CHICAGO – This morning President Obama released a FY 2012 budget that demonstrates his vision for investing in early learning, a sharp contrast with Friday’s Continuing Resolution from the House of Representatives which proposed slashing money for early learning.

We applaud the following gains for early childhood education in the FY 2012 budget:

 - $350 million to launch a Race to the Top grant competition for early childhood education

 - $866 million to sustain Head Start and Early Head Start services

 - $1.3 billion to sustain child care services

Meanwhile,the Continuing Resolution introduced Friday in the U.S. House of Representatives would:

 - Remove 218,000 children from Head Start and Early Head Start

 - Lay off 55,000 teachers, teacher assistants, and related staff

 - Cut child care for 150,000 low-income children

“Early learning already scrapes by on modest resources against such enormous need; the proposed $1.1 billion in cuts in the Continuing Resolution for early learning are short-sighted for at-risk children, their families, and our nation,” said Cornelia Grumman, Executive Director of the First Five Years Fund.

“We know from a raft of economic research that investing in children early is directly linked to growing our economy and, ultimately, reducing the deficit,” said Grumman.

“Going back to the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, which both presided over significant expansions of Head Start, the comprehensive program has maintained bipartisan support. Even in tough economic times, Congress must work together to make the kind of forward-looking budget decisions that will fuel our economy and secure our place in the global marketplace.”

Grumman added, “We are pleased that President Obama has the vision to support our nation’s most vulnerable children and to invest in early learning and in our future economic success.”

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First Five Years Fund

First Five Years Fund helps America achieve better results in education, health and economic productivity through investments in quality early childhood education programs for disadvantaged children. FFYF provides knowledge, data, and advocacy—persuading federal policymakers to make investments in the first five years of a child’s life that create greater returns for all.