On May 14, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee approved, 12-10, the Strong Start for America’s Children Act (as-yet-unnumbered). The committee has held a series of hearings on early childhood education, the most recent of which was held on February 26 (see The Source, 2/28/14).
The bill, sponsored by Chair Tom Harkin (D-IA), would authorize $1.3 billion in FY2014, $3.25 billion in FY2015, $5.78 billion in FY2016, $7.58 billion in FY2017, $8.96 billion in FY2018, and “such sums as may be necessary” in FY2019-2023 for state grants to expand or implement high-quality prekindergarten programs for three and four year-old children from low- or moderate-income families. States also would be able to use up to 15 percent of their grants to provide high-quality early learning programs to infants and toddlers.
The bill expresses the “sense of the Senate” that Congress should continue to provide resources to the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program. In April 2014, the House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on the MIECHV program, which supports states’ efforts to help at-risk families voluntarily receive home visits from nurses and social workers (see The Source, 4/4/14).
The bill also would authorize $750 million in FY2014 and “such sums as may be necessary” for FY2015-2023 for prekindergarten development grants.
