Pennsylvanians to Legislature: Fund Pre-k
Hundreds sign letters to the legislature calling for $90 million investment to expand pre-k to thousands of at-risk kids across PA
Harrisburg, PA (June 13, 2016) – Hundreds of Pennsylvanians are waging a campaign to ensure pre-k is a top priority at the 2016-17 budget-negotiating table. The letters from military leaders, philanthropic groups, CEOs and citizens urge the Pennsylvania legislature and the governor to expand access to thousands of at-risk kids in the final 2016-17 budget.
In three separate letters to leadership offices of the Pennsylvania legislature, signers from the United Way of Pennsylvania, Mission: Readiness and supporting organizations of the Pre-K for PA campaign, urged leaders in Harrisburg to cement bi-partisan consensus around a multi-year goal for growing access to high-quality pre-k for all of the income eligible children and begin looking at pre-k affordability issues regarding middle class families. Specifically, they called for $90 million in additional funding as part of the 2016-17 final state budget. A similar letter signed by Pre-K for PA Executive Leadership Council members landed in Harrisburg last week.
“We need the commonwealth to step up its efforts to fund high-quality pre-k so we can reach those children who are missing out, particularly those at risk of academic failure,” said Kristen Rotz, President of United Way of Pennsylvania in the letter. “On behalf of the United Way of Pennsylvania and our local United Ways across Pennsylvania, we support the Pre-K for PA campaign’s request to increase state pre-k funding by $90 million for fiscal 2016-17 and urge lawmakers to make this a clear priority in the coming budget deliberations.”
This proposal builds on the $30 million in new funding already enacted for the second half of the current school year. If realized, $120 million in additional funding over two years for high-quality pre-k will serve an additional 14,000 3- and 4-year-olds.
“For years, the military has provided high-quality early learning programs for all active-duty service personnel,” said Steve Doster, Pennsylvania State Director, Mission: Readiness – Military Leaders for Kids. “Pennsylvania should take the military’s lead and continue to prioritize greater access to pre-k.”
Across Pennsylvania, there are more than 175,000 3- and 4-year-olds who are at-risk because they are in lower income households – 70 percent of these at-risk young learners – more than 120,000 children statewide – had no access to publicly funded pre-k last year. Full text of all letters and lists of signers can be found at www.prekforpa.org/dearlawmaker.
Pre-K for PA is an issue campaign supported by individuals and organizations across Pennsylvania who believe that investing in our children is the right choice and an urgent necessity. Its vision is that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania will have access to high-quality pre-k. For more information visit www.prekforpa.org.
Scranton Times: Advocates Urge More Money for Pre-k
BY BORYS KRAWCZENIUK / PUBLISHED: JUNE 9, 2016
The last 15 years produced far more quality pre-kindergarten schools in Lackawanna County, but the families of hundreds of children who need them most still can’t afford them, advocates for more state pre-schools said Wednesday.
In a meeting with the The Times-Tribune editorial board, the advocates proposed a $90 million increase in funding for the state’s Pre-K Counts program for the fiscal year that starts July 1.
Begun under Gov. Ed Rendell in 2007, the state’s Pre-K Counts program funds schools that teach 3- and 4-year-olds. Unlike Oklahoma, which almost entirely funds pre-kindergarten education, Pennsylvania only pays for about 30 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds to attend pre-schools, said Bruce Clash, state director of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids. Fight Crime represents about 175 police chiefs, county sheriffs and district attorneys across the state who believe more early-childhood education will reduce crime and cost society less in the long run.
Pre-K funding remains the subject of budget negotiations in Harrisburg between the Republican-controlled state General Assembly and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf.
Mr. Clash portrayed the need for universal pre-kindergarten partly as a national security matter. Almost three-quarters of children between 18 and 24 years old can’t join the military because they either don’t have a high school diploma, have a criminal record or can’t meet the physical fitness requirements, he said.
“But we know that pre-K (education) addresses all three of these issues … in terms of preventing crime, increasing high school graduation rates and getting kids and families off to a healthier start that leads to a lifetime of healthier outcomes,” Mr. Clash said, referring to studies that show the effectiveness of pre-K.
Lackawanna County has at least 14 state-certified pre-schools compared to two 15 years ago, but too many pre-school-aged children’s families still can’t afford one, said Gary Drapek, president and chief executive officer of the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties.
Eligibility for Pre-K Counts is for up to three times the federal poverty level, or $72,750 for a family of four.
In Lackawanna County, an estimated 1,775 children, ages 3 and 4, are eligible, but there isn’t enough money to help their families pay to send them to pre-school. Statewide, that number is more than 120,000.
Read the full editorial here.
Philly.com: Commentary: Failure to adequately fund pre-k hurts Pa. children
June 8, 2016
One of the most rewarding parts of training to be a pediatrician is caring for a newborn patient and then watching that child grow up into a bright, curious, and engaging toddler. However, all too often, we see those perfect newborns we care for face obstacles beyond their control that hinder healthy development.
Adversity in the first few years of life, such as poverty, parental substance abuse, and neighborhood violence, can result in toxic stress, or dangerously high stress over long periods of time. Toxic stress has a significant negative impact on brain development – nearly all of which occurs within the first five years of life.
But there is cause for hope. Research shows that supportive relationships with caring adults in structured environments, such as those found in prekindergarten programs, can mitigate the effects of toxic stress. That is why, along with two dozen colleagues from across the state, we recently went to Harrisburg to urge our legislators to increase Pennsylvania’s investment in pre-K programs.
Children engaged in high-quality preschool show improved interpersonal skills and better self-regulation and cognitive skills than those in lower-quality programs. In addition, high-quality education in the first few years of life results in improved educational outcomes, fewer adolescent pregnancies, and decreased involvement in the criminal justice system.
In Pennsylvania, only 30 percent of the low-income 3- and 4-year-olds who qualify for state-funded pre-K are able to receive these services. This is not for lack of interest; in fact, the waiting lists for programs like Head Start and Pre-K Counts are extensive. Rather, 70 percent of our neediest children are not given the right start on life for one simple reason: We don’t adequately fund these essential programs.
As pediatricians, we find this concerning. If we want to maximize the potential of Pennsylvania’s children, we need more state funding for pre-K. We are asking for an increase of $90 million during fiscal year 2016-17, which would give 7,400 more children access to pre-K across the state. While this figure may sound daunting, research has shown that for every dollar invested in preschool, society saves up to $17 on special education, incarceration, and social services.
The data are clear. Our children cannot wait until age 5 to receive formal, quality education; their brains are developing rapidly long before kindergarten. When we miss out on this critical window of development, we miss out on immeasurable human potential and reinforce inequities through cycles of poverty.
Each year we fail to act is a year of lost opportunity. Let’s not lose this year.
Stacey Kallem, M.D., is a third-year resident in Philadelphia. Stacey.kallem@gmail.com
Barbara H. Chaiyachati ( Bchaiyachati@gmail.com), M.D., and Irène P. Mathieu ( ipmath@gmail.com), M.D., are first-year residents in Philadelphia.
Read the op-ed here.
York Daily Record: Column: Pre-k is a Healthy Investment in Children
June 7, 2016
Growing up in York County, I was fortunate to have opportunities many children lack, including the opportunity to receive a quality education that prepared me for my career in pediatric medicine.
Today, as a pediatric resident at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital, I have experienced first-hand how challenges in a child’s growth and development – if left unaddressed – can limit opportunities, including the opportunity to learn.
That is why I want to see the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania invest more in high-quality pre-kindergarten (“pre-k”) programs in the state budget. The years before a child enters kindergarten are a critical window for healthy cognitive, physical, social and emotional development, and the circumstances and experiences children have during these early years can shape their health and impact upon their success for a lifetime. Quality pre-k programs help put our children on a path to a lifetime of good health and success.
Unfortunately, too many young children face obstacles that hinder healthy development. These obstacles, including the effects of poverty and other adverse conditions beyond their control, which can fuel “toxic stress” – the type of extreme, persistent stress that can actually alter a child’s brain architecture in negative ways. Research shows one of the most effective ways to lessen the impact of toxic stress is through caring relationships and stable, supportive environments. High-quality pre-k programs provide such an environment, enabling young children to learn and develop free from the adverse conditions that can create persistent stress and anxiety.
High-quality pre-k programs not only prepare children for success in school and in life, but they also have been shown to promote good health in childhood as well as their development as they move into adulthood.
Research shows high-quality pre-k programs improve language, literacy and math skills as children enter kindergarten. These vital programs also reduce special education placements and increase the likelihood of high school graduation and college enrollment. From a health perspective, children who benefit from high-quality early learning programs tend to have better diets and exercise routines as adults, lower rates of smoking or substance abuse and lower risks of diabetes, stroke and/or heart disease. These health-related benefits not only help the child, they also help society by lowering health care costs, especially costs caused by chronic illnesses or disease.
Despite these many benefits for our children and our communities, the majority of 3- and 4-year-olds in Pennsylvania lack access to high-quality pre-k programs. According to the statewide Pre-K for PA campaign, more than 9,000 3- and 4-year-olds in York County alone lack access to high-quality pre-k. We can and should address this unmet need.
That is why I – along with the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics – strongly support the call for Pennsylvania legislative leaders to enact a state budget that increases funding for high-quality pre-k by $90 million in fiscal 2016-17 so an additional 7,400 children can benefit.
It’s worth noting that, even with such a new investment, more than 107,000 at-risk preschool children still would lack access to high-quality pre-k next year. This is why Pennsylvania needs to increase investments in the development of pre-k programs over multiple years, including the $90 million increase needed this year.
High-quality pre-k programs make sense and save all of us money in the long run. It’s time to step up Pennsylvania’s efforts to invest in these programs so more young learners can get off to a strong, healthy start.
Dr. Jaime L. Moellman is a pediatric resident at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital.
Read the column here.
Butler Eagle Letter to the Editor: Early prevention
June 4, 2016
We all know that education starts in the home. Parents are the first and foremost teacher of their children. All children should have safe and secure environments with able parents, but we know that’s not always the case.
Homes filled with abuse and neglect put children at increased risk of committing crimes later in life.
As district attorney, my duty is to administer justice to wrongdoers, but I can’t help wonder at times what if their criminal behavior had been prevented in the first place?
Fortunately, the 2016—17 Pennsylvania state budget proposes additional investments in our most vulnerable children and families that are proven to prevent future crime.
Included in the plan is an additional $10 million for voluntary home-visiting programs that help vulnerable parents — often abused and neglected themselves — learn how to better care for their children.
Through these various evidence-based services, trained health care and social work professionals provide guidance that helps parents assure the health, development and education of their babies from the prenatal months to age 5.
The results include reduced instances of child abuse and neglect, safe and stable homes, increased self-sufficiency, and improved school readiness for the children.
One program has demonstrated reduced maternal incarceration and lower juvenile crime rates when the children are older.
The Legislature is also considering a $90 million proposal to expand access to high-quality pre-kindergarten programs to an additional 7.400 eligible children.
Decades of research are clear that at-risk children who receive high quality pre-K are more likely to succeed in school and steer clear of juvenile delinquency and crime. Expanding access to pre-K must also be accompanied by continued progress on implementing early learning workforce development practices through the Keystone STARS quality improvement initiative.
These investments will help more children grow up to be good neighbors and good citizens — and ultimately reduce taxpayer expense. I urge our legislators to support these investments in next year’s state budget.
Richard A. Goldinger
District Attorney of Butler County
See the letter to the editor here.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Mission: Pre-K: More state support for early education is vital
By the Editorial Board June 4, 2016
Early-childhood education is so important that even retired admirals and generals are fighting for it.
Mission: Readiness, a children’s advocacy group made up of former military leaders, is part of a 2-year-old coalition demanding that the state invest $90 million more next fiscal year in pre-kindergarten and Head Start programs.
Why? A high-tech military requires highly skilled recruits, while the nation’s lagging performance in science and math portends a diminished global competitiveness, according to a study that Mission: Readiness and the business group ReadyNation released Thursday.
Pre-K is funded by the state, while Head Start receives federal and state funds. The programs for 3- and 4-year-olds provide instruction in math, literacy and other subjects, preparing tykes for the rigors of kindergarten and the challenges that life throws at them later on. Targeting kids at an age when their brains are especially fertile, pre-K and Head Start have been associated with improved performance in key academic subjects, higher school graduation and better college enrollment rates, all translating into higher levels of individual achievement and national gain.
Nearly 176,000 children statewide are eligible for the programs based on family income, but only about 30 percent are enrolled because of limited funding, according to coalition figures. In Allegheny County alone, classes are available only to 42 percent of the 12,577 children eligible. Mission: Readiness, the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children and other coalition members want the state to increase funding by $90 million, to $256 million, for 2016-17. The increase would add 7,400 children to the pre-K and Head Start rolls and give additional hours to another 6,200 who received only partial instruction this year. (Gov. Tom Wolf has proposed an additional $60 million for 2016-2017.)
Read the full editorial here.
