Early Childhood Initiative Gives Equal Opportunity To Every Child
Democratic presidential candidate Governor Howard Dean, M.D. joined today by national children’s advocate and film director Rob Reiner, announced his plan to give every child an equal opportunity to learn. Governor Dean toured the Des Moines MACC Child Care center before discussing his Invest for Success initiative.
"We like to think that every child starts kindergarten with the same opportunities, but the truth is, some kids have great preparation and others have nothing," said Dean. "By the time those kids start kindergarten, even the best teachers can't make up for 6 years when a child was never read to, or never taught the alphabet, or never even saw a doctor."
Governor Dean's plan, based on successful initiatives he created in Vermont, will provide all families with young children early access to health care, early education, and other supports critical to children’s health and working families. The Dean Invest for Success plan will double the current investment in early education so that parents will have the resources to be their child’s first teacher without having to struggle to pay for childcare or preschool. This $110 billion commitment over 10 years for community-based services will ensure all children start school ready to succeed at age six.
"The truth is that when we help parents who have young children, the benefits reach far beyond those families," Dean said. "Kids who start school ready to learn do better in every grade. They're more likely to graduate. They're more likely to go to college. They help build a strong workforce and a strong economy. In fact, every dollar we spend on childcare produces $7 down the road. So when we invest in helping parents raise smart kids, we’re really making an investment in our future."
In 1992, Governor Dean created the Vermont Success By Six initiative, which includes a Welcome Baby program. Community-based partnerships offer Welcome Baby Activities such as meeting new parents at the hospital or in their homes on a voluntary basis. These visits provide community partners with an early opportunity to share information about the local resources available to help families raise healthy, successful children. Since then, Vermont has seen a 43% decrease in child abuse, and a 70% decrease in sexual abuse of children.
DEAN’S NATIONAL INVEST FOR SUCCESS:
Equal Opportunity for Every Child
This nation has not developed adequate options for the care of children, even though we know that investment in young children yields a return of seven dollars for every one dollar invested. While society has changed, our leaders have failed to provide adequate early care and education options for children of working parents.
The first six years of a child's life are critical for brain development and preparation for success. America's children are not starting kindergarten having had equal access to quality resources that will prepare them for school. By the time a child starts kindergarten, even the best teachers cannot make up for 6 years when a child was never read to or never taught the alphabet, or never saw a doctor.
We must help children in the early years, otherwise they will not reach their full potential, and our country will not reach its potential. For some children, what they miss before kindergarten can trap them for the rest of their lives. Now, we have an opportunity to make the most of the time that young children must spend away from their working parents.
National Invest for Success will address equal opportunity for every child.
Governor Howard Dean announced today that as part of a new social contract for the 21st century he would make a significant new investment in educating our next generation by creating a national Invest for Success initiative that will provide all families with young children early access to health care, early education, and other supports critical to children’s health and working families.
The Dean Invest for Success plan will double the current investment in early education so that parents will have the resources to be their child's first teacher without having to struggle to pay for childcare or preschool. This $110 billion commitment over 10 years for community-based services will ensure all children start school ready to succeed at age six.
The Dean plan to educate a generation is based on his success in Vermont.
In 1992, Governor Dean created the Vermont Success By Six initiative, which includes a Welcome Baby program. Community-based partnerships offer Welcome Baby Activities such as meeting new parents at the hospital or in their homes on a voluntary basis. These visits provide community partners with an early opportunity to share information about the local resources available to help families raise healthy, successful children. Since then, Vermont has seen a 43% decrease in child abuse, and a 70% decrease in sexual abuse of children.
Dean's Invest for Success gets kids ready to succeed in school.
Governor Dean's plan will expand his signature Vermont initiative, Welcome Baby Activities, to interested new parents in communities across the country, and make a significant down payment on universal preschool activities for all interested families.
To address the needs of children ages 0-6, the plan sets aside $2 billion over 10 years for Welcome Baby activities that will help parents during their child’s first year, and puts $108 billion in a Fund for Early Childhood which states can use to meet their largest early education needs.
These two components--targeted funds for the first year and a flexible, well-funded plan for children ages 0-5--together will provide parents the resources they need from the day their baby is born until they day that child enters kindergarten.
Welcome Baby Visits
The Welcome Baby Visit plan will make it possible to offer new parents information about community resources and services available to help them be their child’s first teacher.
In communities across the country, local partnerships of nonprofits, local government, health providers, and others will be able to apply for funding to support Invest for Success activities that incorporate Welcome Baby Visits. Qualifying partnerships will commit local funding and in-kind contributions to support the initiative. States can also provide the matching resources as part of a state plan to develop or expand Invest for Success initiatives.
States and communities will be expected to work closely with the non-profit community to build on existing networks to create partnerships that will sponsor the Welcome Baby Visits. The $200 million a year proposed for this initiative will provide matching money to communities to take on this challenge.
Fund for Early Childhood -- preparing children for lifelong success.
This new investment makes a very significant down payment on providing preschool options for every child.
This plan is effective because it:
• Makes a real financial commitment--It is no longer acceptable to cover half of our children that need help and call it a solution.
• Will give parents the resources the need--because parents are their child’s first teacher and the key to engaging young children.
• Is comprehensive. It will support parents at the three points in their child’s life when parents need it most: when they bring their newborn home, when they go to work and need high quality childcare, and when they want to put their children in pre-kindergarten.
• Protects children from falling behind beforethey reach kindergarten.
• Does not mandate one solution from Washington, D.C., but lets states focus on the most pressing needs facing their communities.
Using these guiding principles Governor Dean has developed an ambitious plan to transform how we treat early education in America.
Over the next 10 years, his plan will double the nation’s spending on early education.
That's enough money to:
• Double the number of children in Early Head Start,
• Fully-fund Head-Start,
• Offer child care for another 1.4 million children,
• Offer pre-kindergarten to every 4 year old.
The Dean plan means success.
Parents will finally get the support they need to be their child's first teacher.
Children will start kindergarten ready to succeed, and do better in life – regardless of their parents' income.
Not only will America have a strong workforce, we will live up to the promise that all children will have equal opportunity in America, and will restore America's community by giving every American a stake in the success of every child.
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Sunday, November 23, 2003
Sunday is for Pancakes: the best pancakes ever
My own recipe. After years of experimenting, my quest for the perfect pancakes has finally been achieved. Pancakes are either moist but a bit soggy and dense, or big and fluffy but kind of bready — until now.
The secret for pancakes that are moist, tender and fluffy is in the order in which the ingredients are combined.
2 cups of flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs, well beaten
3 cups buttermilk
1/4 tsp baking soda
Heat griddle to medium. Melt butter and set aside to cool slightly. Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Set aside. Beat two eggs until foamy. The secret step is to put baking soda in bottom of a medium bowl and add buttermilk to it, then beat a few stroke with a whisk. Add eggs to buttermilk and beat until combined. Add melted butter to buttermilk mixture and beat to combine. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture all at once and mix until combined, but don't over beat. I use a spoon first to fold in all of the flour mixture, then use the whisk to get rid of the big lumps. Batter will still have some small lumps. Pour by the 1/3 cupfuls onto hot griddle and cook until small bubbles start to appear, then flip and cook for another minute or so. Cover with real maple syrup and eat. Make 8-10 four inch pancakes.
Okay, this has nothing to do with electing Howard Dean president except that it is a good sign of good things to come. Plus it makes my family very happy so they don't mind all the time I spend writing letters and online working to get Dean elected. I do it all because I love them, and want the world they live in to have sane, rational leaders at the helm. But they also need pancakes. My family, not the leaders. Well maybe leaders need pancakes, too.
The secret for pancakes that are moist, tender and fluffy is in the order in which the ingredients are combined.
2 cups of flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs, well beaten
3 cups buttermilk
1/4 tsp baking soda
Heat griddle to medium. Melt butter and set aside to cool slightly. Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Set aside. Beat two eggs until foamy. The secret step is to put baking soda in bottom of a medium bowl and add buttermilk to it, then beat a few stroke with a whisk. Add eggs to buttermilk and beat until combined. Add melted butter to buttermilk mixture and beat to combine. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture all at once and mix until combined, but don't over beat. I use a spoon first to fold in all of the flour mixture, then use the whisk to get rid of the big lumps. Batter will still have some small lumps. Pour by the 1/3 cupfuls onto hot griddle and cook until small bubbles start to appear, then flip and cook for another minute or so. Cover with real maple syrup and eat. Make 8-10 four inch pancakes.
Okay, this has nothing to do with electing Howard Dean president except that it is a good sign of good things to come. Plus it makes my family very happy so they don't mind all the time I spend writing letters and online working to get Dean elected. I do it all because I love them, and want the world they live in to have sane, rational leaders at the helm. But they also need pancakes. My family, not the leaders. Well maybe leaders need pancakes, too.
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Our Victory Day for Iowa
We had our Victory Day event and wrote plenty of letters. I wish someone could have taped our conversation.
One person was 69, a reformed Green who has had to return to work fulltime after seeing his retirement slashed by the Bush recession. Next to him was a college student who had just changed her registration from Republican to Democrat so she could vote for Dean. She has a weak immune system and is rightly worried about health insurance after graduation when she won't be covered by her parents anymore.
And then there was my husband, the cynical journalist, who wrote such a beautiful letter about being a dad and how Gov. Dean has given him hope for the first time. It made me cry. Those who think Dean is all about anger should read that letter.
Even my 3-year-old got into the act before his bedtime by insisting that he wanted to write his own letter to Howard Dean. I overheard him earlier telling the babysitter that he was going to vote for Howard Dean and expected the sitter to do likewise.
Writing these letters is a powerful affirmation of hope and commitment. I am coming to believe that the physical act of writing out these positive messages by hand over and over again is somehow powerful in and of itself. If you haven't already please sign-up for a Victory Day event for Saturday.
Here is the text of my husband's letter:
This isn’t a form letter from a campaign office. It’s a personal request from an ordinary Pennsylvanian and father of two small boys who’s concerned about the future of our country:
Please join me in supporting Howard Dean.
I’m 36, a lifelong registered Democrat, and never have been inspired by a candidate— until now. Dean has me excited about a campaign for the first time. Why? Because he’s the best choice to become our next president and help reverse the destructive path the current administration is taking this nation.
Simply put, Dean’s views make sense to me. He wants health care for all. He’s against saddling our grandchildren with a huge debt and squandering our resources on tax cuts for the rich. And he believes in being a world power that works with its allies instead of alienating them.
But sound ideas alone aren’t why I’m behind Dean. I’ve always been skeptical, even cynical, of past presidential candidates. They all droned on about "plans" for the future but rarely seemed to understand them, let alone believe in them.
Dean is different— passionate, direct, and motivated not out of political ambition or ego but by his concern the safety and welfare of all Americans. He’s not promising to be a savior; in fact, he’s quite clear about saying the real power of change lies with people like us. It’s a message that has already energized more than a half a million, including me.
That’s why I think Dean is going to oust Bush in the fall. He’s awakened not just anger, as some reports would have you believe, but real hope in a wide range of voters – from students to labor unions to people like my father, a Democrat and retired business professor who voted for Nader in 2000 in disgust. I look at Dean and picture a brighter future for my children. I see a country living up to its promise at home and abroad. I see better times for America— enough to take pen in hand and ask you to help Howard Dean help us all.
The rest of the letter is about going to Deanforamerica or calling the toll free number, voting in the caucus, and writing back.
One person was 69, a reformed Green who has had to return to work fulltime after seeing his retirement slashed by the Bush recession. Next to him was a college student who had just changed her registration from Republican to Democrat so she could vote for Dean. She has a weak immune system and is rightly worried about health insurance after graduation when she won't be covered by her parents anymore.
And then there was my husband, the cynical journalist, who wrote such a beautiful letter about being a dad and how Gov. Dean has given him hope for the first time. It made me cry. Those who think Dean is all about anger should read that letter.
Even my 3-year-old got into the act before his bedtime by insisting that he wanted to write his own letter to Howard Dean. I overheard him earlier telling the babysitter that he was going to vote for Howard Dean and expected the sitter to do likewise.
Writing these letters is a powerful affirmation of hope and commitment. I am coming to believe that the physical act of writing out these positive messages by hand over and over again is somehow powerful in and of itself. If you haven't already please sign-up for a Victory Day event for Saturday.
Here is the text of my husband's letter:
This isn’t a form letter from a campaign office. It’s a personal request from an ordinary Pennsylvanian and father of two small boys who’s concerned about the future of our country:
Please join me in supporting Howard Dean.
I’m 36, a lifelong registered Democrat, and never have been inspired by a candidate— until now. Dean has me excited about a campaign for the first time. Why? Because he’s the best choice to become our next president and help reverse the destructive path the current administration is taking this nation.
Simply put, Dean’s views make sense to me. He wants health care for all. He’s against saddling our grandchildren with a huge debt and squandering our resources on tax cuts for the rich. And he believes in being a world power that works with its allies instead of alienating them.
But sound ideas alone aren’t why I’m behind Dean. I’ve always been skeptical, even cynical, of past presidential candidates. They all droned on about "plans" for the future but rarely seemed to understand them, let alone believe in them.
Dean is different— passionate, direct, and motivated not out of political ambition or ego but by his concern the safety and welfare of all Americans. He’s not promising to be a savior; in fact, he’s quite clear about saying the real power of change lies with people like us. It’s a message that has already energized more than a half a million, including me.
That’s why I think Dean is going to oust Bush in the fall. He’s awakened not just anger, as some reports would have you believe, but real hope in a wide range of voters – from students to labor unions to people like my father, a Democrat and retired business professor who voted for Nader in 2000 in disgust. I look at Dean and picture a brighter future for my children. I see a country living up to its promise at home and abroad. I see better times for America— enough to take pen in hand and ask you to help Howard Dean help us all.
The rest of the letter is about going to Deanforamerica or calling the toll free number, voting in the caucus, and writing back.
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Letter writing tonight
This evening, several local Dean supporters are coming over to eat apple pie and write letters to undecided voters in Iowa and New Hampshire. I am so eager to see new polls from Iowa. Maybe if I sent them some pie. It's an old old family recipe, with crisp yet tender, flakey melt in your mouth crust — the way pie should be. I so much want to go New Hampshire and go door to door with my boys and ask people to please vote for Howard Dean.
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
Kids are the future
My toddler will be two at the end of the year. Right now I understand less than half of what he says, but it's getting clearer all the time. Yesterday he came up to me, put his little hand on my arm and said clear as day, "Howard Dean." He said it with conviction, with certainty.
My three year old has added George Bush's name to the list of bullies at his school. He even told his cousins that George Bush had bit him on the leg. We were off to the store this weekend, and I was putting on my Dean button. He insisted that he needed a Dean button, too. As I was strapping him into his car seat, he announced, " Mommy, I'm going to vote for Howard Dean. Who are you going to vote for?"
My three year old has added George Bush's name to the list of bullies at his school. He even told his cousins that George Bush had bit him on the leg. We were off to the store this weekend, and I was putting on my Dean button. He insisted that he needed a Dean button, too. As I was strapping him into his car seat, he announced, " Mommy, I'm going to vote for Howard Dean. Who are you going to vote for?"
Monday, November 10, 2003
Democratic Party or Fox Survival Show
Letter sent to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Election watchers last week witnessed a fascinating media made cannibalism
show called, "When Democrats eat their own."
Presidential candidate, Howard Dean made a poignant remark about poor white
people being racially manipulated to vote Republican against their economic
interests. But it wasn't the Republicans, African Americans or Dixiecrats
who threw the hissy fit. It was liberal language control freaks.
Dean's mistake? He used the apparently banned term "Confederate Flag."
Democratic opponents fell all over themselves to score political correctness
points while pundits editorialized Dean's meaning beyond recognition. The
liberal anti-offensiveness disease became so epidemic that even some Dean
supporters asked for an apology.
Did I miss something? Has the Democratic Primary suddenly become a Fox
survival show where the PC police think they decide who gets voted off the
"electable" island? Now I know why seasoned politicians like Al Gore sound
so robotic. They have learned to pass language through the "offensiveness
checker" in their "conflict avoidance brain software" before they dare
speak.
As a standup, Truman-like, give 'em Hell doctor Democrat, Dean has the
potential to become the greatest populist politician of his generation if
the language sensitivity gurus would just leave him alone.
As more people TUNE IN, they are increasingly TURNED ON by Howard Dean¹s
courage, honesty and directness. We can only hope it¹s the PC
perfectionists who end up DROPPING OUT.
Common Sense Mom
www.commonsensemom.com
Election watchers last week witnessed a fascinating media made cannibalism
show called, "When Democrats eat their own."
Presidential candidate, Howard Dean made a poignant remark about poor white
people being racially manipulated to vote Republican against their economic
interests. But it wasn't the Republicans, African Americans or Dixiecrats
who threw the hissy fit. It was liberal language control freaks.
Dean's mistake? He used the apparently banned term "Confederate Flag."
Democratic opponents fell all over themselves to score political correctness
points while pundits editorialized Dean's meaning beyond recognition. The
liberal anti-offensiveness disease became so epidemic that even some Dean
supporters asked for an apology.
Did I miss something? Has the Democratic Primary suddenly become a Fox
survival show where the PC police think they decide who gets voted off the
"electable" island? Now I know why seasoned politicians like Al Gore sound
so robotic. They have learned to pass language through the "offensiveness
checker" in their "conflict avoidance brain software" before they dare
speak.
As a standup, Truman-like, give 'em Hell doctor Democrat, Dean has the
potential to become the greatest populist politician of his generation if
the language sensitivity gurus would just leave him alone.
As more people TUNE IN, they are increasingly TURNED ON by Howard Dean¹s
courage, honesty and directness. We can only hope it¹s the PC
perfectionists who end up DROPPING OUT.
Common Sense Mom
www.commonsensemom.com
Sunday, November 09, 2003
The real story behind Howard Dean's Confederate Flag Flap.
I've been so busy with Mom stuff and Dean stuff, but I just read a powerful letter written by another mom on the official blog. CommonSenseMom writes about Dean and the Confederate Flag comment lamenting that the Democrats are more willing to sacrifice on their own on the altar of Political Correctness than do what is best for the party and the country. I want to take her analysis one step further, taking my inspiration from Cythnia Tucker's insight into the character of one of the lead actor's in the drama — John Kerry.
Here's what really happened:
For months Howard Dean has been saying: I intend to talk about race during this election in the South, because the Republicans have been talking about it since 1968 in order to divide us, and I'm going to bring us together, because you know what, white folks in the South who drive pick ups with Confederate flag decals on the back ought to be voting with us and not them because their kids don't have health insurance and their kids need better schools too. This is the quote that started all the trouble. Seems pretty clear that Dean is attacking the insidious use of racism by the GOP. In fact this was a big applause line in Dean’s stump speech, even in front of African American crowds.
All was well until the SEIU, the Service Employees International Union, was on the verge of endorsing Dean. The prior week stories ran in the press about Kerry, Gephardt, and Edwards conspiring to stop the endorsement.
Then Jesse Jackson Jr. endorsed Dean. In steps Al Sharpton who has his own history of using race to cause discord and division. Sharpton has long seen himself as the heir to Jesse Jackson Sr. His run for the presidency is supposed to emulate Jackson’s run in 1988, which elevated Jackson to the unofficial but very powerful position of national leader for African Americans. Sharpton also has a long simmering feud with Jackson, probably having something to do with the fact that Jackson isn’t ready to give up his leadership role, and certainly not to Sharpton.
Enter Jesse Jackson Jr. who endorses Dean thus denying to Sharpton the mantle of undisputed leader. The son of the man he is aiming to replace has endorsed his rival, a white man. So Sharpton reverts to form and attacks Dean as having an "anti-black agenda."
In defending himself against this attack and one by Kerry on gun control, Dean cites the line from his speech about pick-ups with Confederate flag. Kerry, Gephardt, and Edwards seize the remark and with feigned PC liberal outrage go for the jugular, hoping that by playing the race card themselves they can stop the ethnically diverse SEIU from endorsing Dean.
Not only does the SEIU endorse Dean, but AFSCME also decides to endorse Dean. Furthermore, a number of prominent African Americans come to Dean’s defense, including Constance Rice and Cythnia Tucker, as well as Paul Krugman, economic columnist at the New York Times.
Who is the real leader here? Howard Dean is the first politician to talk honestly to the American people about how racism is used to keep both blacks and whites in poverty? And what do the egomaniacs competing with him do? They lie, twist and distort this important message that everyone needs to hear.
Here's what really happened:
For months Howard Dean has been saying: I intend to talk about race during this election in the South, because the Republicans have been talking about it since 1968 in order to divide us, and I'm going to bring us together, because you know what, white folks in the South who drive pick ups with Confederate flag decals on the back ought to be voting with us and not them because their kids don't have health insurance and their kids need better schools too. This is the quote that started all the trouble. Seems pretty clear that Dean is attacking the insidious use of racism by the GOP. In fact this was a big applause line in Dean’s stump speech, even in front of African American crowds.
All was well until the SEIU, the Service Employees International Union, was on the verge of endorsing Dean. The prior week stories ran in the press about Kerry, Gephardt, and Edwards conspiring to stop the endorsement.
Then Jesse Jackson Jr. endorsed Dean. In steps Al Sharpton who has his own history of using race to cause discord and division. Sharpton has long seen himself as the heir to Jesse Jackson Sr. His run for the presidency is supposed to emulate Jackson’s run in 1988, which elevated Jackson to the unofficial but very powerful position of national leader for African Americans. Sharpton also has a long simmering feud with Jackson, probably having something to do with the fact that Jackson isn’t ready to give up his leadership role, and certainly not to Sharpton.
Enter Jesse Jackson Jr. who endorses Dean thus denying to Sharpton the mantle of undisputed leader. The son of the man he is aiming to replace has endorsed his rival, a white man. So Sharpton reverts to form and attacks Dean as having an "anti-black agenda."
In defending himself against this attack and one by Kerry on gun control, Dean cites the line from his speech about pick-ups with Confederate flag. Kerry, Gephardt, and Edwards seize the remark and with feigned PC liberal outrage go for the jugular, hoping that by playing the race card themselves they can stop the ethnically diverse SEIU from endorsing Dean.
Not only does the SEIU endorse Dean, but AFSCME also decides to endorse Dean. Furthermore, a number of prominent African Americans come to Dean’s defense, including Constance Rice and Cythnia Tucker, as well as Paul Krugman, economic columnist at the New York Times.
Who is the real leader here? Howard Dean is the first politician to talk honestly to the American people about how racism is used to keep both blacks and whites in poverty? And what do the egomaniacs competing with him do? They lie, twist and distort this important message that everyone needs to hear.
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