| Massachusetts wins $15 million federal pre-k grant |
On December 10, federal officials announced that Massachusetts will receive significant funding to expand high quality preschool programs in five high-needs communities: Boston, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell and Springfield. Strategies for Children president Chris Martes applauded the Patrick Administration and the Department of Early Education and Care for its successful grant proposal. In a statement Martes added, “It is our hope that new federal funding serves as a catalyst for the commonwealth to invest additional state resources in high-quality pre-k. Several more communities could benefit from pre-k funding in the years ahead, and we will continue to advocate and support state and local leaders in order to reach this goal.” Read his full statement here. The announcement came the day of the historic White House Summit on Early Education. Visit our blog for more information on the summit, including remarks by President Obama and EEC Commissioner Tom Weber. |
| Governor-elect Baker takes office January 8 |
As the commonwealth prepares for its next governor, advocates for early education can prepare too by getting to know “who’s who” in the Baker Administration. Governor Baker will be inaugurated on January 8. Stay tuned for additional information, including how you and your early education programs can participate in Rising Stars 2015. For more details, contact Laura Healy. |
 Before you wrap up work for the holiday break, check out our Eye on Early Education blog for recent stories you may have missed. |
Wise Ways to Use Technology with Very Young Children: A Harvard Graduate School of Education Video, December 16 Study: Full-Day Preschool Programs are Better at Preparing Children for School than Half-Day Programs, December 15 A New Toolkit Looks at how to include Mental Health Services in Pediatric Care, December 9 |
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MassEducation @MassEducation · Dec 15 Ann O'Leary @Ann_OLeary · Dec 12 Shakira @shakira · Dec 10 EarlyEducationForAll @EarlyEd4All · Dec4 |
notes from Amy
But let’s not rest on our laurels. There are many more young children in communities throughout the commonwealth that could benefit from pre-K funding, as well as high-quality supports throughout the birth–5 years. We will not rest until all children have the resources they need to thrive in their earliest years, and enter kindergarten ready to hit the ground running. Thank you again for your leadership and continued support. Have a safe, happy and healthy holiday season, and see you in 2015!
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What a year! As 2014 draws to a close, advocates for early education and care can be proud of recent wins for young children. After all, $15 million in new federal funding for pre-K is a pretty big deal for Massachusetts. We are so encouraged to see leadership and promising partnerships at the local level. As a policy maker recently said to me, “It is not about if we are going to invest in young children, it is really about how we will do it.” That is a dramatic shift and it is due in part to YOUR advocacy. By telling stories about children and families in your community, making connections with elected officials and staying current on the policy changes and opportunities – you have made a difference.
