“Preschool Nation,” a national communications advocacy platform that showcases the societal benefits of quality early childhood education for young children, families, communities and businesses across America, will launch today
Through the vehicle of a collaborative website, Preschool Nation is a one-stop shop that allows families, business leaders, early education teachers and researchers, policymakers and community members from around the country to tell compelling stories, share resources and research and advocate for increased early education opportunities for more children.
Preschool Nation partners say the campaign is right on time. Individual states have been increasing their Pre-K efforts and the research in support of quality early education has been overwhelming. Economists have found that quality early childhood education offers one of the highest returns on any public investment—more than $7 for every dollar spent.
“If you think about this in terms of investments— the money you are putting in early on in your life— you will eventually get higher economic returns,” said Sergio Urzua, assistant professor of economics at the University of Maryland. Urzua received a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago, where he studied under renowned economist and Nobel Laureate James Heckman. “That logic, which is fundamental in economics, is behind why we should be investing in early education,” Urzua said. In addition, research from the RAND Corporation show that for every $1 spent in quality preschool, $2 is saved in reduced special education needs, crime prevention and other costs.
“A preschool nation is one in which every child has full opportunity to succeed in school regardless of their zip code, ethnic background or immigration status,” said W. Steven Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). “Preschool is the leading edge of school reform. If every child has the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to succeed, we will transform kindergarten, first grade, second grade all the way on up, particularly for those children who most often struggle and fall behind.”
Virginia Wate, a Los Angeles resident and mother of a preschooler, agrees. “To me, a Preschool Nation is a nation that accepts responsibility for the importance of education,” Wate said. “I feel like (preschool) really builds self-esteem, and all kids should be able to enter kindergarten and feel like they know just as much as their peers.”
Preschool Nation is spearheaded by Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP), a leading nonprofit organization funding quality preschool services to about 11,000 four-year-old children in Los Angeles County each year.
“This campaign gives us an opportunity to create an alliance and an advocacy platform to maximize our resources and leverage every local, state and national resources to ensure that every child can have access to a quality early education experience,” said Celia C. Ayala, chief executive officer of LAUP.
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