Title
Authorizing the Committee on Education to hold hearings to evaluate existing support services for Early Childhood Education and Pre-K Centers and Providers and to examine the role of high-quality Early Childhood Education and Pre-K opportunities in addressing childhood poverty and promoting the future academic success of children in Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, Philadelphia has a large and diverse population of young children, with more than 100,000 children under the age of 5 residing in the city; and
WHEREAS, Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Pre-K programs are important to addressing childhood poverty and promoting future academic success of children because they provide children with a strong foundation of academic and social skills; and
WHEREAS, Children from low-income families often start school with fewer resources and experiences than their more affluent peers. This achievement gap can have long-term consequences, including lower academic achievement, higher dropout rates, and limited job opportunities; and
WHEREAS, Fully funding and supporting ECE and Pre-K programs helps to address this gap by providing children with access to quality education that can help to level the playing field and give all children the opportunity to succeed; and
WHEREAS, By participating in ECE and Pre-K programs, children develop important social and emotional skills, such as self-regulation, communication, and problem-solving. They also have the opportunity to learn basic academic skills, such as letter recognition, counting, and pre-reading skills, which can help them to achieve academic success in later years; and
WHEREAS, ECE and Pre-K programs can provide access to healthcare, nutrition, and other support services that are important for children's development. Programs may offer screenings for hearing and vision problems, as well as opportunities for parents to learn about healthy nutrition and child development; and
WHEREAS, Early learning and care is ...
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