Jay Gonzalez on Families & Children

Quality childcare and preschool from birth to age 5

A: I'd like to talk about early childhood education and childcare. The thing we can do that can make the biggest difference for kids--particularly low income kids--is to get them off to the right start. And that means access to quality childcare and preschool from birth to age 5. Before they get into kindergarten. That's the most formative period in a person's development. Like 90% of a person's brain development happens in that age range. Yet it's where we're doing the least. So if we ensure that kids and families have access to good quality childcare and preschool, it's going to give them the head start they need to be successful in school and in life. Also, it's a benefit to parents because it allows parents who have access to childcare, who are able to go back to work. I'm committing that by the end of my first term that every single child in the state, age birth to 5, will have access to good quality, affordable childcare.