Allentown Morning Call: Report: Valley falls short in pre-K programs
“”The sooner high-quality pre-K is made available to more Pennsylvania children, the sooner we can see the increased benefits to our children, our communities and the commonwealth,” PPC President and CEO Joan Benso said in a release. “Investing in our young learners is a smart and necessary step toward building a stronger Pennsylvania.”
PPC’s report, “A Smart Choice for a Solid Start: The Case for Pre-K in PA,” shows nearly a quarter of a million 3- and 4-year-olds — or one in six children in that age group — are excluded from pre-K because their families cannot find or afford such programs.
According to the report, Lehigh County has about 8,700 children in the 3-4 age group, but 85 percent have no access to high-quality, publicly funded pre-K. In Northampton County, it’s about 91 percent of 6,800 children in the age group.”
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