George Voinovich: “This amendment will encourage young teachers to go into early childhood education, encourage further learning and…”

“This amendment will encourage young teachers to go into early childhood education, encourage further learning and credentialing of early learning educators, and lead to better education for our nation's youngest children. If one asks virtually any scientific expert in human development or any mother for that matter--and they will tell you that there is no more important time in a child's life than their earliest years. In terms of priorities, the experiences and learning that fill a child's first years have a critical and decisive impact on the development of the brain and on the nature and extent of their adult capacities--in other words, who they will become as they grow older. That window of opportunity can be impacted by things that are within our control. To maximize their potential, we must begin to teach our children the necessary learning skills as early as possible; well before they reach kindergarten. There is countless amounts of research and data that shows that by focusing on these earliest years, we can make the greatest difference in a child's development and capacity to learn, and I know of few other programs that provide that kind of focus as does Head Start.”