Promising Kids Campaign Launches to Educate and Mobilize Delaware Valley Parents on the Critical Issue of Early Education

PHILADELPHIA, March 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Promising Kids Campaign launched today to empower Delaware Valley parents with the information and tools to help make the best early education decisions for their own children, and also learn how they can be advocates for the rights of all area young children to universally high quality educational opportunities. The Campaign kicks off just as Governor Corbett, in his recent budget proposal, expressed strong support for early education by preserving funding for several key state programs, including Pre-K Counts, Head Start, and child care. The Governor's ongoing commitment advances the critical message that providing quality early education goes far in preparing a child for the brightest future possible, particularly since a child's greatest brain development happens well before kindergarten.

As the presenting organization, the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children (DVAEYC) brings its experienced advocacy and deep commitment to the Campaign.

Uniquely geared for parents, PromisingKids.org is the foundation for the initiative, providing easy access to the latest resources and news to inform early education decisions, including links to research reports, parenting websites, and dedicated organizations. The site also encourages parents to be effective and outspoken advocates for the importance of receiving and sustaining the funding necessary to deliver the very best services to our young children.

PromisingKids.org outlines ways to generate purposeful action such as by educating local residents about the issues at stake and creating a unified voice in reaching out to government officials and other key influencers. In addition, the site's One Smart Mom blog provides an informal forum for parents to share knowledge and experiences and develop a community of concerned citizens.

"We applaud the Governor for keeping his campaign promise to support early education and believe the timing is ideal to launch the Promising Kids Campaign, an effort that targets the key role of parents in our community," said Sharon Easterling, executive director, DVAEYC.  "Parents need somewhere to turn in order to make the very best decisions for their children, and the community needs their involvement to advocate on behalf of our very youngest citizens."

The Promising Kids Campaign currently encourages parents in the community to urge the Governor and Pennsylvania Legislature to keep the proposed early education funding in the final budget, and reinstate resources for the K-12 system that were eliminated in the Governor's proposal. Those interested can read and sign a petition here stating their support.

In order to make the Promising Kids Campaign as relevant and successful as possible, interested parents are invited to answer a few questions about their knowledge of early childhood education and what tools and messages influence them. The online survey is available here.

SOURCE The Promising Kids Campaign