 History
The Campaign was launched in the summer of 2000 to address the pressing need
for high-quality early education in Massachusetts, informed by the findings
of the constituency building research project: Our
Youngest Children: Massachusetts Voters and Opinion Leaders Speak Out on
Their Care and Education, which
was developed by child policy specialist Margaret
Blood.
The
findings identified the public and political will for publicly-funded
early childhood education:
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One-third
of the voters polled identify child care and early childhood education
as top priorities for Massachusetts. |
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State
government leaders-especially state legislative leaders-place child care
and early childhood education relatively high on their list of public
policy priorities. |
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Voters
and opinion leaders are more willing to support government funding for
early childhood education if it is: child-focused; for ages three, four
and five; and identifiably connected to long term educational benefits. |
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This public support is even more significant when evaluated
in the context of the current situation facing Massachusetts' young children
and their families, and the scientific
evidence promoting the importance of early childhood education. |
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Within this context of environmental and market factors,
the Campaign is determined to make publicly-funded high-quality early
education available to all Massachusetts three, four, and five year olds
to help prepare them for success both in school
and in life. |
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