PHILADELPHIA – Pennsylvania children at risk of falling behind their peers in preschool and kindergarten can get help to prepare them for school.

Early childhood education can give children a huge boost, educators say, but those with physical or developmental disabilities, who are homeless or have parents struggling with addiction, can be at a serious disadvantage.

In Pennsylvania, children are entitled to receive Early Intervention Services, such as speech therapy and specialized instruction, to help them prepare for their first day of school.

And Sean McGrath, an attorney at the Education Law Center, says that can make a big difference.

"There's a study that has shown that children who receive early intervention, 40 percent of the cohort was actually caught up and did not need special education services once they entered school, compared to a control group," he states.

Services are available for newborns and children up to age five. Parents who are concerned their children may need help can call 800-692-7288 to get connected to Early Intervention Services.

Any parent can ask for help, but McGrath points out that for younger children, referrals often come from county hospitals that note low birth weight and other possible indicators of the need for help.

"For older children there are fliers, advertisements in public places saying what Early Intervention is and providing the contact information for parents to share," he explains.

School districts are also required to determine if more services will be needed when a child enters kindergarten and have those services in place on the first day of school.

McGrath adds many parents of eligible children simply don't know that help is available.

"It's important for parents to know that this is an entitlement, that they have particular rights in the Early Intervention system," he stresses.

McGrath says early intervention has been shown to be one of the most effective tools to help children overcome developmental delays and disabilities.


get more stories like this via email

As a way to reward those who have stayed in the child care field, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is offering $66 million in stipends and loan repayment grants to workers with at least six continuous months at a licensed child care facility in the state.

The state is using federal coronavirus funds for the grants.

In a survey of 750 Nebraska child care employers this year, 90% said they've had trouble finding and keeping workers. The average hourly wage in child care is $12.31 an hour, and many positions are part-time with no benefits.

Ashley Palumbo, a child care worker in Omaha, said although the state has not announced the grant amounts, it is a step in the right direction.

"I mean just the appreciation out the door that's something they are considering to help us financially, especially lately, means a lot," Palumbo explained. "I live paycheck to paycheck, so any sort of help definitely helps me and my kids out."

Applications will be accepted from Dec. 5 to Jan. 11.

In the same survey, 70% of child care employers also said some of their workers are leaving the field entirely. Palumbo noted she has no plans to change fields, although some find her choice hard to understand.

"Most of my interactions with people in my close life just don't seem to get why I stay in a profession that doesn't help out as much as easier areas can," Palumbo acknowledged.

Heather Schmidt, a home child care center owner-operator in Broken Bow, hopes both she and her employee will be awarded a stipend. Schmidt added she also plans to apply for the loan repayment grant.

"We're some of the lowest-paid workers in the state and the nation," Schmidt stressed. "Which they're always advocating for us to increase our education, but then it's really hard to pay back those loans."

Full- and part-time licensed child care employees can apply, from teachers to kitchen staff. Those who have earned higher degrees will be eligible for higher awards.

As the nation processes the horrific shooting in Uvalde, where 19 children and two teachers were killed, teachers' unions across Illinois and America are pushing lawmakers, for stricter gun control measures and mental health support for teachers and students.

Kathi Griffin, president of the Illinois Education Association (IEA), which represents about 135,000 teachers and education support staff across the state, explained the effect on schools.

"Anytime someone is injured in school or killed at the hand of another, it is heartbreaking," Griffin stated. "And it isn't just the teachers, it is our kids. On top of the trauma of the pandemic."

In 2019, the IEA helped push through the general assembly the School Threat Assessment law, requiring schools to build threat assessments and take a preventive approach to school violence.

Griffin pointed out the National Education Association offers trauma training for teachers, which can in turn help students.

The Economic Policy Institute estimates America's supply of teachers will be 200,000 below its projected demand by 2025.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, spoke to a congressional subcommittee Wednesday. She said counseling, mental health support, and investments in "community schools," which integrate academics, health and social supports, will help keep teachers in education.

"Full-service community schools will actually help kids and help teachers teach and identify problems that we see before we see these kinds of awful situations that we saw last night," Weingarten contended.

Illinois has long struggled with gun violence, in part due to gun trafficking from states with looser gun rules. According to Chicago's 2017 gun trace report, about six of 10 guns recovered after a crime in the previous three years came from outside the state, mostly from neighboring Indiana.

During the COVID pandemic, West Virginia's elementary school enrollment dropped and saw rankings near the bottom among states for some education metrics. However, those students now are catching up on what they may have missed while remote learning with the help of a global nonprofit.

Cathryn Miller, state director for Save the Children's West Virginia program, said her organization has faced an uphill battle in the Mountain State.

"If you look at the 2021 U.S. Census, West Virginia fell among the bottom 10 states for both school disruptions and having the tools they need to learn at home," she said. "Some of the schools did not receive enough devices during their remote learning until January of 2021."

Miller said Save the Children now partners with 50 schools in eight West Virginia counties to provide early education and social-emotional learning programs to about 2,300 children.

Miller said the elementary education programs are offered both during the day and after school, with a focus on two core subjects.

"They strive for reading and math proficiency at the end of third grade, which is that critical time when children need to go from learning to read to reading to learn," she said. "And that is really what sets them up for future success in school and life."

Shane Garver, head of education, hunger and resilience for Save the Children, said that while West Virginia's education system was one of the hardest hit, most American families struggled to keep up with their kids' schooling during the pandemic.

"As the pandemic began, nine out of every 10 families with kids across the U.S. faced significant disruptions in their child's learning," he said. "Recent research has shown that kids are four to five months behind in reading and math skills."

Garver also noted that students from minority communities are up to six months behind in their studies, and students of families in poverty are up to seven months behind.