skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, December 21, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Government shutdown looms after Trump-backed bill fails; Environmental groups sue CA Air Resources Board over biogas credits; NY elected officials work to electrify municipal buildings; Need a mental health boost? Talking hot dog is here.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

President-elect Trump repeats his threats to jail Jan. 6th committee members, while also putting a stop-gap spending plan in jeopardy. A court removes Fani Willis from Trump's Georgia election interference case. The FAA restricts drones in New Jersey, and a Federal Reserve rate cut shakes markets.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural folks could soon be shut out of loans for natural disasters if Project 2025 has its way, Taos, New Mexico weighs options for its housing shortage, and the top states providing America's Christmas trees revealed.

More Illinois Toddlers Head for 'Smart Start' in Early Education

play audio
Play

Friday, May 19, 2023   

Researchers say a lot of learning begins even before birth - and especially between birth and age five.

Gov. JB Pritzker's "Smart Start Illinois" is a plan to increase access to early learning services for young families across the state.

Supporters of the plan say it not only benefits children through high-quality learning, but would function as stable, reliable childcare so their parents can work or go to school.

Julissa Cruz, senior director of community-based advocacy at the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, said she's optimistic about the transformative impact she believes the plan will eventually have on the workforce.

"You have a workforce that's comprised of mostly Black and Brown women, who are making wages that they themselves qualify for public assistance," said Cruz. "Smart Start would really start to rectify that pay scale, and really work closer to pay equity."

The governor's plan aims to supply as many as 500 three and four-year-olds with early-learning access as soon as fiscal year 2024.

Cost is expected to be the biggest barrier in implementing the plan and making sure it continues beyond Pritzker's tenure.

Smart Start plans to serve other areas, too, including home visits and early intervention for children who may need more robust support.

Cruz said each of those items will need support in order for families to access all aspects of early learning.

"When you have a child who's been identified early on as having either a cognitive or physical impairment, they go through what's called early intervention," said Cruz. "And then, you are connected to service providers who can provide that service - so, that may be occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy. That system is individual contractors."

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children under age five receive a developmental screening every six months.





get more stories like this via email

more stories
A survey from the American Heart Association revealed 79% of respondents neglect their health during the holidays. Many say they find this time of year more stressful than income tax season.
(deagreez/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Holiday travel is in full swing and for many, so is the stress. The American Heart Association of Missouri has health tips for anyone with heart …


Health and Wellness

play sound

By Amy Felegy for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Service Collabo…

Health and Wellness

play sound

With Christmas less than a week away, experts are giving advice on how seniors and the community can fight against social isolation. A United Health …


A new University of Miami study has found buildings in Sunny Isles Beach and Surfside have been sinking by 2-8 centimeters between 2016 and 2023. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

When the Champlain Towers South collapsed in Surfside in 2021 taking 98 lives, it sent shock waves across South Florida. The tragedy has left …

Environment

play sound

Rural communities across Massachusetts are benefiting from state grants aimed at strengthening the local food supply and building climate resilience…

Dairy digesters remove methane from liquified animal waste. The gas can then be used to generate power. (Lance Cheung/USDA)

Environment

play sound

Three environmental nonprofits filed suit Wednesday against the California Air Resources Board to oppose the expansion of a program allowing oil and g…

Environment

play sound

New York lawmakers are focusing on electrifying municipal buildings. Buildings statewide make up 32% of New York's greenhouse gas emissions and …

Social Issues

play sound

North Dakota is expected to rejoin the debate over whether all school children, regardless of their family income, should have access to no-cost …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021