Political Quotes

“It is said that we should judge a society by how it cares for its young, its old, and those who have difficulty caring for themselves. We have done much in the United States to care for our young citizens, but justice calls on us to do much more. We know that, from 2000 to 2006, poverty increased by 10.7 percent, leaving 12.8 million children living in poverty. We know that one in three black children and one in four Latino children lives in poverty. We know that almost 12 million children under the age of five participate in some type of regular child care weekly. And we know that research demonstrates that high quality, comprehensive educational care for infants and toddlers can eliminate the achievement gap that exists between middle class and lower-income children. Together these facts highlight that Federal support for quality care in the earliest years via Head Start and CCDBG is critical to help young children from low-income families arrive at kindergarten ready to learn and obtain a strong foundation for success in life. Despite the importance of early childhood care and education, Federal funding for these programs continues to lose ground.”