Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Urgent Action Requested by Ready 4K...
House & Senate Spending Bills for Early Care and EducationAre Woefully Inadequate
The House and Senate released their omnibus spending bills for early care and education this week – and the news is disappointing.
The House has allocated $41 million of new funding for early childhood education and child care programs and the Senate is proposing only $11 million for early childhood education (not including child care, which is handled by another committee in the Senate).
While the House bill lays out a good vision by investing in current programs like Head Start and School Readiness, restoring cuts to child care and ECFE, and funding needed infrastructure improvements like early childhood hubs, professional development, and parent allowances, the funding is not enough to significantly move the needle on school readiness. Spending in the Senate bill is even lower. While the Senate bill does restore funding for ECFE and initiates an early childhood parent allowance, it does nothing for Head Start or School Readiness programs or to build the capacity of the early childhood system in Minnesota.
Bottom line: The proposed funding is woefully inadequate to address the needs of the youngest Minnesotans and their families.
Ready 4 K had called for an additional $300 million over the next two years to significantly increase school readiness in Minnesota. Our proposal included funding for early childhood education allowances for parents, home visits for families with children at-risk of not being school ready, parent education programs, professional development opportunities for providers, greater access to child care assistance, and increased support for current early care and education programs.
As the Star Tribune stated on Monday: “It appears that early childhood education could be squeezed out.”
Let’s not let that happen...
We need to make our voices heard – loud and clear – that our children – and our state – deserve better!
We know that providing every Minnesota child with the strongest possible start in life is the single most important strategic action our state can take to maintain our quality of life and ensure a prosperous future. So far, neither the House and Senate nor the Governor have proposed enough resources to get the job done.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Call you State Senator and House Representative TODAY and tell them:
"The funding proposed by the House and Senate for early childhood is inadequate to address the needs of the youngest Minnesotans. I am disappointed to see that early care and education wasn’t made a higher priority. I want your commitment that you will talk with the leaders of the House and Senate to make early childhood a higher priority."
Our children are worth the investment – an investment that has been proven to bring the greatest return. The time to act is now. PLEASE CALL YOU SEN ATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE TODAY. Legislators have commented that they are hearing from constituents about K-12 education and health care – but not as much about early childhood issues. WE NEED TO CORRECT THAT IMPRESSION. Let them know that current budget proposals shortchange our youngest citizens and that you want them to invest in early care and education.
And let us know you made the calls and your legislators' response by replying to this email. To find out who your legislators are, visit the District Finder or call toll-free 1-888-234-1112.
Thank you for everything you do for the youngest Minnesotans.
House & Senate Spending Bills for Early Care and EducationAre Woefully Inadequate
The House and Senate released their omnibus spending bills for early care and education this week – and the news is disappointing.
The House has allocated $41 million of new funding for early childhood education and child care programs and the Senate is proposing only $11 million for early childhood education (not including child care, which is handled by another committee in the Senate).
While the House bill lays out a good vision by investing in current programs like Head Start and School Readiness, restoring cuts to child care and ECFE, and funding needed infrastructure improvements like early childhood hubs, professional development, and parent allowances, the funding is not enough to significantly move the needle on school readiness. Spending in the Senate bill is even lower. While the Senate bill does restore funding for ECFE and initiates an early childhood parent allowance, it does nothing for Head Start or School Readiness programs or to build the capacity of the early childhood system in Minnesota.
Bottom line: The proposed funding is woefully inadequate to address the needs of the youngest Minnesotans and their families.
Ready 4 K had called for an additional $300 million over the next two years to significantly increase school readiness in Minnesota. Our proposal included funding for early childhood education allowances for parents, home visits for families with children at-risk of not being school ready, parent education programs, professional development opportunities for providers, greater access to child care assistance, and increased support for current early care and education programs.
As the Star Tribune stated on Monday: “It appears that early childhood education could be squeezed out.”
Let’s not let that happen...
We need to make our voices heard – loud and clear – that our children – and our state – deserve better!
We know that providing every Minnesota child with the strongest possible start in life is the single most important strategic action our state can take to maintain our quality of life and ensure a prosperous future. So far, neither the House and Senate nor the Governor have proposed enough resources to get the job done.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Call you State Senator and House Representative TODAY and tell them:
"The funding proposed by the House and Senate for early childhood is inadequate to address the needs of the youngest Minnesotans. I am disappointed to see that early care and education wasn’t made a higher priority. I want your commitment that you will talk with the leaders of the House and Senate to make early childhood a higher priority."
Our children are worth the investment – an investment that has been proven to bring the greatest return. The time to act is now. PLEASE CALL YOU SEN ATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE TODAY. Legislators have commented that they are hearing from constituents about K-12 education and health care – but not as much about early childhood issues. WE NEED TO CORRECT THAT IMPRESSION. Let them know that current budget proposals shortchange our youngest citizens and that you want them to invest in early care and education.
And let us know you made the calls and your legislators' response by replying to this email. To find out who your legislators are, visit the District Finder or call toll-free 1-888-234-1112.
Thank you for everything you do for the youngest Minnesotans.
// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 4:03 PM 
