MEDIA REPORTS

Early childhood advocates called Wednesday for the state to step up its role in the funding of pre-kindergarten, saying philanthropic organizations don’t have the resources to meet the needs on their own.

In Luzerne County, only one in five children has access to a high-quality, publicly funded preschool program, according to a new report by an advocacy group that came to the city Tuesday to demand an increase in state funding.

For the first time since Thanksgiving, preschoolers made their way back to their classes once again. Nine of the county’s program temporarily closed their doors due to the lack of funding.

United Way of Wyoming Valley President Bill Jones noted one third of Wyoming Valley’s children are in poverty, adding often-cited research shows “statistically these children are more likely to grow up having social and emotional problems, drop out of school, be less healthy and experience addictions and commit crimes.”

Pennsylvania needs to increase its commitment to making high-quality pre-kindergarten available to at-risk children, according to a new report.

Pennsylvania trails most neighboring states in access to publicly funded, high-quality, pre-K education, with only 1 in 6 children in the state enrolled in such a program, according to a report released last week by a Harrisburg children’s advocacy organization.

Prekindergarten advocates Thursday pushed the state to increase its commitment to making high-quality prekindergarten more accessible — and laid out a strategy to do so.

“That’s a first,” she said. “It was the first time I have ever seen Congress stand up no matter what party, during the very brief mention to pre-K being more accessible for children. It was mindblowing for me, and gratifying.”