Surviving the Budget Crisis

“The waters are rising and there's a hole in the bottom of the boat.”

That's not the kind of news one wants to hear as they take part in the Early Childhood Alliance's Annual Retreat on July 23, but that's what Kate Robinson, a lobbyist for Betty Gallo & Co., said about the current budget crisis. It's not easy to find out what is going on with closed-door negotiations and a press blackout, but Robinson said the little that is known is that the two sides are still very far apart from agreeing on a bottom line.

“What can we do while Rome burns?” asked Robinson.

Her answer? She urged the early childhood community to maintain constant contact and check in frequently with legislators.

“Know who your legislators are and keep in touch with them. Tell them what you're experiencing right now. Explain to them on a personal level what's at stake if status quo is not met. For example, say you have a $10,000 budget. What will happen if you get $8,000, $6,000, $5,000 or a zero budget. Have parents and others contact [their legislators] too.”

“Make yourself available,” said Robinson. “Be the expert in your field for them, because they aren't experts on everything they vote on.”

Robinson also advised attendees to keep their communications professional. Passion is a very powerful thing, but it can be negatively perceived, she said.

As to how long the budget crisis will last, Robinson said, “For the runners in the audience, it's not a marathon, it's an Iron Man competition. You have to hang in there. Next year, it could be worse.”

When it comes to funding for early care and education, states that flat fund an ECE budget or make small cuts to the ECE funds will still be seen in “good shape,” said Phil Sparks, executive vice president of the Communications Consortium Media Center in Washington, D.C., the second of two guest speakers.

“We are looking at a bleak situation in the states that were leaders in early education,” Sparks said. “I don't bring you a lot of good news, but misery loves company.”

Looking back at just one year ago, known as EC E's “Golden Year” of state support, 33 of 38 states with programs saw an increase in enrollment, total state funding for ECE rose to almost $4.6 billion and over the previous five years, total state spending increasing more than $15 billion.

Then in 2009, state tax collections dropped 12% -- the largest quarterly drop in state tax revenues since the Rockefeller Institute began gathering dates in the early 1970s.

“A lot of states are still trying to figure out priorities, like Connecticut [is],” said Sparks.

Early education-leading states like California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New Jersey, Florida Illinois and Washington State are all reevaluating what they can do at this time when it comes to early care and education.

In the states where cuts have been proposed, they include the elimination or reduction of subsidies, increase classroom sizes, cuts and reductions to programs targeting children with developmental delays, teacher quality/professional development have been pared down and parent fees have increased.

“We may have lost all of the last five years in 90 days,” Sparks said. “[Early care and education] programs cannot be assumed an entitlement. Build your constituency and be ready to activate if necessary.”

Sparks added that states with a well-organized early childhood community have fared better than others. He urged coordinated grassroots action to keep these important program.

And, according to Sparks, there is a glimmer of hope. Congress is still working on the Obama budget plan, which proposes multi-million dollar increases to Head Start and Early Head Start and flat funds the child care block grant program at $2.1 billion. There is also the Student Aid and Fiscal responsibility Act, proposed by Congressman George Miller (D-CA) chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, which would also help build a comprehensive, high-quality early learning system that would implement early learning standards, fund quality initiatives and improve teacher salaries.