Did you know that Washington state has one of the widest early education gaps in the nation?
But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Two weeks ago both the House and the Senate introduced bills that aim to increase the quality of preschool programs for low-income families in Washington through a combination of incentives and requirements. The goal is to get 80 percent of children who receive subsidized care into high-quality programs by 2020.
Children in high-quality early learning programs are more prepared for kindergarten, more likely to graduate high school, are healthier, more likely to be employed, and report higher income. Early learning benefits also add up to savings for school districts, taxpayers, and the state.
Please join us in asking the House Early Learning & Human Services Committee Members and the Speaker of the House, Frank Chopp, to pass the Early Start Act: bit.ly/early-start-act.
To learn more about early learning advocacy, visit www.educationvoters.org/advocacy-agenda/early-learning.
