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Building Block #9: Pennsylvania’s family support programs put parents, children, on right track
Building the case for early education
Budget update: There are 2 days left before the end of the fiscal year and a budget is due for 10-11.
The Patriot-News reports that the four legislative caucuses and the Governor have reached a tentative agreement on the budget. The current proposal includes a “spend” number of a bit more than $28 billion. According to the Patriot-News, the plan includes a $250 million increase to the basic education subsidy and plans to impose a natural gas severance tax by Oct. 1. It also includes the anticipation of $850 million in federal Medicaid funds. No definite numbers on the natural gas tax were included, and taxes on cigars and smokeless tobacco were also left out.
Legislators and Governor Rendell have referenced 3-5% programs cuts in various articles, although no line item details have been made public.
Legislative leaders still need to get the support of their fellow rank-and-file legislators. Continue to contact Governor Rendell and your state legislators and urge them to protect early childhood education programs! Click here to send a quick email.
Share with the Governor, your state senator and state representative today!
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You can share: |
- Family involvement is a vital part of a child’s early learning. All of Pennsylvania’s early education programs (Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, Keystone STARS, Early Intervention, Nurse-Family Partnership, Parent-Child Home Program, and Head Start Supplemental) include requirements to include family members in their child’s learning and in the program’s activities.
- Pennsylvania’s family support programs such as Nurse-Family Partnership, Parent-Child Home program and Children’s Trust Fund provide essential services to strengthen families and help parents be their child’s first teacher!
- The Nurse-Family Partnership, serving about 4,200 children in 39 counties, has been found in long term studies, improves, improves pregnancy outcomes, school readiness and bolsters economic self-sufficiency of families. In 2009, 90% of babies born to mothers in NFP were born full-term and 95% of children received all recommended immunizations by 24 months of age.
- Parent-Child Home Program, serving about 1,400 children in 25 counties, provides a home visitor to help parents learn how to read to and play with their children in a way that promotes early learning and builds a positive parent-child bond. According to the national Parent-Child Home Program center, children who participate in PCHP for two years are 20% more likely to graduate high school than their peers.
- The Children’s Trust Fund, serving approximately 3,500 families and 1,800 early childhood programs, is teaching parents and early childhood teachers ways to strengthen families and build protective factors in an effort to prevent child abuse and neglect before it begins.
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Providers/ Community leaders:
- Share how parents are included in your program or programs in your community.
- Share examples of parents who have become more involved in their child’s learning while their child participated in an early learning program.
Parents:
- How their child’s teachers have helped them use songs, books, and activities at home that complement what the child is learning during the day.
- What you learned from your child’s teachers that you didn’t know before about your child’s development.
- How important Pennsylvania’s early education programs are to you. Did you learn about them from a friend? Would you recommend them to a friend?
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To contact the Governor, your state senator and state representative:
Time is running out! Make your voice heard!
Ask a friend to share their story! Use the Tell a Friend link below to share this email with others!
You can also review our other building blocks for important facts on why early education is important for Pennsylvania:
Thank you for your helping our young children reach their promise through quality early education!
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