It’s time to recognize child care programs/nursery preschools play an important role in successfully educating birth to 5 years.
Click here to read the State Kindergarten Readiness data report for 2018-2019
Please review this report and share the successes of child care and non public nursery schools, both sectors representative of MSCCA membership with everyone!
Child care and non public nursery/preschool programs again and again continue to have children ready to learn at the highest rates in the state. Consistently above the state average and well above public pre k. Please note – More than 60% of child care centers across the state enroll and consistently have child care scholarship/subsidy families in their programs. So although we don’t have 100% of at risk children in all of our programs, neither do all the public school jurisdictions listed, as we know there are slots filled with non income eligible families in public pre k.
Child care centers/non public nursery schools also enroll special needs and ELL students.
Why is it so easy for legislators and agencies to ignore the good work we are doing ? (we can improve and want to see all children entering kindergarten ready)
Without all certified teachers without all the resources of public schools, without all programs in EXCELS, but with the experience, knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices, focus on play with a purpose, nurturing relationships, daily family involvement/engagement and providing hours of education and care to support working families, child care centers and non public nursery preschools continue to prepare children for kindergarten at the highest level.
Kirwan commission and Blueprint for Education please legislate. A true partnership of Diverse mixed delivery system to implement pre k that allows choices for parents and funding for quality. Do not allow construction funding for prekindergarten classrooms when you have successful partners in your community to provide prek or you have exhausted all efforts to partner There is also less need for transportation dollars due to child care centers hours of operation and built in wrap around care.
It’s time to recognize child care programs/nursery preschools play an important role in successfully educating birth to 5 years. If we don’t, many of these programs will not be sustainable if they lose their 3 and 4 year olds and/or they will be forced to charge more money for infants, toddlers and two year olds making quality, licensed early education/child care programs less accessible which will not address the achievement gap, will not have more children ready for kindergarten And create more unlicensed, illegal care.
Additionally-Support
Investments in child care by increasing and sustaining child care scholarships, this important investment will translate to more access to more quality licensed, EXCELS rates early childhood programs Starting at birth where critical Brian development occurs and translates to better outcomes include readiness skills for children.
and then