Dear Mrs. Oberheide: Thank you for contacting me regarding early childhood education programs. I appreciate knowing your views on this important issue and share your support for adequate funding for early education programs. A child’s education begins long before the first day of kindergarten. Unfortunately, many children enter kindergarten well behind their peers, and sometimes are not able to catch up. Early childhood education programs, such as Head Start, provide valuable support during the preschool years, which are crucial years for development. Such programs help countless children in Illinois and across the country prepare for the challenges of classroom learning. Head Start’s holistic approach to providing comprehensive services to low-income children and their families has been the key to the program’s success since 1965. Education, health, nutrition, parental involvement, and social and emotional development help children who face the most challenging circumstances enter kindergarten ready to learn. Head Start gives these children the solid foundation they need to succeed from elementary school to college and beyond. I will continue to fight for funding for Head Start and similar programs as Congress considers funding for fiscal year (FY) 2013. The FY 2013 Budget supports critical reforms in Head Start and a child care quality initiative that, in conjunction with the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge, are key elements of the Administration’s broader education reform agenda designed to improve our Nation’s competitiveness by helping every child enter school ready for success. The President’s budget requests $8 billion for Head Start programs. This is an increase of $85 million over FY 2012, to maintain services for the 962,000 children currently participating in the program. By supporting programs that offer high quality services, Head Start funding will help to ensure that Head Start programs provide the best available early education services to our most vulnerable children. Thank you again for contacting me about this important issue. Please feel free to keep in touch. Sincerely, Richard J. Durbin United States Senator RJD/so
Posted on: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 18:38:46 +0000
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