White House Summit on Early Education to be Held December 10th, 2014

On Wednesday, December 10th, President Obama will host a White House Summit on Early Education. There, with key stakeholders in attendance, the President will announce the recipients of $750 million in federal grants for preschool and Head Start programs.

In his 2013 State of the Union address, President Obama spoke at length on early childhood education, stating that his office “will propose a series of new investments that will establish a continuum of high-quality early learning for a child – beginning at birth and continuing to age 5.”

Those of us in early childhood education were optimistic at the thought that the President was going to make early childhood education a priority for his second term. In my blog entry about the address, “Early Childhood Education Back in the National Spotlight After State of the Union,” I wrote that, within hours of the address, I received several emails with reactions from both individuals and organizations. Most were excited with the renewed national awareness of the importance of quality childhood education for all children.

Read the full press release about the Summit below:

For Immediate Release
October 29, 2014
White House Announces Summit on Early Education

WASHINGTON, DC – On Wednesday, December 10, President Obama will host a White House Summit on Early Education. The Summit will bring together a broad coalition of philanthropic, business, education, advocacy and elected leaders, as well as other stakeholders who are committed to expanding access to high-quality early education. This summit builds on the President’s call in his 2013 State of the Union address to expand access to high-quality early childhood education to every child in America. As part of that effort, the President proposed a series of new investments that will establish a continuum of high-quality early learning for a child—beginning at birth and continuing to age five. This proposal includes extending and expanding evidence-based, voluntary home visiting, growing the supply of effective early learning opportunities for young children through Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships, and providing Preschool for All. Since the President’s call to action, more than 30 states and cities have established new programs or expanded access to preschool. Studies show that for every dollar we invest in early childhood education, we see a rate of return of $7 or more through a reduced need for spending on other services, such as remedial education, grade repetition, and special education, as well as increased productivity and earnings for these children as adults.

During the summit, the President will announce the states and communities that will receive $250 million in Preschool Development Grants and $500 million in Early Head Start Child Care Partnership awards to enhance and expand preschool programs and to improve access to high-quality infant and toddler care in high-need communities. In addition to those grant announcements, the President will also highlight new private sector commitments to expand children’s early learning opportunities. Over the last several months, Senior Administration Officials have traveled across the country to hear from local officials, education experts, business leaders, and the philanthropic community about how to best advance the President’s agenda to expand access to high-quality early education for all Americans. Additional details about the summit will be released at a later date.

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