The State of Our Children

Today I am proud to be a New Yorker. Coming off a national election cycle with little mention, from either party, of our youngest citizens, it was quite refreshing to hear Governor Cuomo’s dedication to our state’s pre-k children. I believe the governor understands the scientifically proven developmental and societal benefits of providing high quality early care and learning to our youngest citizens. Expanding UPK is a first step.

The governor would like New York to have a world-class education system, in part by providing more learning time. This begins by making the most of the learning time that happens before kindergarten. Children who arrive at kindergarten having had high quality early care and learning experiences are less likely to need remedial or special education, repeat grades or drop out high school. Children birth to five who have close relationships with caregivers, who are encouraged to explore, who are read and sung to, and who get lots of play time in safe and stimulating environments come to school ready to succeed.

The governor outlined actions to spur economic growth and create new jobs. We applaud this, and recognize that we cannot talk about bringing new employees to the state without addressing their families’ needs, including child care. Child care is an essential part of our economic infrastructure. As we grow, we need to ensure that the child care options are available and attractive enough for young professionals and their families. Parents too know the importance of high quality programs.

Another part of the governor’s plan for economic growth is to better match training programs to meet the skills required in today’s workforce. We know that most of a person’s personality and intellect are formed in the first three years. We know that skills needed in a 21st century workforce – creativity, problem solving, team work, adaptability, ingenuity – are developed in early childhood. An investment in quality early care and learning nets a much higher return on investment than job training programs that begin in adulthood. As we provide for four year olds today, let us also continue to support our infants and toddlers and three year olds who will be four in the blink of an eye! Let’s invest now to have a creative innovative workforce two decades from now.

We, like the governor, are concerned about public safety. We want our children to grow up feeling secure and want New York to be a place that others want to visit and live. Children who engage in high quality early care and learning are less likely than their peers to be incarnated. Investments in early childhood are an investment in our security. 

We applaud the expansion Universal Pre-K (UPK) time from 2.5 hours to 5 hours and are hopeful that this will provide thousands of 4 year olds with a good pre-k experience. We know New York’s child care resource and referral agencies (CCR&Rs) will be working hard through the transition to help families identify wrap around care that is accessible and affordable. Our network of CCR&Rs will also be particularly interested in how this change affects the children and families in the 60% of UPK programs operating in community based programs like Head Start and child care centers. UPK is currently operating in 67% of school districts so the changes to UPK will reach thousands of New York’s children. There are hundreds of thousands more in early care and learning programs, ages 6 weeks to 6 years, outside of the UPK system who could benefit from quality improvements. The key to addressing the needs of all of New York’s early care and learning programs including pre-k is QUALITYstarsNY.

QUALITYstarsNY is New York’s quality rating and improvement system for early childhood programs including UPK, Head Start, child care centers, preschools and child care family homes. It is a process that assesses and improves the quality of care available to children while supporting the program and staff through the process. It has been proven to work and is currently in place in select communities. To see an impact across the state, to let all New Yorkers enjoy the many long term benefits of a well cared for generation of children, the state also needs full state wide implementation of QUALITYstarsNY.

The Race to the Top (RttT) support in place for the beginning implementation of QUALITYstarsNY shows the State Education Department’s support. The recent Education Reform Commission also made high quality programming an essential piece for the future. Governor Cuomo understands that learning begins early to build New York State’s future. With everyone focused on high quality programs and services, the expansion of Pre-k begins.

The governor has acknowledged, in front of the world, the value of quality early care and learning experiences. I am hopeful. We have just taken the first baby step and in a grand journey towards a state-wide system that supports and values all of our children. It’s a beautiful day in New York.

Marsha Basloe

Executive Director

Early Care & Learning Council

Albany, NY

mbasloe@earlycareandlearning.org