SFC / Early Education for All Campaign: Invest in Early Education

Governor Patrick committed to a funding increase for the Massachusetts Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program (MA UPK) under his soon-to-be-released fiscal year 2009 state budget, stating, “I pledge to you that we will increase funding further in the coming budget and we will stay on that path of annual increases until we have delivered on the promise of universal, high-quality early education for every child in this Commonwealth.”

Governor Patrick made the announcement during a "Rising Stars of Massachusetts" celebration at the State House on Tuesday, January 8, 2008. The Governor joined the Early Education for All Campaign (EEA), State Representative Patricia Haddad, Department of Early Education and Care Commissioner Ann Reale, and MA UPK grantees for the "Rising Stars of Massachusetts" celebration of the MA UPK Program.

View video of the event. >

Governor Patrick pledges to increase funding for early education in his fiscal year 2009 state budget.



	Governor Patrick receives a warm welcome from Ellis Memorial Children’s Center, Massachusetts Universal Pre-Kindergarten grant recipients.


	(L-R) Leo Delaney, Executive Director of Ellis Memorial Children’s Center; Sharon Scott-Chandler, Chair of the Board of Early Education and Care; Ann Reale, Commissioner of the Department of Early Education and Care; Margaret Blood, Early Education for All Campaign Director; Governor Deval Patrick; Marianne Getchell, Teacher at Ellis Memorial Children’s Center; Brenda Barreto, Preschool Director at Ellis Memorial Children’s Center; Representative Patricia Haddad, Co-Chair of the Education Committee; Paul O’Brien, Early Education for All Campaign Co-Chair; and children from the Ellis Memorial Children’s Center.


	Collage celebrating the Massachusetts Universal Pre-Kindergarten grantees: the “Rising Stars of Massachusetts.”