U.S. Department of Education Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Early Learning Libby Doggett will speak at the Dallas Foundation’s Early Education Series-KIDS COUNT event at the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas, Texas, on Monday, March 31, 2014. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, Texas KIDS COUNT Director Frances Deviney and Dallas Foundation President Mary Jalonick will join Doggett to discuss the importance of high-quality early learning for all children. Doggett will discuss early learning efforts at the federal level and insight into research that is driving public policy. A question and answer session will follow their remarks.
President Obama is committed to closing the opportunity gap and working with states and local communities to ensure high-quality early learning for every child, so that all children enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school and in life. The 2014 Omnibus Appropriations bill passed by Congress and signed by the president provides funding for states to develop, enhance or expand access to high-quality preschool programs. The president’s 2015 budget request would create a federal-state partnership that would ensure universal access to high-quality preschool for all 4-year-olds from low- and moderate-income families. It also includes support for other early childhood investments as part of a cohesive system of early learning for children, beginning with prenatal care and continuing through third-grade.