Dear Editor:
The Clearfield Area United Way (CAUW) believes in early-learning and school readiness.
CAUW member agencies are making differences in the lives of children daily. Â Our Reading Ripples project has distributed over 5,000 books to area children.
Research continues to confirm that high-quality Pre-K is among the best and most cost-effective initiatives.
Pennsylvania is home to nearly 300,000 three- and four-year-olds, including 1,700 in Clearfield County. However, only a small fraction of those children are enrolled in publicly-funded Pre-K.
Many of those who are missing out are at-risk of academic failure. In fact, 542 children lacked access to publicly-funded, high-quality Pre-K last year.
Community philanthropic organizations have made efforts to promote high-quality Pre-K but cannot get the job done alone.
We need the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to bolster its efforts to fund Pre-K programs and to reach those children who are missing out.
A new report by Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children and the non-partisan Pre-K for PA outlines a multi-year investment that could help reach nearly 71,000 additional three- and four-year-olds over a four-year span.
If Pennsylvania would follow through on the proposed investment strategy, it could make publicly-funded, quality Pre-K available to more than 40 percent by 2019, as compared to fewer than 20 percent who benefited in 2013.
We could reach all of our Commonwealth’s at-risk three- and four-year-olds, helping them succeed.
United Way and other organizations across Pennsylvania have been doing their part to make Pre-K a priority because we know it works.
Pre-K benefits our children, our communities and our entire Commonwealth.
We are requesting the Commonwealth to make Pre-K a budget priority this year and in the years ahead, so that our region’s children can reach their fullest potential.
Most sincerely,
Nancy M. Pinto
Clearfield Area United Way
