Winning Beginning NY

CONTACT: Jenn O'Connor, Winning Beginning NY

518/463-1896 x31

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Children’s Advocates Applaud Governor’s Budget
See as “major down payment” toward comprehensive early care and education supports

Albany, NY (January 31, 2007)—A coalition of early care and education advocates is praising Governor Eliot Spitzer’s proposed 2007-08 budget for providing unprecedented support for New York’s youngest citizens.

Winning Beginning NY announced support today for several early childhood-related measures in the Governor’s proposed FY 2007-08 budget.

Winning Beginning NY cited the Governor’s proposed $99 million for prekindergarten expansion, $165 million over two years to provide health care coverage for 400,000 children without insurance, $2.1 million for increased prenatal and postpartum home visits, and other programs focused on children from birth to age five.

The Pre-K increase brings the state’s annual prekindergarten expenditure to $395 million in FY 2007-8, with a commitment from the Governor to raise the annual Pre-K budget to $645 million by FY 2010-11.

“We thank the Governor for proposing these key steps forward,” said Nancy Kolben, a Winning Beginning NY Co-Convener and Executive Director, Child Care, Inc. in New York. “We’re hopeful the Governor’s obvious commitment to children will translate into future full support for Winning Beginning NY’s ‘Best in the Nation’ plan for early care and education.”

Carol Saginaw, a Winning Beginning NY Co-Convener and Executive Director, New York State Child Care Coordinating Council, took note of the Governor’s lengthy, in-depth mention of his commitment to an early-childhood agenda in his Budget address. “Governor Spitzer’s eloquence in expressing the need for increased supports for children age zero to five is both heartening and encouraging to early care and education advocates.”

One initiative proposed by Winning Beginning NY not addressed by the Governor’s budget is creation of a state Early Learning Commission to coordinate the state’s diverse early learning programs. “Launching an Early Learning Commission will ensure that we make the most of every early learning dollar in the budget,” said Ms. Saginaw.

Under the Winning Beginning NY plan, the new Early Learning Commission will work across state agencies to organize and better manage publicly funded early learning programs. The Commission would make policy recommendations to the Governor and Legislature about ways to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the state’s efforts.

Winning Beginning NY also calls on the Governor and Legislature to support increased funding for child care, greater support for teacher and caregiver retention, and implementation of a statewide early-learning quality assurance program.

“In short,” said Ms. Kolben, “we’re pleased with the Governor’s focus on our state’s youngest learners, and we view his budget proposal as a major down payment toward comprehensive early care and education for all of New York’s children.”

Winning Beginning NY is an early care and education coalition representing more than 60 organizations. Visit www.winningbeginningny.org for more information.

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