WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Kit Bond (R-MO) today introduced the Ready to Learn Act, legislation to help states create and strengthen current voluntary pre-kindergarten education programs.

“Early childhood education has been shown, time and again, to make a huge difference in a child’s future success. Investing in voluntary pre-kindergarten education allows our children to arrive at school ready to learn and saves money in the long run. For every one dollar we spend on early childhood education, we reap seven dollars as a society. Supporting our children and early childhood education should be a one of our top national priorities,” said Senator Clinton.

“The early years are critical in a child’s development and lay the foundation for success in school and in life,” said Senator Kit Bond. “This legislation will make a sound investment in the future of our children and families.” Today, it is not unusual for children to arrive at kindergarten already behind their peers. Nearly 50 percent of all kindergarten teachers report that at least half of their students come to school with problems that hinder their success. Each year, more than 200,000 children repeat kindergarten. Children who arrive at kindergarten unprepared often struggle to catch up with their peers. Eighty-eight percent of children who are poor readers in first grade remain poor readers by the fourth grade. Children who are not at least modestly skilled readers by the end of third grade are unlikely to graduate from high school.

Children who attend high-quality pre-k programs are less likely to be held back a grade or to need special education, and they are more likely to graduate from high school. They also have higher earnings as adults and are less likely to become dependent on welfare or involved in crime.

The Ready to Learn Act will help prepare children for kindergarten by providing funding for states through a competitive process to establish and administer voluntary preschool programs, while allowing governors to build on pre-existing early childhood systems. Schools, child care entities, Head Start programs, or other community providers of pre-kindergarten programs will be eligible for funding.

To ensure high-quality programs that properly prepare children to be ready to learn, state plans will require qualified teachers, a developmentally, culturally and linguistically appropriate early learning curriculum, low teacher to child ratios, comprehensive services and support for professional development.

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