EXCERPT FROM: Birth to Thrive Online
By Paul Nyhan
In one of the toughest budget seasons in recent years, Washington State Gov. Christine Gregoire offered some good early learning news, restoring funding for 1,500 public preschool slots and child care subsidies for working poor families in her new budget.
The plan Gregoire unveiled this week is a welcome change from recent reports of cuts in others states. In one of her most dramatic moves, the governor would restore $10.5 million for the state supported preschool system known as the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program.
Back in December, Gov. Gregoire proposed cutting that money, along with child care support for 17,000 working poor families and funding for all-day kindergarten in high-poverty areas, as part of a balanced budget she is required to submit. This round, she restored her support for targeted all-day kindergarten and some money for child care subsidies