The following is a press release from Iowa State Senator Tom Courtney:

All children can benefit from preschool education, but for far too long our state lacked a comprehensive approach to ensuring all Iowa families had access to high-quality preschool.

When studies began to show our kids were entering kindergarten without the language and literacy skills they needed to be successful in school, we responded by establishing a Voluntary Statewide Preschool Program that has made high-quality preschool available to families throughout Iowa.

Because of our efforts, more than 21,000 Iowa preschoolers in 326 school districts are expected to benefit from at least 10 hours per week of high-quality instruction by this fall.

Before the Statewide Preschool Program was created, only 19 percent of 3- and 4-year-old children in Iowa had access to quality preschools. That has jumped to 60 percent today. And thousands of additional children attend Head Start, Early Childhood Special Education and other programs that prepare them for a strong start in school. 

In spite of tough economic times, I’m committed to maintaining the Voluntary Statewide Preschool Program and other early learning opportunities for our children. The benefits are obvious when kids start kindergarten and continue through graduation.

Not only that, strong preschools are good for the economy in our local communities. Business leaders and employers all across Iowa say access to high-quality childcare and preschool make it easier to attract and retain good employees and businesses.

Thank you to all who’ve taken part in making this important effort a reality, including parents and grandparents, local schools, community and business leaders, and especially the caregivers and preschool teachers who work hard every day to make sure our kids are getting the skills they need.

By getting our next generation of Iowa leaders off to great start, we are helping to ensure a successful future them, for ourselves and for our state.

Additional information:

This is a legislative update from Senator Tom Courtney, representing Des Moines and Louisa counties and southern Muscatine County.  For newsletters, photos and further information, go to www.senate.iowa.gov/courtney.

To contact Senator Courtney when the Legislature is not in session, call him at home at 319-753-2684, e-mail him at tom.courtney@legis.state.ia.us, or write him at 2200 Summer Street, Burlington, IA 52601.

Senator Tom Courtney is the Senate Majority Whip.  He is chair of the Labor & Business Relations Committee and vice-chair of the Government Oversight Committee.  Courtney also serves on the Agriculture, Commerce, State Government, Rules & Administration, and Administrative Rules Review committees.