Feds Tout Obama’s Early Education Plan

WASHINGTON — U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced their support in July of President Barack Obama’s plan to invest $10 billion in early learning reforms over the next 10 years.

Obama’s plan to help fund ideal learning environments and programs for children before they enter kindergarten would create a collaboration between the DOE and the HHS’ Administration for Children and Families.

The collaboration would result in two funding opportunities: Quality Pathways Grants, designed for high-capacity states pursuing reform and innovative programs for early learning; and development grants for states that show promise for strengthening and expanding their early-learning system but need assistance to launch a standards/outcomes-based system.
Legislation reflecting the president’s plan was introduced in the House by Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the Education and Labor Committee.

Several studies show that children benefit from early-learning programs and arrive at kindergarten better prepared for schooling.

“Disadvantaged children who have access to such programs — from birth through age 5 — are more likely to improve their cognitive, social, emotional and language development,” a DOE statement said.