US Children Poverty

GOP split could doom bipartisan child tax credit bill – The Washington Post

A bipartisan compromise to expand the child tax credit and restore some corporate tax breaks looks like it may wither under opposition from Senate Republican leadership, dooming the measure even though the House passed it with a huge majority this year. The Senate’s top Republican tax writer, Mike Crapo (Idaho), opposes the bill, as do other top party officials. Most Democrats back it, and supporters say it’s close to having enough GOP votes to overcome a filibuster but could still be short. With tax season over and elections approaching rapidly,

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Early Childhood Development

Washington 33rd in U.S. on preschool access, reinforcing assertions of Clark County education leaders – The Columbian

A recent national study found Washington falls behind in preschool access compared with other states, reinforcing the assertion from local education leaders that the demand for early-learning programs has far outpaced funding. The National Institute for Early Education Research report found in the 2022-2023 school year, Washington’s two state-funded preschool programs — Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program and transitional kindergarten — served a combined 16 percent of 4-year-olds and 8 percent of 3-year-olds. Washington ranked 33rd in the nation for preschool enrollment for 4-year-olds and 17th for 3-year-olds. Educational

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Early Childhood Development

The Best And Worst States For Teaching Jobs In 2024 – Forbes

Key Takeaways The top five states for teachers are Washington, Utah, Minnesota, Virginia and Massachusetts. The five worst states for teachers are Missouri, New Mexico, Kentucky, West Virginia and Mississippi. Many open teaching positions are not new positions but rather ones that must be filled after teachers have retired or changed careers. Issues such as teacher burnout, teacher turnover, student behavior problems, absenteeism and staff shortages create challenges for teachers and schools. Many U.S. states are facing severe teacher shortages, creating ample opportunity for professionals in this field. But earning

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Children of War

War in Ukraine – Save the Children International

OLEH* AND OLENA’S* STORY. Four-year-old friends Oleh and Olena live in Dnipro, eastern Ukraine. Despite their young age, they are no strangers to air raids. A few times a day, the children have to hide in shelters from the air raids. To make children evacuate promptly, teachers have created playful drills. During alarms, they turn on loud music and dress up as fantasy creatures to reduce stress on children. However, often the air raids can last more than two hours, which can cause young children to feel anxious and fearful.

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Children of War

The heavy toll for Gaza parents trying to keep their children safe amid war – The Washington Post

After more than six months of war, the children of the Gaza Strip have many questions their parents cannot answer. When will the war stop? How many more nights will they sleep on the floor? When can they go back to school? Some still ask after classmates who have been killed. The adults don’t know what to say. They feel helpless, desperate and exhausted, they say — worn out by the challenge of tending to visible wounds and those their children try to hide. To report this story, Washington Post

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Early Childhood Development

At Least a Dozen States Are Considering Free Child Care for Early Educators – EdSurge

A program that began in Kentucky as a novel idea to rebuild the early childhood workforce — and, in effect, buoy the broader labor market — has quickly spread to states across the country. To draw early educators back into classrooms, legislators in the Bluegrass State made a change in fall 2022 that expanded the eligibility requirements of Kentucky’s child care subsidy program to include all staff who work at least 20 hours per week in a licensed early care and education program. In effect, early childhood educators became automatically

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