Children’s Champions Alert - July 7, 2015

NAEYC Alert: Contact Your Senators to Support ECE Amendment to ESEA

Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is offering an important early learning amendment to the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The amendment would authorize and provide funding for Strong Start and the Preschool Development Grants for a five year period.

How Can You Help?

We need you to contact your Senators and let them know how crucial Strong Start and the Preschool Development Grants are for ensuring all young children are given the opportunities necessary to succeed and thrive in life.

ACTION STEP 1: Call your Senator’s office. To find their contact info, please visit http://www.senate.gov/ or dial 202-224-3121 and request to be connected to their office.

ACTION STEP 2: Ask to speak to a staff member who handles early childhood education issues. If nobody is available, ask to leave them a message on your behalf.

ACTION STEP 3: Tell them to support Senator Casey’s ESEA amendment, and explain the importance of early learning to them.

Sample Language:

Hello,

My name is [name] and I am from [location]. I am calling to urge [Senator’s name] to support Senator Casey’s Strong Start amendment on the ESEA reauthorization. Research shows the importance of early learning and that children who attend high‐quality preschool programs are less likely to be held back in school, require remedial education, engage in criminal activity, or utilize the social safety net later in life.

This is why Senator Casey’s amendment is so important. The amendment:

• Provides access to high-quality, full-day preschool for low income four-year-old children, including developmentally appropriate instruction and evidence-based comprehensive services;
• Supports Early Head Start and child care partnerships that help improve the quality of child care for infants and toddlers;
• Supports and addresses the needs of children with disabilities; and
• Reinforces the critical role of continued funding for the cost-effective, evidence-based home visiting program plays in the lives of children and their families.

For these reasons I urge [Senator’s Name] to support Senator Casey’s Strong Start amendment.

We urge all early childhood advocates to contact your Senators and ask them to support Sen. Casey’s amendment to expand and improve the early education experiences available to serve young children! If you have any questions or need more information, please contact us at [email protected].