March 01, 2014 3:15 pm • The Sentinel
Most parents remember with great amazement and admiration the period when their children were toddlers.
Their young brains are like sponges, we are told. Let them soak up information. Answer questions. Expose them to music and arts. Encourage learning. Start molding them into wonderful people. It’s not too early.
Parents can see this growth occur, and it leads to some outstanding memories. Not only that, it helps shape who those young people will be for the rest of their lives.
Engaged, inquisitive toddlers turn into engaged, inquisitive adults. Learn to learn at a young age, and it will continue for life.
So we were disappointed to hear about a report this week that states that 70 percent of Pennsylvania’s 3- and 4-year-olds don’t have access to high-quality preschool.
Nearly 209,000 young children lack access to pre-kindergarten programs because their families either can’t find or can’t afford it, the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children found in its new report, “A Smart Choice for a Solid Start: The Case for Pre-k in PA.” Less than 18 percent, or about 53,000 children, are enrolled in publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs statewide.
In Cumberland County, the report estimates that 79 percent of children ages 3 or 4 don’t have access to high-quality preschool — defined as schools involved in Pre-K Counts, Head Start, Keystone STARS, public schools, Pennsylvania Department of Education licensed nursery schools or have accreditations by national associations.
A coalition of 10 nonprofit organizations is trying to ensure every child has the opportunity to attend a strong preschool program and wants lawmakers to devote more resources to early education as they develop the 2014-15 budget.
We wholeheartedly support quality pre-kindergarten programs.
Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed $29.4 billion 2014-15 budget includes an increase in funding for early education of about $10.8 million, a 3 percent increase over the previous year. The bulk of the increase — $10 million — would go toward the Pre-K Counts program to enroll 1,670 more students.
We want to see improvement in pre-kindergarten programs, and more children involved in them. It’s much easier to start out youngsters on the right track than to get them there later in life.
Thu, Feb 27, 2014
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Event Location
Middletown Twp Public Hall
3 Municipal Way
Langhorne, PA 19047
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Wed, Mar 05, 2014
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Event Location
Montgomery County Community College
Advanced Technology Center 101
340 DeKalb Pike
Blue Bell , PA 19422
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New PPC Report Finds High-quality Pre-k Benefits Only 1 in 6 Young Learners
Pennsylvania Can See Greater Impact Through Increased Investments
(HARRISBURG, PA) Feb. 19, 2014 – Only about 18 percent of Pennsylvania’s 3- and 4-year-olds – or 1 in 6 children – are able to access high-quality, publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs, despite the proven benefits and growing public support for these programs, according to a new report from Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (PPC).
This lack of access to high-quality pre-k not only means missed learning opportunities for young children, it also results in additional long-term costs for Pennsylvania’s taxpayers. These issues can be addressed through stronger public investments in high-quality pre-k, PPC President and CEO Joan Benso said.
“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,” Benso said. “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 in Pennsylvania lack access to high-quality pre-k because their families cannot find or afford such programs.
The report details the proven benefits of high-quality pre-k for 3- and 4-year-olds, including stronger academic and social skills in kindergarten and later grades, reduced costs for special education services, and an increased likelihood of high school graduation and better employment opportunities.
These are among the reasons high-quality pre-k is seeing growing support among elected leaders from both major parties, business leaders, and military and law enforcement officials in Pennsylvania and across the country.
Pennsylvania taxpayers also express strong support for investing more public funds in high-quality pre-k. The report cites a recent poll of likely voters that shows 63 percent of Pennsylvanians support increased funding for pre-k and 58 percent say they favor increasing pre-k funding even if it increased their taxes.
“Pennsylvanians want to see their tax dollars invested wisely in areas that benefit all of us, and they increasingly recognize that high-quality pre-k is one of those areas,” Benso said. “It has a ripple effect throughout a child’s life and throughout a child’s community.”
Despite strong voter support, Pennsylvania’s investments in high-quality pre-k have not significantly increased in recent years, even as several other states are making or moving toward stronger investments. Most of Pennsylvania’s neighboring states – including Maryland, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia – have higher rates of pre-k participation among 4-year-olds, underscoring the need for Pennsylvania to do more.
To elevate the discussion about stronger public investments in high-quality pre-k, PPC recently helped launch a statewide campaign called “Pre-K for PA: All Children Ready to Succeed.” The campaign’s goal is to ensure every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania has access to high-quality pre-k and enters kindergarten ready to learn and succeed. Visit prekforpa.org to learn more.
PPC’s report, along with county-level statistics on access to high-quality pre-k, can be found at papartnerships.org/prekinpa.
CONTACT: Michael Race, Communications Director
717-236-5680
mrace@papartnerships.org
