School Readiness: Implications for Policy

Includes bibliographical references.To prepare children for success in school, policies must provide support for all the contexts that influence child development starting from birth, and must seek to optimize children's functioning across all domains of development. This paper outlines a variety of factors affecting school readiness

Rural Child Care in Missouri: How to Improve it

Includes bibliographical references.During 1997 and 1998, a large study called Project REACH (Rural EArly CHildhood Professional Development Initiative), was conducted in a series of interventions over a 16 month period in rural Missouri. The training and follow up was intensive, continuous and individualized. An overview of the results are provided

The State of Children and Families: 2009

This report contains information on current trends in the United States in areas including poverty, violence and crimes, unwed and teen pregnancy, education, nutrition, child health, child welfare, and housing

The State of Missouri's Children: 2009

Includes bibliographical references.A variety of problems affect the children of Missouri. The report contains details in categories including poverty, nutrition, education, health and welfare, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and violence

The State of Child Welfare in America: 2009

In terms of physical and emotional suffering, an estimated 905,000 children were determined to be victims of child abuse or neglect in 2006 according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. From the fiscal perspective, Prevent Child Abuse America has estimated that child abuse and neglect in the U.S. costs over $284 million dollars per day. This report also includes statistics on adoption and foster care

The State of Early Childhood Programs: 2009

Enriching experiences in the context of high quality early childhood programs give young children an enhanced chance at success in school. Poor children, who are particularly at risk for academic failure, can benefit greatly from early childhood programs that include not only education but other wide-ranging services for themselves and their families. Benefits of high quality early childhood experiences have been found to extend far beyond the young years, as they include a marked decrease in the likelihood children will some day engage in criminal activity or be dependent on public welfare programs

Home-Based Programs: Recommendations to Improve Program Quality

Recommendations for practices that strengthen early childhood programs are proposed based on findings from two studies. The Family Day Care Rating Scale is widely used to assess program quality. A total of 223 home-based programs in Missouri were observed for these studies and provide the basis for information in this recommended practices document. Items from the Environment Rating Scale that were consistently rated as below average were divided into two program components: health and safety issues and programming. Specific recommendations for improving programs are outlined

Preschool Classrooms: Recommendations to Improve the Quality of Early Childhood Programs

Recommendations for practices that strengthen early childhood programs are proposed based on findings from two studies. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised is widely used to assess preschool classrooms. A total of 191 preschool classrooms in Missouri were observed for these studies and provide the basis for information in this recommended practices document. Items from the Environment Rating Scale that were consistently rated as below average were divided into two program components: health and safety issues and programming/curriculum. Specific recommendations for improving programs are outlined. are outlined

The Effects of HB1519 Funding on Early Childhood Programs

Includes bibliographical reference.In 1998, the Missouri Legislature created the Early Childhood Care and Education Fund (HB1519). The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Social Services funded a three-year study that evaluated the development and care of children participating in programs across the state that were supported by HB1519 funds compared to children participating in programs that did not receive funding. Program quality was evaluated using the Infant-Toddler Environmental Rating Scale, the Family Daycare Environmental Rating Scale and the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Revised. Furthermore, the intellectual abilities of children who attended high quality programs were compared to the abilities of children who attended programs of lower quality using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Cognitive Abilities.Funded by the Missouri Department of Social Services and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education