Letter: 500+ State Legislators Urge Congressional Budget Committee to Invest in Early Learning

Over 500 state legislators from all 50 states have signed the following letter addressed to members of the Budget Conference Committee urging that federal investments in early childhood education become a priority in upcoming budget decisions.

Dear Chairman Murray, Chairman Ryan, Ranking Member Sessions, and Ranking Member VanHollen:

As Democratic and Republican state legislators from across the country, we understand the challenges of balancing budgets while making critical investments that drive economic success for our constituents and states. We believe that maintaining and expanding high quality early childhood education is an effective and efficient expenditure even when budgets are tight. We urge you to make these investments in young children a priority in your deliberations.

Quality early childhood education programs are a critical tool for preventing the achievement gap, boosting school achievement, reducing the need for special and remedial education, building stronger families, and preparing our future workforce of highly productive adults. Simply put, early childhood programs are a key solution to prevent many of the problems that require increased social spending and result in budget deficits.

Many states and communities have developed and expanded preschool programs that produce results for children, families and taxpayers. Despite significant investments, we are still serving a fraction of the children we need to reach and educate. Increased federal funding will help improve and expand early childhood education, provide greater access to children in need, and produce better education, health and economic outcomes.

Early childhood education is a practical, not partisan issue. We hear demand for it every day from parents, educators, business leaders, communities of faith, and Democrats and Republicans alike. Your budget negotiations present an opportunity to rally around something on which the vast majority of Americans agree: children are our greatest resource, and quality early learning is one of the best investments we can make in their future and ours.

Sincerely,

Click here to download a printable version of the letter