Dear Women’s Way supporter,

Governor Rendell has proposed an ambitious and exciting agenda for early childhood education in the budget this year and it focuses on three programs: establishing pre-kindergarten for 3 and 4 year-olds; expanding a successful child care quality improvement initiative; and increasing child care subsidies for working families.

These issues touch the lives of women and children deeply. Nearly three-quarters of American mothers work outside the home, most of them full time. Many of these women cannot afford to work without assistance like child care subsidies and all want their children to receive quality early learning experiences.

The Governor’s proposal can help keep working women working, and our children prepared for success in school and in life:

¨    Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts could provide more than 11,000 3 & 4 year olds with quality pre-kindergarten that can prepare our children for success in school and later in life, while saving our communities money on future special education services and other costs.

¨    Keystone STARS is proven to improve the quality of child care based on an independent study and offers parents a tool to gauge the quality of the programs they choose, involving 70 percent of the state’s child care centers and serving over 150,000 children.

¨    Child Care Works provides over 220,000 working families with reliable access to child care, making them more likely to retain employment and be more productive at work.

These programs are so important to women and children in Pennsylvania that we need to raise our voices to our legislators and ask them to voice their support to their leadership. We have a very limited time to make an impact before budget negotiations get serious. We need our legislative leadership to enter those negotiations knowing with certainty that Pennsylvanians support the current early childhood education budget proposals.  

How can you help?

·      Write or call your legislators and tell them you support these proposals. You may use the letter sample below as a model for your own. Feel free to add your perspective about the value of these programs as a parent, employer or citizen. You can find contact information for your legislators at www.legis.state.pa.us.

·      Encourage your friends, family, colleagues to do the same. We need broad public support if we want the proposed early childhood budget to stay intact. The more people you can recruit, the better!

You know that each voice matters, but together we can have an amazing impact. If you need further assistance or would like more background information about any of these programs, you can contact Christie Balka at Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth, 215-563-5848 / cbalka@pccy.org. Thank you.

Your name

Address

Dear Senator __________ / Dear Representative ___________

The Governor has proposed an ambitious early childhood education budget for next year that establishes Pre-K in Pennsylvania, expands Keystone Stars quality improvement initiative and increases support for the Child Care Works subsidy program that assists Pennsylvania’s working families. If passed, this exciting initiative would provide quality pre-kindergarten opportunities for 11,000 3 and 4 year olds throughout the Commonwealth.

I support Pre-K because:

·        Quality Pre-K prepares children for reading and math, but also for paying attention, following directions and getting along with others. It gives children a chance to learn, become excited about school and become better students.

·        Pennsylvania’s investment in quality Pre-K could save $100 million in future special education costs. (It costs $7,900 for one year of Pre-K as opposed to approximately $15,000 for one year of special education.)

·        Additional future tax savings are anticipated because children who are better educated are more productive as adults, pay more taxes, and are less likely to require public assistance or to have encounters with the criminal justice system.

High quality Pre-K depends on having a strong child care system in Pennsylvania. The budget also includes an $86 million increase in the child care budget to expand the very successful Keystone Stars quality improvement initiative; create 400 additional subsidized child care spaces, and adjust subsidy reimbursement rates. I support this new investment in child care because:

·        An independent evaluation recently found that Keystone Stars is a resounding success. While participation in this voluntary program has been growing, funds were frozen at FY 06 levels last year. Child care providers depend on additional funds to make costly quality improvements.

·        The Child Care Works subsidy program supports low-income working families in moving toward self-sufficiency by assisting them with child care costs, which can absorb up to 50% of low-income families’ income.

The benefits of high-quality early education are irrefutable. Decades of child development, education and economic research demonstrate both the immediate advantages and long-term return on investments as children become productive adults.

The Governor’s early education proposals are important to Pennsylvania’s families and important to me. Please pass them as part of this year’s budget.

Sincerely,