I am a state licensed home day care provider. I teach a pre-kindergarten class to children in my day care when they are ready. Almost without exception, by the end of the year they are fired up with excitement, learning more and more every day, looking forward to going to school and learning even more. What happens next? They go on to public school where they attend the standard state funded half day kindergarten and are bored silly. No matter how much good we think we are doing through the various programs...Parents as Teachers, Preschool, Pre-kindergarten,...if it all comes to a screeching halt when they enter kindergarten, what have we accomplished in reality? If we do not follow through by offering state funded all day kindergarten, we are just shooting ourselves in the foot. We might as well save our time and money. Of course, not all children will be ready for all day kindergarten, so it must be offered not required. The way it is now, only those who can afford to pay tuition can send their children to all day kindergarten, and then only if they get their child registered before the limited classes are filled. I am excited that the state is finally realizing the importance of early childhood education. Together we can help the children of tomorrow to be better prepared.

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I was saddened to see that the Governor's budget did not include funding for proven early learning programs such as Parents as Teachers (PAT), but instead focused on child care and preschool programs. Research has proven that learning starts before birth and that parents are the child's first and best teachers. I encourage a revision of the budget to include significant funds for home-visiting parent education programs such as PAT.
Nancy Probst, MA Clinical Director Catholic Family & Child Service Yakima

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I was shocked and surprised recently to learn that the Washington State Early Childhood Program and Services Profiles working paper submitted last May for the Early Learning Council did not include a single reference to the leading national early childhood development program, Parents as Teachers (PAT). On September 17, 2004, the Washington State Institute for Public Policy published a comprehensive report on its study for the Washington State Legislature entitled Benefits and Costs of Prevention and Early Intervention Programs for Youth (available at http://wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/04-07-3901.pdf). The report stated that the Parents as Teachers program yields $800 in net benefits for every targeted youth client (p. 6). This highlights the program as one of the few prevention and early intervention programs that are a wise investment.

At Providence SoundHomeCare & Hospice Maternal Child Health we expect that our PAT project will yield even greater benefits because it is being delivered in conjunction with the Washington First Steps Program, which also has a proven track record of efficacy. We are currently providing First Steps maternity support services to over 500 pregnant and parenting mothers and their 600 infants in Thurston, Mason, and Lewis Counties, including Hispanics and Native Americans. In 2005, 290 families were served using the PAT curriculum and over 400 families were served by our project in 2006.

Statewide, at least 28 schools and nonprofits are implementing PAT programs, but most are struggling to find funding. All of these programs could be funded in 2008 at a total cost of less than $3 million. I strongly urge re-allocation of $3 million from the ECEAP budget for PAT programs in Washington State.

Christopher Toal, MPA
Providence St. Peter Foundation
413 Lilly Rd NE
Olympia, WA 98506
Ph.: 360-493-7839

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