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of 4-year olds between the state pre-kindergarten program, Head Start and preschool special <br /> education. North Carolina has chosen the targeted approach with More at Four, serving only <br /> the most at-risk children. <br /> Head Start has long served as an intervention strategy for very poor low-income 3 and <br /> 4-year old children. However, the income cut off is so low, many low-income families in <br /> Orange County are not eligible. The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) <br /> reports that middle income families are often the least likely to have their children access high <br /> quality early childhood settings. They often are not eligible for help through Head Start, More <br /> at Four or child care scholarship programs, often relegating their children to less than quality <br /> preschool education. High-income families can afford high quality part-day preschools. Very <br /> low-income families can receive help paying for it through targeted programs like Head Start <br /> and More at Four. Voluntary, but universally available pre-k would insure that all children in <br /> Orange County, and especially those most in need, would have at least one year of high <br /> quality preschool education before school entry. <br /> We know each of you has received the proposal from the Orange County Child Care <br /> Coalition and hope you will consider it as a strategic investment in our County's children. <br /> Thank you." <br /> Kate Sanford read a prepared statement: <br /> "Good evening, I am Kate Sanford, Assistant Director of the Chapel Hill Day Care <br /> Center, a 5-star NAEYC nationally accredited early care and education program. Orange <br /> County has been a leader in education since the inception of the first state university system. <br /> The County is known for having the best schools in the state, with the highest proportion of <br /> teachers who have National Board Certification. In addition, Orange County has some of the <br /> very best child care settings in the state and some of the highest quality child care available. <br /> Orange County can again become a national leader by investing in its children through a <br /> voluntary, universally available pre-kindergarten program. By partnering with high quality child <br /> care programs in the community to serve as qualified pre-kindergarten sites, children and <br /> families can receive a high quality early education at community sites at a lower overall cost. <br /> High quality pre-kindergarten classrooms in child care settings can achieve the <br /> outcome of children coming to school ready for success using the physical and administrative <br /> infrastructure available in the child care community. Orange County has already taken the <br /> lead in providing Early Head Start and More at Four services in child care classrooms that <br /> meet the higher standards. It is time for the next step. The North Carolina Pre-kindergarten <br /> Program Standards have recently been developed, and when instituted, will offer child care <br /> programs the opportunity to demonstrate that their four-year old classrooms meet the highest <br /> educational standards. These standards mirror those found in More at Four classrooms with <br /> certified teachers, approved curriculum, child assessments and high quality classroom <br /> environments. They also mirror the standards found in the research evidence on what <br /> components produce positive educational and social outcomes for children. <br /> The proposal from the Orange County Child Care Coalition seeks to raise the quality of <br /> preschool education for all of Orange County's four year old children and to increase their <br /> access to this education. With the increasing number of children who live in our community <br /> with English as their second language, the need for a high quality pre-kindergarten experience <br /> is even more critical. Early education is a public good equal to that of K-12 education and <br /> needs an equivalent investment of county funds to support its improvement and expansion. <br /> And with this investment, Orange County would again be taking a leadership role in education <br /> in the state and nation. Thanks for your consideration of this proposal." <br /> Sue Russell read a prepared statement: <br />