[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 24, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1325]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS

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                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 24, 2008

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on the 
importance of early childhood education and development programs. The 
110th Congress has shown strong commitment to improving education for 
students of all ages. Notably, we reauthorized Head Start, the premier 
early childhood program that prepares low income children for school. 
Now, we must start earlier to prepare our youngest citizens for school. 
To this end, the Committee on Education and Labor recently passed H.R. 
2343, the Education Begins at Home Act, which will improve child well-
being, school readiness, and parent involvement in their children's 
lives.
  The Education Begins at Home Act provides the first dedicated funding 
stream for home visiting programs. Home visiting involves voluntary 
meetings between specialists in child development and parents and 
children in their home. The home visitors help develop parenting 
skills, foster positive child development, and offer support. These 
programs reduce the stress associated with parenting, assist parents in 
understanding the educational and developmental needs of their 
children, and promote healthy parent-child relationships. At least 37 
States have these types of programs in place; however, they lack a 
stable funding stream to ensure effective, long-term services. This 
bill also targets English language learners and military families. 
These groups often lack natural support systems that the programs help 
develop.
  Education can never begin too early; the earliest years of brain 
development are most important, as shown through studies such as those 
by the National Research Council. High quality early education programs 
have helped improve school performance and lower high school drop-out 
rates. They also have helped reduce the rates of child abuse and 
identify developmental delays early in life. These programs share 
common components that contribute to their success--teachers who are 
knowledgeable about the development of young children, strong staff 
development and training, and activities that stimulate cognitive as 
well as social skills. It is these aspects that have brought success 
time and time again.
  Investment in early childhood is sound policy and cost effective as 
well. A study done by economist Robert G. Lynch in 2007 showed that 
high-quality programs would save both state and the federal government 
billions of dollars over decades. According to the study, the total 
annual benefits of a universal program would begin to pay for itself 
within nine years by growing a margin each year. According to Lynch, a 
universal early education program would generate $191 billion in 
benefits for the federal government by the year 2050. This result is 
achieved by creating many more productive members of society and 
decreasing the number of and associated costs related to incarcerated 
citizens.
  These particular benefits are only a few of the multitude that result 
from early childhood education programs. Learning is a lifelong 
activity and children especially deserve the best, beginning with the 
first day of their life. I urge my colleagues and Congress to continue 
this investment in early childhood during the remainder of the 110th 
Congress and in subsequent sessions.

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