Local

Georgia Officials State Interest in Early Childhood Education Bill

November 13th, 2013

Some members of Congress and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan introduced a bi-partisan bill on Capitol Hill Wednesday aimed at expanding access to pre-kindergarten programs.

Hear the broadcast version of this story.

The Strong Start for America’s Children Act would provide early learning opportunities through state and federal partnerships. States would receive funds based on the percentage of low-income families who live there. They could also use part of the money for infant and toddler care.

The Department of Early Care and Learning oversees the Georgia’s pre-k program. The department released the following statement to WABE:

“We are very interested in seeing what this proposal entails, especially how it is funded. We appreciate the attention this brings to the importance of early childhood education and we look forward to providing formal feedback using our experience, expertise, and research here in Georgia gained over the past 20 years. Ultimately, we would like to see the federal government provide maximum flexibility to the states on implementation of these programs. This year, approximately 60-percent of all eligible four years olds are served in Georgia’s Pre-K Program. Children are served in all 159 counties. Pre-K classes are funded in local schools, private child care programs and Head Start programs.”

President Obama emphasized the need for universal Pre-K programs during his 2013 State of the Union address. He revisited the issue on a visit to a Decatur Pre-K classroom in February.