Quality child care assures that children enter school ready to learn. They don’t have to make up lost ground in the basics of literacy and math, so they’re less likely to fall behind.

The Mission: Readiness report entitled “The Military Gets It: So Why Not PA?” highlights research showing that high-quality pre-k and child care programs can support children’s success and readiness in three categories: education, obesity and behavior. It also touted the military’s early care and education system as a transformative model for the state and nation.

As the legislature returns to hammer out a state budget, a new poll shows a sizable majority of voters are willing to pay more taxes to support publicly funded pre-K programs.

Of all the programs that Pennsylvanians support with their hard-earned tax dollars, few do as much measurable good, so early in life, as the critical early childhood education programs Pre-K Counts and Head Start.

Mandated pension contributions, special education services and charter school payments are identified as the biggest cost drivers that are worsening Pennsylvania’s school districts’ financial condition, causing some to eliminate kindergarten, increase classes sizes, and cut elective courses.