Here's Your Opportunity To Comment On "Universal Preschool" Proposed By Pres. Obama

[MarinaVanessa]

I'm going to put in my 2 cents:

The only things that I worry about about this whole universal childcare thing is

1. Where are we going to get the money to pay for this? I understand that it would greatly benefit MANY families but if we are already in debt it doesn't make sense to spend even more money. Let's pay off the debt we owe now and once we have a handle on it then we can spend money on programs like this.
2. The universal childcare and QRIS (aka stars, steps etc) requirements for FCC are in many ways still the same requirements as centers. Centers have more capital for training, equipment, assessment materials etc. FCC providers have to meet many of these same requirements but have less accessability to meet the requirements due to financial and time restraints.
3. Universal childcare will make quality childcare more accessible to families through creating more quality pre-school programs and through offering child care programs the opportunity to participate voluntarily in rating programs. Families that choose childcare in the program and sometimes providers that volunteer to participate in the program may be given incentives potentially making it more difficult for other programs that choose not to (or can't, due to financial or time restraints or just because they don't want to) may have a harder time finding clients because clients will prefer to have "perks" and childcare fee breaks through incentives rather than not.
4. Most rating systems require assessments and parent meetings to score more "points" or to get a higher rating. These assessments (from looking at other states assessment requirements) are very expensive to use and need training to learn how to use them which is another additional cost. Plus I don't have even one family that I know of that would want to take additional time off their day to meet with me for a conference to talk about their child's progress.
5. Most rating systems require a particular curriculum and to score high in this area and they list specific curriculum to choose from which is both expensive and curriculum based (worksheets etc) which is against what providers like me do.

If the rating program is modified more so that centers and FCC are rated a bit differently (as in they each get their own scoring system) then I think that it would work better.

Sure better quality child care is a great idea. Now we need to make training and materials more accessible to FCC through grants and incentives but again, where are we going to get the money for this?

[Candy]

Why are people against children starting school at 4. Thats how old every child is when they enter pre-k and now in my state i think you have to send your child pre-k you can't just send them to k. As for headstart the ones in my area do a really good job and they do do school work but like someone said different states vary.

[sammie]

Why are people against children starting school at 4. Thats how old every child is when they enter pre-k and now in my state i think you have to send your child pre-k you can't just send them to k. As for headstart the ones in my area do a really good job and they do do school work but like someone said different states vary.

Because it costs money that we DON'T have!! We are BROKE and in DEBT up to our eyeballs. There is NO MONEY to SPEND on more programs!

[nannyde]

Actually, that is how some states are set up. Compulsory education varies from ages 5 to 8, depending on the states' laws. But most people send their children to K at age 5, regardless. So that is why politicians don't see making it available at age 4 any different.

Why not 3?

[snbauser]

I also think that before we start implementing something in a "universal" way we need to allign all of the states standards. The STARS program here is very different from what other states are using for their STARS/QRIS programs. So a 5 star program here in NC may not be anything like a 5 star program in another state. Just as in some states you can have 12 kids by yourself and in other states only 5 or in some states you can have up to 5 kids without a license and in other states you can't have more than 1. So how can we implement a univeral program when the states can't even agree on licensing requirements or ratings?

[Meeko]

No, the people pay for it. The government does not.

We don't have money for this. We have a broken public school system so why add to that?!?!

I support early education but I also know there is NO significant proof that children who have early childhood education do any better than the next kid who didn't have it. (with the exception of low income children)

I think that what early childhood aged children need is more face time with their parents, more enriched quality care NOT education.

The money for this would be far better spent if it was for mothers (and fathers) to have longer maternity leaves, more education on health, safety and quality parenting skills.

[Meeko]

With the exception of desperately poor children who have desperately low functioning parents. Translation is the children would do better because they are out of the poor environment for a portion of the day. NOT because the environment is an educational environment but because its better CARE than the home environment.

[Meeko]

I don't disagree with most of your above, but why is that the governments place to do that though?

It should be up to the parents to make good decisions for their kids. Even if you "force out" the bottom of the barrel daycare providers parents are still going to make poor choices in regards to many other aspects of their childrens lives.

Should the government start regulating many/all other aspects of parenting because parents can't always be trusted to do a perfect job??

Again with the slippery slope......


I like firm boundary lines regarding government intrusion in my life and the lives of my family members. Who a parent chooses to watch their children is their business and their business alone. If they choose someone licensed and accredited great, if they don't, that's no one else's place to criticize or control.

Funny enough the worst daycares I had growing up were centers who were licensed and accredited.

The daycares I learned the best and most in was my unaccredited unlicensed aunts home.

Amen!

[Sugar Magnolia]

I am against expanding the public school system to include 3 year olds and 4 year olds. This would be expensive and in my opinion, not beneficial to the children to be in such an institutionalized, large scale setting. I DO AGREE with letting home providers participate in a federally funded (or state funded) program, if they meet certain qualifications. I am a center, and dread the thought of free, all day school for 3.and 4 year olds. We have free partial days here for 4 year olds already, it has hurt my business. But if it goes to 3, I will find a way to participate, or adapt my program to cater to younger children. We have already discussed it, and decided to buy the house next door to our center and start an infant/toddler facility. The owners of the house are renting it out now, but gave us a standing offer to buy it. I am considering it if they decide to expand public school to 3 years old. Adapt or die, right?

[Meeko]

I would love to spend a majority of my day teaching children academic concepts and educational things but I am far to busy teaching them how to have life skills, manner, respect and social skills. (which I believe come from QUALITY EARLY CARE NOT EDUCATION)

If children came to me with GOOD food in their bellies, a good nights sleep and manners each day I would be thrilled but too many parents have to focus on working to make even minimum wage to support their families that little time is left for them to "parent" their child so it is left to me to do.

Kids aren't going to succeed in life solely on academics. They need LIFE skills.

ALL of which they should be getting before age 5 but most aren't getting at all. So instead we see a bunch of kids graduating high school with great academic records but zero clue how to act in public, how to live on their own or function as an adult. The proof is in households across America with 30-something year olds with college degrees still living at home with their parents because they have no common sense and no idea how to care for themselves.

One of my best friends teaches KG. She has told me she is sick of getting kids who can quote their numbers/alphabet/quantum physics........and yet can't sit still, can't share, are rude, bullies, etc etc etc. She has always implored me to pleeeease stick to teaching my daycare kids life skills and not try to be "mini-KG". She wants kids READY to learn...not necessarily already knowing it all (those are the kids who get bored and act out in her class)

[Meeko]

But according to our star ratings program, ALL Head Starts are automatically awarded 4 stars.

I was told they are the "model of success".

[Willow]

Why are people against children starting school at 4. Thats how old every child is when they enter pre-k and now in my state i think you have to send your child pre-k you can't just send them to k. As for headstart the ones in my area do a really good job and they do do school work but like someone said different states vary.

I'd move if that ever came to pass when my children were young. Seriously, how ridiculous.

My children never spent a single day in pre-K and they were far better prepared for K than their classmates who went for several years.


Pre-k frequently has nothing to do with any sort of meaningful prep for organized education nor is it any sort of guarantee the child can or will learn anything educational that they'll actually be able to retain.

I have two families now who each send a kiddo to a pre-k program at the local elementary school. The one goes mornings two days a week (3 nearly 4 years old), the other goes afternoons four days a week (5 years old). They pay a lot of money to send them and have openly admitted their kids aren't getting anything out of it. That they've learned far more here and I follow a loosely pieced together curriculum at best. We do 95% of our learning through play. To boot many children in their classes are either undersocialized or shamefully misbehaved so all they're doing is picking up the nasty behaviors of children who are not physically or emotionally ready for a classroom setting. Often takes them a good while to settle the heck down and return to decent behavior when they return here from pre-K.

[MyAngels]

More food for thought (and plenty of resources for those interested in learning more about this) :

http://factcheck.org/2013/02/obamas-preschool-stretch/

[Willow]

One of my best friends teaches KG. She has told me she is sick of getting kids who can quote their numbers/alphabet/quantum physics........and yet can't sit still, can't share, are rude, bullies, etc etc etc. She has always implored me to pleeeease stick to teaching my daycare kids life skills and not try to be "mini-KG". She wants kids READY to learn...not necessarily already knowing it all (those are the kids who get bored and act out in her class)

I have had teachers share the exact same things with me!!!!!

At conferences just this year my daughters fourth grade teacher joked with me to please PLEASE push the importance of personal space. She's got kids that can read, write and do long division but cannot for the life of them keep their hands to themselves, properly dress themselves for playing outside and speak to adults in full sentences or with any respect!!!

[Starburst]

That should not stop you from voicing your opinion IMO. If you are against making these changes you cannot complain when they happen if you did not at least try to make your voice heard.

Whether any of us are for or against we should be letting our legislators know what we think, both on the state and national level.

If your not part of the solution you are part of the problem. My school's child development program is very active in child advocacy. We even have an "advocates for children" group and we had to write letters to our state senator for some assignments.