8 pm, Thursday, Sept. 2

at the Channel Inn

650 Water Street, SW

(Southeastern University/Waterfront Metro stop on the Green Line)

Please RSVP at info@dcaeyc.net -- space is limited!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Monday morning coffee break

By Aparna Kumar on 08/30/10

Happy Monday! There have been a few great stories last week that we missed blogging about due to our move, as well as over the weekend, so let's dig in. 

In case you missed it, the Washington Post's Wonkbook blog on Friday featured an in-depth Q&A with our Executive Director HyeSook Chung on the tremendous feat of blended Pre-K in DC Public Schools. Sure, it's a wonky topic, but the blog is called Wonkbook, and as the title of the post points out, this is a great opportunity for the District to serve as a national model for early learning--and yet so far, very few people know about it. 

HyeSook's interview with Dylan Matthews was one... Read More

We're moving!

By Aparna Kumar on 08/25/10

After nearly a year of working in borrowed space (thanks to the Diane & Norman Bernstein Foundation for making us feel so welcome), DC Action for Children is finally moving to our own dedicated offices at McPherson Square.

Our phone lines are supposed to transfer, but in case you have difficult reaching us in the next few days, please contact us via email. You can reach me at akumar@dckids.org and HyeSook at hchung@dckids.org.

Thank you! And stay tuned for an office-warming party in the near future. 

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Valuing the X-factor: social emotional intelligence

By HyeSook Chung on 08/24/10

Did you ever think your five-year old could display such complex emotions as delayed gratification? Or question the existence of life? Or even pick up on the subtle complexities of someone’s “dry” sense of humor?  

This video proves that children can in fact delay gratification—they can actually wait for marshmallows! It would be very hard for my four and six-year old to patiently wait, but wait—instead of waiting I can just hear them ‘bribe’ me into offering the marshmallows. I guess you could call it “negotiate.” But these are all important life skills, right?

As an advocate for young children and someone who has worked in the classroom, I have seen first hand... Read More

Defeat poverty by investing early in our children

By HyeSook Chung on 08/19/10

We wrote this blog at the request of our partners at the Defeat Poverty DC coalition. Sign up to join the campaign here. 

The surest way to break the cycle of poverty in D.C. is to start where it begins for so many in our city, at birth. We need to give our youngest and most vulnerable children the support and resources they need to thrive and have a bright future. As the mother of two young children, I can expound endlessly on why it is the morally right thing to do. But in this difficult economy, it also just makes practical and economic sense. 

More than a quarter of children in the District live in families struggling in poverty, according to the... Read More

Monday morning coffee break

By Aparna Kumar on 08/16/10

Good morning! Is it still morning? Barely. I just had my coffee--now I'm ready to blog. 

This weekend, volunteers and staff at DCPS fanned out across the city to reach parents of incoming preschoolers. Chancellor Rhee called for the unprecedented door-knocking campaign to reach the parents of these youngest pupils to ensure they have all their immunizations and health forms filled out. This is the first year that DCPS is doing a Early Childhood Transition Week for 3- and 4-year-olds. 

For the first week, Aug. 23-27, students enrolled in preschool (3-year-olds) and Pre-K (4-year-olds) will report to their classroom for three full days based on the first letter of their last name to help facilitate a successful transition to school, and ensure that all the... Read More

Early intervention lost in the shuffle

By Alison Whyte on 08/13/10

One of our goals with "Little Citizens, Big Issues" is to showcase diverse voices and viewpoints from the community on issues affecting young children in the District. This post is by Alison Whyte, policy specialist at The Arc of DC.

D.C.'s Early Intervention Program (EIP) for infants and toddlers with disabilities has moved three times in the city bureaucracy in the last three years. With each change of home came changes in staff, relationships, priorities and rules. 

In the last three years, I personally have lived in six different places. I won’t go on about the details of my nomadic life, but I will say that I was SO happy to land in D.C. and start digging my feet in. I... Read More

Feds embrace comprehensive early learning approach

By Aparna Kumar on 08/10/10

When it comes to early learning, research has shown that comprehensive programs that combine education, health, nutrition and other social and emotional supports give at-risk children the boost they need to succeed in school. That's the basis for Head Start, of course, and it's why DCPS is now expanding comprehensive early learning to all children in preschool and Pre-K classrooms in Title I schools. As a result, more than double the number of children who received Head Start services last year through DCPS will benefit this year.

The new Pre-K in DCPS is made possible by blending federal Head Start funds with local funds--at no additional cost to D.C. In these tight... Read More

Quality child care out of reach for too many in D.C.

By HyeSook Chung on 08/09/10

This weekend I had a wonderful opportunity to meet with WAMU reporter Jessica Gould to discuss the high costs of child care in D.C, which according to a recent report are nearly twice the cost of annual tuition at a four-year college. The short piece, which aired on today's "Morning Edition," doesn’t cover our entire hour-long conversation, but does emphasize one fundamental message:  Quality child care is out of reach for the majority of families in D.C.  Whether you are a parent in Ward 3 or Ward 8, finding quality child care so that you can go back to work is no easy task.  

Read the story's transcript... Read More