Children are born learning. The miracle of brain research has shown us that roughly 85% of a child’s brain is developed by age 5. Yet, currently, less than 1.5% of Ohio’s investment in children occurs by that time. The earliest years offer a tremendous opportunity for building a lifetime of positive outcomes. We can and should support Ohio’s parents in making smart choices that help each child have the best possible start in life.

Investment in high quality early care and learning will help us simultaneously improve Ohio’s social, education, and economic outcomes.

Far too many Ohio children are falling behind at the start of their academic journeys. This achievement gap has roots that begin long before a child enters the schoolhouse door. Participation in high quality early learning programs is a demonstrated method for boosting school readiness for vulnerable children. We must make such opportunities available to all Ohio’s children, particularly those at risk of failure.

High quality early care and learning is not just smart social and education policy, it is smart economic development policy. A growing number of economists – including Nobel laureate James Heckman – note that investment in high quality early care and education outperforms other economic develop strategies. Such programs are shown to reduce rates of crime and teen pregnancy; increase rates of college attendance; create savings in education through fewer grade repetitions and lower special education costs; result in higher tax revenues and rates of home ownership; and lower health and welfare expenditures.

Research breakthroughs of the past several years show that we know how to help a child enter school ready to learn. We know how to intervene effectively to help children with behavioral challenges inhibiting their ability to fully develop. We know how to start closing the achievement gap. We know how to invest the state’s scarce resources to maximize economic return to taxpayers. But for too long, we’ve simply lacked the leadership needed to make it happen.
In order to give every Ohio child a fair start in life, reduce the school “achievement gap,” and promote the most efficient economic development strategy available, as governor, Ted Strickland will:

Work to make high-quality early care and learning for all children a reality in Ohio – a reality that offers good choices for our parents.

Pursue the goal of making sure all Ohio children have access to early care and learning by:

Using unspent TANF funds, the federal Child Care Development Block Grant, and if necessary, reordering our state government priorities to allow us to invest an additional $50 million per year in the first two years of the administration in quality early care and education for Ohio-s 3 and 4-year-olds. For every dollar invested in high quality early care and education, taxpayers can expect a rate of return to taxpayers of at least $1.62. (Some experts say that the rate of return is seven dollars for every dollar invested).

Providing gubernatorial leadership to marshal the energy, investments and ideas of the dozens of corporations, foundations, individuals and non-profit organizations in Ohio already focused on improving the quality of our children’s early care and learning experiences.

Accelerating statewide implementation of Step Up To Quality, Ohio’s consumer early care rating system and early childhood teacher professional development initiative, to ensure that Ohio has a system that will make the best use of our investment and provide true high-quality care choices to Ohio’s families. Move to a statewide program by investing an additional $20 million in the first biennium through the use of the same funds specified above. Currently, the program is in five urban counties (Hamilton, Franklin, Cuyahoga, Stark and Lucas) and one three-county rural area (Athens, Hocking, Perry).

As governor, Ted Strickland would encourage all-day kindergarten, possibly by pursuing incentives through the state basic aid formula that encourages local school districts to expand its availability. (Nationally, 28 states provide these incentives including many in our region – Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin.)

Recognize the critical importance of a child’s social, emotional and physical development to school readiness and lifelong learning.

Increase availability of voluntary screening and treatment of physical and behavioral health problems in young children ages birth-6 through the use of S-CHIP, EPSDT, Help Me Grow and Children’s Trust Fund Dollars. (A total of $15 million in the first biennium, approximately $4 million of which may be General Revenue Funds.)

Realign state government to promote healthy early childhood development.

Establish an Early Childhood Cabinet that sets and coordinates state policy and programs serving Ohio children ages prenatal to 6. Unite key state agencies around a common goal of promoting school readiness. (Minimal or no fiscal impact).

Sources:

Committee for Economic Development

National Institute for Early Education Research

Pre-K Now

Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank