INCREASING ACCESS TO QUALITY PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS

WHEREAS, 20 percent of children entering kindergarten lack the social and emotional skills necessary for classroom learning;and

WHEREAS, less than half of children in poverty attend preschool at ages 3 and 4; and

WHEREAS, children of families with modest incomes, slightly below the average, participate less in preschool education than families in poverty; and

WHEREAS, only 30.5 percent of Hispanic 3 year olds attend center-based preschool education programs and 45.8 percent of non-Hispanic children; and

WHEREAS, almost 80 percent of total brain development occurs before the age of five; and

WHEREAS, children attending high quality preschool programs reengaged in early literacy development training; and

WHEREAS, students who have attended quality preschool programming have less grade retention and increased high school graduation rates when compared to those who have not attended;and

WHEREAS, students having attended preschool programs are less likely to smoke and are more to likely make better personal health decisions; and

WHEREAS, young adults who participated in quality early childhood education programs were arrested less often, had fewer births out of wedlock, and were less likely to use welfare than their peers who did not participate; and

WHEREAS, high quality preschool programs lead to decreased crime and delinquency rates,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges federal, state, and local governments to invest in expanding access to quality preschool education;and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference of Mayors believes that the extent of preschool education’s impact depends on both quality resources for students and the professional development of teachers, paraprofessionals and staff in early education centers.