* From the governor’s budget address…
I have been advocating for large investments in early childhood education for decades, long before I became governor. Real focus on the learning that happens from birth to age 5 can determine the entire arc of a person’s life. Investing in early childhood is the single most important education policy decision government can make, and it has proven to provide a significant return on investment. That’s why I’m proposing funding the Early Childhood Block Grant at $594 million, an increase of $100 million from fiscal year 2019. It will allow us to begin the march toward universal preschool so that every child in Illinois will have a real opportunity to succeed.
* Chalkbeat…
Later in the address, Pritzker detailed a smaller increase, but one that some advocates said was a welcome shift in policy: He described first steps toward repairing a child care assistance program that was drained of families and providers during the administration of his predecessor, Gov. Bruce Rauner. The new governor plans to spend $30 million more to rebuild the program. He also will increase income eligibility so an estimated 10,000 more families can participate. […]
The state early childhood grant also supports prenatal programs and infant and toddler care for low-income families. […]
But policymakers and advocates on Wednesday said the considerable $100 million increase is a step in the right direction for a state that has been spending less per student than many of its neighbors. According to the National Institute for Early Education Research, Illinois spent $4,226 per young learner in 2016-2017 compared with a national average that topped $5,000. Seven states spent $7,000 or more. […]
One item Gasner said she hoped to hear, but didn’t, was increased spending on home visiting programs for families with new babies. Spending on such programs next year will remain flat under Pritzker’s proposal. Home visiting has been suggested as one antidote to the state’s troublingly high maternal mortality rates. An October report from the state’s public health department found that 72 percent of pregnancy-related deaths in Illinois were preventable. […]
In addition to the $100 million, Pritzker’s office reportedly also will add $7 million to early intervention services for young learners with disabilities and set aside $107 million to help buffer the impact of his new minimum wage increase on daycare center owners and other child care providers who operate on thin margins.
* WBEZ…
Maria Whelan, CEO for Illinois Action for Children, said she likes the change in direction the governor’s budget seems to be proposing.
“We have 40,000 fewer children on the state’s child care assistance program than we had four years ago,” she said. “So we have a lot of rebuilding to do, but it’s very clear that we’re moving in the right direction.”
Ireta Gasner, vice president of Illinois policy at the Ounce of Prevention Fund, praised the increase to early childhood programs, but hopes it’s targeted. She said therapists who serve at-risk children haven’t received a rate increase since 2008.
Discuss.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 21, 19 @ 11:39 am:
Again, the priorities are in the right place, but it will take a long time to rebuild the infrastructure that Rauner wantonly tore down through his willful deadbeatism.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Feb 21, 19 @ 11:41 am:
===I have been advocating for large investments in early childhood education for decades, long before I became governor. Real focus on the learning that happens from birth to age 5 can determine the entire arc of a person’s life.===
… like when the Pritzker family bailed out “The Ounce” and Diana Rauner, as Gov. Rauner was being sued by The Ounce and Diana Rauner supported the governor’s “squeeze the beast” strategy.
Life moves pretty fast…
- Honeybear - Thursday, Feb 21, 19 @ 11:47 am:
Wow OW……..that was so cool
in a surgical samurai slice clean through kind of way…..
- Amalia - Thursday, Feb 21, 19 @ 11:49 am:
Maria Whelan is the goods on this issue, so if she’s seeing progress, it’s real.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Feb 21, 19 @ 11:51 am:
- Honeybear -
Thank you, but it’s probably more the stark contrast between the former governor and this governor and their stories that makes that slicing the way it is far more than me.
Sometimes walking the walk in their private lives and then bringing it to governing is who people are. Character some may call it.
This budget is going to be one heck of a lift.
- Juvenal - Thursday, Feb 21, 19 @ 11:55 am:
Why do we have a quote from the CEO of Action for Children and not from th CEO of the Ounce of Prevention? LOL
Honestly, you have to love Diana Rauner’s organization being forced to praise Pritzker almost on Day One and criticize the prior administration. Unless you are one of those Republicans who was backing Diana Rauner’s stance as First Lady.
- TinyDancer(FKASue) - Thursday, Feb 21, 19 @ 12:00 pm:
Why investment in early childhood is crucial and cost-effective in the long run:
https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/TheEarlyCatastrophe.pdf
Hopefully, he’s not thinking of sending the bill for this to the retired teachers.
- Honeybear - Thursday, Feb 21, 19 @ 12:56 pm:
Funny, I got so caught up in OW’s awesomeness that I didn’t say,
Child care is HUGELY important and effective at removing barriers and obstacles to independence.
I used to see a lot of Child care when I first started. Basically the State paying a relative babysitting money. You’re helping the family/relative make money. You’re helping the parent to go out and hold down a job because someone they trust has got their kid.
It’s such a win win folks
It’s totally money well spent.
Because
it’s totally proven success at eventually
Getting someone OFF benefits
and
Self Sufficient
PROVEN SUCCESS
- NoGifts - Thursday, Feb 21, 19 @ 1:34 pm:
I don’t know - there are studies showing that the benefits of pre-k wear off by 3rd grade. I think it would be more helpful if high quality day care were available to everyone rather than pre-k. https://www.brookings.edu/research/new-evidence-raises-doubts-on-obamas-preschool-for-all/
- Short but Slow - Thursday, Feb 21, 19 @ 2:14 pm:
In terms of what the research tells us on the importance of increasing our investments in early childhood programs, I’d go with the Nobel Prize winner every time. James Heckman and many other esteemed economists have thoroughly examined these programs and found them to give us all a tremendous return on investment. https://heckmanequation.org
- Big Jer - Thursday, Feb 21, 19 @ 2:46 pm:
Thanks Short but Slow!!
You beat me too it in mentioning Heckman’s work. One aspect of Heckman’s research on return on investment is that any money spent on preschool and early childhood education will be small in comparison the amount society will have to spend in ” cleaning up the damage” in adolescence and young adulthood from NOT investing enough in early childhood programs.
Cleaning up the damage means prisons, juvenile delinquency, drug use, broken homes, mental health, and many other societal ills.
As SBS mentions many others besides Heckman have done research in the benefits to society from early childhood programs.
There are not many slam dunks/no brainers in public policy investments but this is.
https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/14/lifelines-for-poor-children/
- RNUG - Thursday, Feb 21, 19 @ 6:13 pm:
This is a good move.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 21, 19 @ 6:51 pm:
How is this being paid for?
- Enviro - Thursday, Feb 21, 19 @ 8:21 pm:
NoGifts @ 1:34pm:
“the benefits of pre-k wear off by 3rd grade.”
Recent studies show that to be successful the pre-k program should use play-based learning to achieve long term benefits for the child.
“Play Is The Work of the Child” Maria Montessori