Quality early childhood education doesn’t just happen. We make it happen by making smart investments in quality programs. Three legislative opportunities this year could make all the difference in the years to come:.

Continued funding for Head Start, Early Head Start and child care saves jobs and much-needed developmental opportunities for children. We need to do more to realize more savings. Support adding $1 billion in Head Start and $1 billion in childcare in this year's appropriations bill.

Integrate early childhood education into ESEA reauthorization. Early education is essential to reaching our goals for K-12 education—and our nation’s economy. Quality education outcomes start with quality early childhood education.

Support the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge grant (RTT-ELC). RTT-ELC is a competitive grant to states to help develop America’s greatest economic resource—its people. Incentivizing states will help to create a unified approach to early childhood services across multiple programs—something that doesn’t exist in many states.