CHICAGO, Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Diana Mendley Rauner, President, Ounce of Prevention Fund:

"We are heartened to see Gov. Quinn's proposed $20 million increase in funding for early learning programs covered by the Early Childhood Block Grant. Restoring this funding would help alleviate the effects of the $55 million in cuts the block grant has suffered over the last three years, resulting in nearly 18,000 children losing their spots in Preschool for All classrooms. We celebrate Gov. Quinn's recognition of the importance of early learning.

"But given the importance of beginning early in life, it makes no sense to also propose a 9% cut to home visiting programs. Research has demonstrated that they build the foundation for successful education experiences and can contribute to the long-term economic solvency of this state.  

"These cuts are particularly self-defeating because they would force Illinois to return more than $19 million in federal funding for home visiting programs and forgo access to future federal funding. Evidence-based home visiting programs are a sound investment. They help low-income parents give their babies a healthy start and produce increased school readiness and high school graduation rates.   

"Gov. Quinn's budget would also cut child care funding by decreasing investments in quality and increasing copayments for low-income families.

"The governor's two budget recommendations cannot be reconciled and we will marshal all our resources to fight him on this front. We urge Illinois lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle to protect early childhood funding to help the state get back on track to a more fiscally sound future."

The Ounce of Prevention Fund has long maintained that strengthening Illinois' economy requires investing in young children, especially the most disadvantaged. High-quality, birth-to-five education programs provide valuable learning opportunities to low-income children, preparing them for success in kindergarten and beyond. Early learning programs bolster Illinois' economy by ensuring a better-educated workforce in the future—one that has a higher earning potential and contributes significantly more tax dollars to the state's economy.

Economists unanimously say that now, when the budget is tightest, is when states should be investing public dollars in programs such as early childhood education that have the best long-term return on investment. Every dollar spent on high-quality early childhood programs for disadvantaged children creates $7 to $9 in future savings. Research shows that effective early childhood programs help reduce teenage pregnancy, crime and other social burdens.

The Ounce of Prevention Fund works to ensure that all children, particularly those in poverty, have quality early childhood experiences from birth to age five. Educare of Chicago, the Ounce's state-of-the-art school on the South Side, has become a national model of high-quality early childhood education. Learn more at www.ounceofprevention.org.

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Diana Rauner - http://www.profnetconnect.com/diana_rauner

SOURCE The Ounce of Prevention Fund

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