Statement of Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono of Hawai‘i
in the U.S. House of Representatives
Introducing the Providing Early Resources for Kids Act of 2007
August 1, 2007
I rise today to introduce the Providing Resources Early for Kids Act of 2007 – the PRE-K Act.
The PRE-K Act will help more children enter school ready to succeed. It creates a new federal-state partnership to provide better preschool opportunities for our country’s children.
Research shows that participation in a high quality early education program can improve success in school and later in life. So, this bill focuses on quality.
It is flexible enough to encompass many types of state-funded preschool programs, so long as they are high quality. For example, in Hawaii, an Early Learning Task Force is working on a new state-funded preschool program to ensure Hawaii’s children have access to a variety of high quality preschool experiences, from Head Start to community based organizations.
The PRE-K Act is one of the best investments we can make in our children, our families, and our Nation, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure its passage.
