Update on the Early Learning Challenge Fund

by Helen Blank, Director, Leadership and Public Policy, 
National Women's Law Center 

Over 30 years ago, I started advocating for child care, determined to make a difference in the lives of low-income children and women. Like all advocates, I've seen wins — and I've seen losses. We had one of the latter this week.

But I'm not giving up. And neither should you. 

Unfortunately, the Early Learning Challenge Fund, an initiative that would have challenged states to create a new framework for our early childhood system, has been dropped from a bill that would make major changes in the student loan system. The student loan legislation will be attached to the health reform bill likely to be voted on by Congress in the next few days.

So what happened?

The Challenge Fund and other programs were made possible with savings from the changes in the student loan program. Unfortunately, these savings decreased, resulting in significantly less money available for the Challenge Fund and other initiatives. In the end, the money left on the table will be used to help finance the costs of health care reform and deficit reduction, and to help to fill a significant shortfall in Pell grants to low-income students. For more details, read this Education Week article.

So what should we do now? 

It's time to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and find another way to enact the Early Learning Challenge Fund as well as the President's other early childhood priorities. This includes the $1.6 billion in the Administration’s budget for new investments in child care and the nearly $1 billion for increases in Head Start. Please stay tuned for next steps. 

There is a much greater recognition in Congress and the Administration on the importance of the early years. I look forward to continue working to ensure that this recognition now leads to child care and early learning getting the attention, funding and support it deserves.