PRESS ROOM

Leaders from the coalition Pre-K for PA released statistics last week saying 12,731 out of 19,320 of Montgomery County’s 3- and 4-year-olds, or 66 percent, do not have access to high-quality pre-K.

Letter to the editor from Upper Darby School District superintendent Richard Dunlap Jr.: “These statewide statistics are mirrored in Delaware County which is home to 33,600 children under five-years-old. One in eight children under the age of five who lives in Delaware County is officially poor.

Furthermore, about four in ten children in Delaware County live in a family classified as working poor or low-income. Only four percent of all children in Delaware County under the age of five attend a highly rated private child care program.”

The report said there are about 100,000 children ages three and four living in SE PA. Of those, 52,320 (52%) live in households that are below 300 percent of the poverty level – or $70,650 for a family of four, the cut-off for qualifying for publicly subsidized Pre-K programs such as Pre-K Counts and Head Start. According to the group, the funding level provided by the state is far from sufficient to meet the demand. As a result, too many families cannot afford to enroll their children in high quality Pre-K programs, which meet specific standards that place them at a level well beyond routine baby-sitting.

On Wednesday, March 5, a crowd of 40 enthusiastic volunteers for Pre-K for PA, a statewide coalition focused on promoting accessible, high-quality pre-k for all 3- and 4-year-olds in Pennsylvania, gathered at Montgomery County Community College. The group of thoroughly engaged activists met to discuss what Sarah Whetstone called “an important goal.”

Michelle Figlar, executive director of PAEYC: “The evidence is overwhelming in proving that investing in high-quality pre-K is a smart choice. At-risk children who experience high-quality pre-K are less likely to commit crimes later in life. Society gains more productive citizens, with reduced reliance on social services and higher lifetime earnings.”

From the Editorial Staff of the Carlisle Sentinal: …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.es 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.

Gov. Tom Corbett is asking the state Legislature to provide $10 million more for pre-K programs in Pennsylvania this year. There is no guarantee our state legislators will go for it, but, even if they do, it is not enough. Over the last three years, the Legislature has gutted so-called accountability grants to local school districts, 75 percent of which went for early childhood programs. To close its widening budget gap, Pittsburgh Public Schools has increased monthly pre-K tuition for middle-class families.

We need to take our city’s destiny into our own hands. That’s why I propose a Pittsburgh Pre-K Promise to ensure that people in the middle who can neither afford full pre-K tuition nor qualify for supplemental programs can get their children started on the right foot.

Advocates say expanding public preschool programs will send children to kindergarten with more advanced math and language skills, reduce special education placements and grade repetition, and increase high school graduation rates and college enrollment. They highlight research that identifies long-term economic benefits of affordable preschool for all, including helping students achieve higher-earning potential and reducing the costs of crime and public assistance.

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.

The report is part of a new push by a coalition of 10 nonprofit organizations to ensure every young Pennsylvanian has the opportunity to attend a strong preschool program. The coalition launched the “Pre-k for PA” campaign last month, in the hope of spurring lawmakers to devote more resources to early education as they develop the 2014-15 budget.

The push for high quality pre-kindergarten education in the state will be the focus of a parent forum at Upper Darby High School on Feb. 26 called DelCo For Pre-K, an initiative to make sure three- and four-year-olds are ready for kindergarten.

Hosted by the Pre-K For PA coalition, DelCo For Pre-K is part of a state-wide regional series that invites parents in the county to learn about pre-k and how to make it a priority for elected leaders.