News release
Moms, Young Children and Legislators to Play Jumbo Version of ‘Chutes & Ladders’ at U.S. Capitol
September 16, 2013
Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996
Message to Legislators: Affordable, High-Quality Early Learning Opportunities Move Our Children and Our Country Forward!
On Wednesday, September 18, the National Women’s Law Center, members of the Strong Start Campaign for Children and moms and preschool children from MomsRising.org will join legislators to participate in an unexpected activity in front of the U.S. Capitol: Playing an over-sized game of Chutes & Ladders to call attention to the critical role early education plays. The game visually demonstrates how our children can move forward with affordable, high-quality early learning opportunities.
10:00 AM until Noon, Wednesday, September 18
U.S. Capitol Grounds, Area #9
First Street N.E. @ Constitution Ave N.E.
Washington, DC
Attending:
Representative George Miller (D-CA)
Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
John E. Pepper, Jr., Former CEO, Procter & Gamble
And other invited legislators
(Schedule of speakers and events at end of release)
Legislators and advocates, including MomsRising.org Executive Director / CEO Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner and NWLC Director of Child Care and Early Learning Helen Blank will kick off the game at 10:00 a.m. They will also provide brief remarks about the urgency of investing in early learning programs as will legislators. Seventy-five or more children will be playing on a 40-ft game board.
In addition to playing the game, these advocates will be delivering to Senate offices books containing compelling stories from parents, teachers and business leaders that illustrate the benefits of high-quality early learning programs for children. The game will be played over the next several weeks in cities across the country including Los Angeles, CA; Chicago, IL; Santa Fe, NM; and Montpelier, VT.
“While children and moms have fun taking turns playing this familiar board game,” says Kristin Rowe Finkbeiner, Executive Director/CEO at MomsRising.org, “the chutes will remind us of the serious challenges families face in finding affordable, high-quality early learning opportunities for their children; and the ladders remind us of the ways that high-quality early learning programs lift up our children and nation. Our children and our communities will all be winners if legislators invest in early learning.”
“The evidence is clear: the first five years of life lay the foundation for children’s future success in education and in life,” says Helen Blank, NWLC Director of Child Care and Early Learning. “But the fact that millions of children don’t have access to these early learning experiences holds them and the country back.”
EXPECTED SCHEDULE
Children will be playing the game throughout the event, along with moms and participating legislators.
10:00 A.M.-10:30 A.M.
Representative George Miller (D-CA)
Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
10:30 A.M.-11:00 A.M.
Helen Blank, NWLC
Kristin Rowe -Finkbeiner, MomsRising
11:00 A.M-11:30 A.M.
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
John E. Pepper, Jr., Former CEO, Procter & Gamble
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The National Women's Law Center is a non-profit organization that has been working since 1972 to advance and protect women's equality and opportunity. The Center focuses on major policy areas of importance to women and their families including economic security, education, employment and health, with special attention given to the concerns of low-income women. For more information on the Center, visit: www.nwlc.org.
The Strong Start for Children Campaign is an ever-expanding, diverse effort of national, state, and local groups united in support of increased federal early childhood investments and the President’s Preschool Proposal, which would expand access to high-quality early learning opportunities for low-and moderate-income children and families. The Campaign has three goals: increase public awareness about the importance of the early years to a child’s success in school and in life, build support among public officials for greater investments in early learning, and expand the voices of support for young children and their families.