In the 2016 State of the Union Address on January 12th, President Obama maintained his commitment to supporting young children’s access to high quality early childhood programs. Polls show that early childhood education is a national priority for Americans, with majorities of Democrats, Republicans and Independents supporting more investments in early childhood programs.

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President Obama recognized the bipartisan nature of early childhood education in his speech this week. “We agree that real opportunity requires every American to get the education and training they need to land a good-paying job…together, we’ve increased early childhood education, lifted high school graduation rates to new highs, and boosted graduates in fields like engineering. In the coming years, we should build on that progress, by providing Pre-K for all…” The President also emphasized the need to recruit and support great teachers as an integral part of making sure children get the good start and education they need to be successful. We know that investing in the crucial years from birth to age five yields a high return on investment. We are building a well-educated workforce with advanced skills, knowledge and experience to grow a strong defense and economy, as well as a healthy and productive society. We are grateful to everyone who is working to make young children a priority, and we hope to see early childhood issues discussed more prominently as we move further into this election year. Please click here to sign up for our advocacy e-alerts to find out how you can be a champion for young children in Durham.