By Senators Hasegawa, Chase

WITHDRAWN 3/10/2015

On page 1, after line 26, insert the following:

"(3) The legislature also finds that despite the proven success of targeted early learning programs, a targeted approach will always leave out some children who would benefit from access to high quality programming, including some disadvantaged children as well as children from working class families who simply may be unable to afford the full cost of top quality programs. The legislature also finds that school readiness is not just an issue for children living in poverty, it is also an issue for middle class children who lag behind their wealthy peers in both cognitive and social skills. The legislature further finds that voluntary universal preschool programs have the potential to be significantly more effective because they serve disadvantaged children in heterogeneous classes and all children benefit when all of their classmates are better prepared for school success. The legislature, therefore, intends to continue building capacity while also focusing on quality in state-supported, targeted early learning programs, with the long-term goal of pursuing strategies to implement a voluntary universal high quality early learning program that would be available to all children in the state."

EFFECT: Makes legislative findings about the benefits of voluntary universal preschool access. Declares legislative intent to pursue strategies to support a voluntary universal program of high quality early learning, available to all children in the state.