Governor Dean Announces National Invest for Success
Early Childhood Initiative Gives Equal Opportunity
To Every Child
deanforamerica.com
EXCERPT :
ANKENY-"Democratic presidential candidate Governor Howard Dean, M.D. joined
today by national children's advocate and film director Rob Reiner, announced his
plan to give every child an equal opportunity to learn. Governor Dean toured the
Des Moines MACC Child Care center before discussing his Invest for Success
initiative.
"We like to think that every child starts kindergarten with the same opportunities,
but the truth is, some kids have great preparation and others have nothing," said
Dean. "By the time those kids start kindergarten, even the best teachers can't
make up for 6 years when a child was never read to, or never taught the
alphabet, or never even saw a doctor."
Governor Dean's plan, based on successful initiatives he created in Vermont, will
provide all families with young children early access to health care, early
education, and other supports critical to children's health and working families.
The Dean Invest for Success plan will double the current investment in early
education so that parents will have the resources to be their child's first teacher
without having to struggle to pay for childcare or preschool. This $110 billion
commitment over 10 years for community-based services will ensure all children
start school ready to succeed at age six.
"The truth is that when we help parents who have young children, the benefits
reach far beyond those families," Dean said. "Kids who start school ready to learn
do better in every grade. They're more likely to graduate. They're more likely to
go to college. They help build a strong workforce and a strong economy. In fact,
every dollar we spend on childcare produces $7 down the road. So when we
invest in helping parents raise smart kids, we're really making an investment in
our future."
In 1992, Governor Dean created the Vermont Success By Six initiative, which
includes a Welcome Baby program. Community-based partnerships offer Welcome
Baby Activities such as meeting new parents at the hospital or in their homes on
a voluntary basis. These visits provide community partners with an early
opportunity to share information about the local resources available to help
families raise healthy, successful children. Since then, Vermont has seen a 43%
decrease in child abuse, and a 70% decrease in sexual abuse of children.
DEAN'S NATIONAL INVEST FOR SUCCESS:
Equal Opportunity for Every Child
This nation has not developed adequate options for the care of children, even
though we know that investment in young children yields a return of seven
dollars for every one dollar invested. While society has changed, our leaders have
failed to provide adequate early care and education options for children of
working parents.
The first six years of a child's life are critical for brain development and
preparation for success. America's children are not starting kindergarten having
had equal access to quality resources that will prepare them for school. By the
time a child starts kindergarten, even the best teachers cannot make up for 6
years when a child was never read to or never taught the alphabet, or never saw
a doctor.
We must help children in the early years, otherwise they will not reach their full
potential, and our country will not reach its potential. For some children, what
they miss before kindergarten can trap them for the rest of their lives. Now, we
have an opportunity to make the most of the time that young children must
spend away from their working parents.
National Invest for Success will address equal opportunity for every child.
Governor Howard Dean announced today that as part of a new social contract
for the 21st century he would make a significant new investment in educating our
next generation by creating a national Invest for Success initiative that will
provide all families with young children early access to health care, early
education, and other supports critical to children's health and working families.
The Dean Invest for Success plan will double the current investment in early
education so that parents will have the resources to be their child's first teacher
without having to struggle to pay for childcare or preschool. This $110 billion
commitment over 10 years for community-based services will ensure all children
start school ready to succeed at age six.
The Dean plan to educate a generation is based on his success in Vermont.
In 1992, Governor Dean created the Vermont Success By Six initiative, which
includes a Welcome Baby program. Community-based partnerships offer Welcome
Baby Activities such as meeting new parents at the hospital or in their homes on
a voluntary basis. These visits provide community partners with an early
opportunity to share information about the local resources available to help
families raise healthy, successful children. Since then, Vermont has seen a 43%
decrease in child abuse, and a 70% decrease in sexual abuse of children.
Dean's Invest for Success gets kids ready to succeed in school.
Governor Dean's plan will expand his signature Vermont initiative, Welcome Baby
Activities, to interested new parents in communities across the country, and
make a significant down payment on universal preschool activities for all
interested families.
To address the needs of children ages 0-6, the plan sets aside $2 billion over 10
years for Welcome Baby activities that will help parents during their child's first
year, and puts $108 billion in a Fund for Early Childhood which states can use to
meet their largest early education needs.
These two components--targeted funds for the first year and a flexible,
well-funded plan for children ages 0-5--together will provide parents the
resources they need from the day their baby is born until they day that child
enters kindergarten.
Welcome Baby Visits
The Welcome Baby Visit plan will make it possible to offer new parents
information about community resources and services available to help them be
their child's first teacher.
In communities across the country, local partnerships of nonprofits, local
government, health providers, and others will be able to apply for funding to
support Invest for Success activities that incorporate Welcome Baby Visits.
Qualifying partnerships will commit local funding and in-kind contributions to
support the initiative. States can also provide the matching resources as part of
a state plan to develop or expand Invest for Success initiatives.
States and communities will be expected to work closely with the non-profit
community to build on existing networks to create partnerships that will sponsor
the Welcome Baby Visits. The $200 million a year proposed for this initiative will
provide matching money to communities to take on this challenge.
Fund for Early Childhood -- preparing children for lifelong success.
This new investment makes a very significant down payment on providing
preschool options for every child."
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