Gillibrand, Hanna announce a bill to expand access to pre-K programs

HERKIMER — U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–NY) and U.S. Representative Richard Hanna (R–Barneveld) today announced legislation to expand access to early-learning programs for children from birth to age five.

The proposal, called “Strong Start for America’s Children Act,” which the lawmakers announced this morning at an elementary school in Herkimer, focuses on four key goals.

They include boosting funding for preschool programs serving low- and moderate-income families; increasing the quality of infant and toddler care that providers offer; supporting broad-scale improvements to child-care programs; and encouraging continued support for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, the lawmakers said in a news release from Senator Gillibrand’s office.

If citizens expect their children to walk through the doors of colleges and universities tomorrow, and succeed in the economy in the years ahead, the nation needs a universal pre-kindergarten (pre-k) program, Gillibrand contended in the news release.

“High quality early learning leads to strong cognitive, social, emotional and language development — key skills for a bright future. But for millions of children in struggling families — that is a chance they will never get — through no fault of their own, and for no other reason, than they were born into a life of less opportunity,” the Democrat said. “The block you live on should not determine what chances you get in life. That’s why we need to make the investment today to bring quality, affordable, pre-k to every child in America.”

Early learning “guarantees” a reduction in spending on entitlements, welfare and incarceration, Hanna contended in the news release.

“It also lowers obesity rates, helping to reduce healthcare costs. By focusing on early education, we can begin to break the back of intergenerational poverty, producing more taxpayers and a more competitive America through a better-educated, growing middle class,” the Republican said.

Research has “consistently” indicated that early-learning programs improve cognitive, social, emotional, and language development, which are “necessary skills” for life, the lawmakers argued. 

In addition, research shows that lowest-income and disadvantaged children are the “least likely” to participate in preschool programs, they added.

And children from middle-class families are “only slightly more likely” to participate.

Preschool opportunities for 3-year-olds appear to be a particular challenge for some middle-income families, Gillibrand and Hanna said.

Among 3-year-olds, 34 percent of children in families earning $50,000 to $60,000 participate in preschool programs, compared to 42 percent of children in families earning less than $10,000, the lawmakers added.  

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com