GREENE – At a press conference held at the Greene Intermediate School on Monday, February 24 U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Representative Richard Hanna announced legislation to expand access to high-quality early learning programs for children from birth to age five.
In an effort to broaden the funding to public schools necessary to the operation of Universal Pre-K programs – much like the program offered in the Greene Central School District – Gillibrand and Hannah have vehemently campaigned to secure federal dollars which will enable all districts in the state to do just that.
“This is a program that would allow the Federal Government to give funds to the states with the goal and the guidance to the states that they would fund all universals Pre-K, so that all children would have full access to Universal Pre-K,” said Gillibrand.
This act is intended to support quality Pre-K and make it more accessible to more children with the trickle-down benefits of increasing opportunity for stay at home mothers to seek and further their education and gainful employment.
According to a release from Congress, research has consistently shown that high quality early learning programs improve cognitive, social, emotional, and language development, which are necessary skills for life. In addition, research shows that lowest«income and disadvantaged children are the least likely to participate in preschool programs. And children from middle-class families are only slightly more likely to participate Preschool opportunities for 3-year-olds appear to be a particular challenge for some middle income families. Among 34 percent of children in families earning $50,000 to $60,000 participate in preschool programs, compared to 42 percent of children in families earning less than $10,000.
Hannah said, “The nice thing about this Bill is that it is not perceptive as people might want it to be in the sense that people who push back on it say that the Federal Government is too prescriptive; in this case, this Bill allows local communities who have Pre-K to get grants to use the way they want.”
The Strong Start for America’s Children Act focuses on boosting funding for high-quality preschool programs serving low and moderate income families and increasing the quality of infant and toddler care offered by providers are the key components of the bill while supporting broad-scale quality improvements to child care programs.
“If we expect our children to walk through the doors of our colleges and universities tomorrow, and succeed in our economy in the years ahead – we need Universal Pre-K,” said Giilibrand. “High quality early learning leads to strong cognitive, social, emotional and language development key skills for a bright future. But for millions of children in struggling families, that is a chance they will never get through no fault of their own – and for no other reason – than they were born into a life of less opportunity. The block you live on should not determine what chances you get in life. That’s why we need to make the investment today to bring quality, affordable, Pre-K to every child in America.”
Congressman Hannah said, “High-quality early learning guarantees a reduction in spending on entitlements, welfare and incarceration,” He went on,“It also lowers obesity rates, helping to reduce healthcare costs. By focusing on early education we can begin to break the back of intergenerational poverty, producing more taxpayers and a more competitive America through a better-educated, growing middle class.”
“We cannot guarantee every child equal success in life, but we can promise them the opportunity to be successful. I hope this effort is the beginning of a sustained bipartisan conversation on how expanding access to early education will make economy more competitive and ensure each child has the opportunity to reach his or her full potential,” said Hannah.
According to the Senator, one in four children starts their life in poverty. This bill will help ensure their lives do not end in poverty.
The Strong Start for America’s Children Act would help more children arrive at kindergarten ready to succeed. It would establish a federal-state partnership to provide access to high-quality Pre-K programs for all low-income and moderate-income children. It also increases the quality of infant and toddler care in center-based settings while improving Child Care Development Block Grants.