I am writing in support of House Bill 52, regarding providing a pre-elementary program within a school district and providing for the certification of early childhood education plans.
If you do one thing this legislative session, please read this attached report and make an educated decision about funding programs that benefit young children and families in our community.
Preschool programs (regardless of setting — child care, school district integrated pre-K, strictly 3-5-year-old demographic, mixed age, play based, etc.) positively impact both short- and long-term outcomes for young children. Funding them is essential for community well-being and short- and long-term economic stability.
An often used rebuttal (in failing to fund preschool) is the myth of the Fadeout Effect. The skills children learn in preschool become their lifelong reference points, their toolbox for healthy relationships, problem solving and self-regulation. In the face of ACES, our children can no longer afford to do without that toolbox and those aren’t skills we are born with. They are learned through positive interactions with adults and peers, both in the home and in a classroom setting.
When we support that development at its foundation, those skills carry through to kindergarten and beyond, and there is data to support this. If spreadsheets aren’t the kind of data you need to support this; if tangible, hard facts are what you seek, look no further than the author of this letter. I am 38 years old. I grew up experiencing ACES — poverty, food security issues, domestic violence and trauma first-hand. I also attended Working Mother’s Nursery and a Head Start program in Roswell, New Mexico. There were a handful of grown-ups (teachers, a janitor and a cook) from both programs that I can recall rather vividly as the ones who shaped my future. At the time, it didn’t look like much: an extra pint of chocolate milk (she knew I wouldn’t have much to eat over the weekend), an explanation about ants working together (janitors notice these things) and kind reassurances and encouragement disguised as “tough love” from teachers who knew I could do it (whatever “it” was) long before I believed I could. I now spend my days nose-to-nose with ants and children, working both through their endless curiosity.
I have been the Early Childhood Education of the Year for Southeast Alaska, I have become a tireless advocate for children and families and most recently I was selected as the Cindy Harrington Heart & Mind award recipient. Let me assure you, it never fades out. It is the driver behind everything that I do. I teach with the knowledge that it might not look like much, but in ways we cannot measure, it is everything.
This is the report from the Sandy Hook shooting regarding Adam Lanza: http://www.ct.gov/oca/lib/oca/sandyhook11212014.pdf. It goes into detail on how he fell through the cracks. It talks about early intervention, referrals, family support and keeping him engaged.
I cringe as we fail to fund programs in our state that could be in a prime position to address these issues in young children years before a tragedy. Universal pre-K is one of the most effective ways for children to be assessed/screened for developmental concerns. Programs that partner with families (preschools and child cares), provide support for parents and are high quality pre-K programs equipped to assess, refer and support children and families through that process are vital to the well-being of our communities. Early intervention is key.
Kindergarten readiness is a broad term used to define cumulative gains across the developmental domains from prenatal to birth and beyond. That first several years a foundation is built, that if structurally sound will be the basis for all future success and well-being, both academically and personally. We can teach some of these skills in the home — fine motor (scissors, Play-Doh, bead lacing, writing and access to writing utensils) and literacy (print rich environment, books, someone to read with) come to mind — but only if families have those resources.
• Samantha Adams has operated TLC Child Care and Preschool since 2006.
