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Policy Pick: Victory for Early Care and Education in Economic Stimulus Package

February 23, 2009
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The last couple of weeks have brought tremendous attention to Congress's economic stimulus bill, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The inclusion of funding for early care and education (ECE) programs indicates a national recognition of the significant return on investment, and the potential job creation benefits that investments in ECE can provide.

First 5 LA was among a large coalition of ECE who reached out to legislators to highlight the importance of including funding for ECE programs within the stimulus package. The package, as signed by President Obama on February 17 includes the following ECE-related components:

  • $2 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG)
  • $1 billion for Head Start
  • $1.1 billion for Early Head Start
  • $500 million for Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, reserved for children ages 2 and younger

Investing in programs for young children such as CCDBG and Head Start and Early Head Start not only develops the school readiness skills that children need to become productive workers of the future, but also creates jobs in early childhood education. These programs also allow parents to work outside of the home, financially support their families and contribute to the economy. In fact, the licensed child care sector allows parents to earn more than $100 billion annually.

First 5 LA applauds Congress for recognizing that ECE programs contribute to a strong infrastructure and the help lay a foundation for a productive and educated workforce prepared for the 21st Century. We look forward to children reaping the benefits of the stimulus package and will continue to track the implementation of this federal investment as funding is distributed to the states and programs.

Of the 20 Los Angeles County congressional delegates, 16 voted in favor of the stimulus package, including both California senators and 14 representatives. Click here to find out how your representative voted.

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