Since our earlier blog entry on federal early education bills, many more have been introduced into the United States Congress. Here are 5 more Federal bills to watch:
1. S.839/H.R.2184– The Prepare All Kids Act of 2009. This bill-which was introduced in both houses-would provide grants to states to help them create/expand/enhance voluntary, universal preschool programs that are high-quality and available to children between the ages of 3 and 5.
2. H.R.2041– The Child Care Public-Private Partnership Act of 2009. This bill would provide competitive grants to businesses and nonprofit agencies to create child care services for employees through a public-private partnership.
3. S.1000-The Starting Early Starting Right Act. This bill would modify the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) so that a larger percentage of the funding each state receives must be used to enhance early education quality and to extend the amount of time services are provided.
4. S.1002/H.R.1685– The Child Care Facilities Financing Act of 2009. This bill would create competitive grants for early education programs and providers to improve, build, or purchase/rent child care facilities. These improvements will result in higher quality care for young children.
5. S.7– The Education Opportunity Act of 2009. This bill urges the Senate and House- along with President Obama- to pass legislation that will increase access to high-quality early education and expand early education opportunities (child care, after-school care, etc.).
