Affordable, quality preschool and childcare---yes please!
In a moment of maternal defeat, I decided that my son's future wife will just have to deal with his attachment to pacifiers. Yes, we all have our early challenges. And some, like affordable quality preschool and childcare, are bigger than others.
So, it's music to my ears that Congress just introduced the new Early Learning Challenge Fund to Address some key early learning challenges. The fund would provide competitive grants that challenge states to build comprehensive, high-quality early learning programs for children under age 5. We can't let an opportunity like this disappear!
Tell your Congressperson to support the Early Learning Challenge Grants Fund legislation today:
http://action.momsrising.org/cms/letter/action_926/
Our leaders are finally understanding what we already know so well-- kids start learning with their first breath of air, they don't wait until age 5!
The lowdown
The House Education and Labor Committee has approved the Early Learning Challenge Grants Fund legislation to build a comprehensive, high-quality early learning system for children birth to age 5. These grants focus on building parent support and engagement, increasing access to quality child care and creating real quality standards.1
Why early care and education is so important:
Nearly 12 million children under age 5 regularly spend time in childcare arrangements2 but it's a patchwork system with variable standards and finding quality care is tricky and expensive.
Yet, quality preschool and early learning programs are crucial--- and more than 85% of a child's core brain structure is formed by age 5.3
Early Learning Challenge Grants Fund will go before the full House of Representatives on September 17th. Take action today:
http://action.momsrising.org/cms/letter/action_926/
Tell your friends, family, and co-workers to take action too. We're talking 8 billion (with a 'B') for kids in this country!
[1] http://edlabor.house.gov/newsroom/2009/07/chairman-miller-announces-new-1.shtml
[2] U.S. Congressional Committee on Education and Labor, July 2009 http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/SAFRA-EarlyLearning.pdf
[3] Child and Family Policy Center and Voices for America's Children, 2004
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