In response to the selection of Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC) as Chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Kris Perry, Executive Director of the First Five Years Fund (FFYF), released the following statement:
“In her role as Chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Rep. Foxx stands to build on the gains accomplished under the leadership of Chairman Kline that support our nation’s greatest resource – its children The First Five Years Fund looks forward to working with Chairwoman Foxx on continuing the work to ensure that that every child who needs it can participate in a high quality early childhood program – one that gives them a strong start in life, the opportunity to do well in school and succeed.”
Members on both sides of the aisle have worked together to make significant gains for children from birth to age five by increasing funding and pushing through improvements to the existing core programs that elevate quality and leverage state and local leadership. In the 114th Congress alone, the Committee on Education and the Workforce has worked to pass legislation in Congress that demonstrates a strong commitment to children across the country. The passage of The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the primary education law, explicitly incorporates early learning provisions throughout and authorizes dedicated funding for early learning through the Preschool Development Grants for the first time since the law’s inception over 50 years ago.
Across the political spectrum, policymakers acknowledge the importance of investing in our children’s earliest years. And looking beyond the election, this bipartisan support provides a significant opportunity to support early childhood solutions that benefit children in the most need. Building upon progress made over the last several years, we must work with lawmakers of both parties and the Trump Administration to increase access to high-quality early learning and care.
To help kick-start a solution-driven conversation on early childhood education, FFYF recently released its “Early Childhood Education Policy Framework.” This framework provides ideas and opportunities both within the Committee on Education and the Workforce and across the policy agenda for how the Trump Administration and incoming Congress can create a well-financed continuum of high-quality early learning and care for children from birth through age five by improving existing programs, addressing concerns of quality and cost, and building better partnerships between the federal government, states, and local communities.
About the First Five Years Fund: The 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. http://www.ffyf.org