American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Guide to Opportunities to Assure Children Are Healthy and Prepared to Succeed in School for "Making Connections" Communities

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was signed into law by President Obama on Tuesday, February 17, 2009. It is the broadest and largest funding package in American history. The intent of the statute is to stimulate the economy both through direct spending on a range of programs and to create tax relief. The package makes investments in education, health, and assistance to families hardest hit by the economy. This document focuses on the provisions in ARRA related to early care and education, elementary education, health, and family support, with a particular focus on a two-generation approach. The stimulus funding described in this guide has the potential to support the strategies that make up the "Making Connections" CHAPSS pathway, e.g., work to ensure all children read at grade level by end of third grade, to expand the supply of quality early childhood experiences (birth to kindergarten), and to connect children with health insurance, medical homes, and ensure they are screened for developmental disabilities and provided appropriate follow up services. This funding could also meet the needs of their parents by providing health, family literacy, nutrition, and housing assistance. Opportunities to connect parents in "Making Connections" neighborhoods to jobs, training, and education are described in a companion guide. The goal in distributing this guide is to help local leaders maximize the dollars that reach "Making Connections" neighborhoods, proportionate to the needs of the community.