Strong Start for Children Campaign

Strong Start for Children - Building America's Future

In his State of the Union address in February, President Obama announced an ambitious agenda for early care and education. This early care and education initiative would greatly increase access to high-quality pre-K for four-year-olds with a new investment of $75 billion to support state-federal partnerships, expand the availability of high-quality options for infants and toddlers through partnerships between Early Head Start and child care, and expand voluntary home visiting programs with a new investment of $15 billion.

High-quality early care and education helps give children the boost they need to succeed in school, provides parents with the support and peace of mind they need to be productive at work, and strengthens our economy in the short- and long-term. These benefits have garnered support for early care and education investments from across the political spectrum.

New Resource!

• Download "Raising Smart, Healthy Kids in Every State" - A collaborative report on expanding early education initiatives with funding from the federal tobacco tax
• Download "A Strong Start Makes a Difference: Teachers and Parents share the importance of high quality early learning"

Take Action

• Tell Members of Congress to Increase Investments in Early Learning
• Join the Strong Start for Children Campaign
• Strong Start for Children Advocacy Toolkit

About the Campaign

• Campaign Principles 
• Campaign Partners 
• Campaign Calendar

Coalition Actions

• Chutes & Ladders
• June 5 – Blog Carnival
• Ready Nation Business Letter
• Report from Mission Readiness: A Commitment to Pre-K is a Commitment to National Security
• Rally4Babies

Fact Sheets

• President Obama's Early Learning Proposal: Fact Sheet
• President Obama's Plan for Early Education: Questions & Answers
• High-Quality Prekindergarten Is a Wise Investment
• Expand Access to High-Quality Early Care and Education for Infants and Toddlers
• Governors' 2013 State of the State Addresses: Mentions of Early Care and Education
• White House Fact Sheets: Increasing Access to High-Quality Early Education

Press Statements

• NWLC & Children Deliver 30,000 Letters & Art Work to White House, Thanking Pres. Obama for his Preschool for All Initiative
• Statement on Murray Budget
• Statement on President Obama's Early Learning Initiative

Press Clips

• Strong Start for Children Press Clips

Blog Posts

• Early Education: Setting the U.S. Up For Success
• June 5 – Blog Carnival
• President Obama Leads the Way on Early Education for All Children
• One more Step Forward on President Obama's Early Education Proposal
• Behind the Scenes: Secretaries Duncan and Sebelius Champion Early Care and Learning
• Jon Stewart Agrees – Early Learning is a Critical Investment
• To President Obama, with Love 
• A Very Special Delivery 
• Child Care: It's Time to Move It Up on Our Country's Priority List