PRESIDENT Barack Obama announced Wednesday at a White House Summit a $1 billion public-private investment into the expansion of early childhood education.
“We’ve got kids in this country who are every bit as talented as Malia and Sasha but they’re starting out the race a step behind,” Obama said in reference to his daughters.
The president said that the high cost of early education programs limits access to poorer youngsters.
In 2013, 28 percent of 4-year-olds in the United States were registered at a state-funded preschool program, the Associated Press reported.
“We’re not close to where we need to be,” said Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
Obama also said early education helps children finish schooling, get good jobs, and avoid the criminal justice system, which are all positive for the country, according to the news agency.
In 2013, Obama touched on increasing access to early education in his State of the Union address.
“Every dollar we invest in high-quality early education can save more than $7 later on – by boosting graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy, even reducing violent crime,” the president said in his address last year.
Under the initiative, up to $500 million from the Department of Health and Human Services will be directed toward enhancing and expanding early head start and child care programs. Department Secretary Sylvia Burwell will announce a total of 234 awards for communities in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands.
The monies for this purpose are expected to benefit more than 30,000 youngsters in 2015.
From the Department of Education, $250 million will be devoted to expanding high-quality preschool programs in more than 200 high-need communities; more than 33,000 additional children are expected to be enrolled through these awards.
Recipient states of these monies are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia.
A total of 36 states applied for grant money.
Another provision under the initiative is to provide mental health consultation services to young children. Burwell will allocate $4 million for this purpose as a means of addressing suspensions and expulsions for this age group.
In addition to federal funds, $330 million came from individuals, corporations and foundations. Some money came from sources including: $55 million from The Walt Disney Co., $25 million from the J.B. And M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation and $5 million from the LEGO Foundation.
These funds are part of a campaign called Invest in US, which is being led by the First Five Years Fund. The campaign encourages public and private sectors to invest into early childhood education programs.
(With reports from Associated Press)
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Weekend December 13-16, 2014 Sec. A pg.6)
