U.S. Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter will deliver keynote remarks at the Judith P. Hoyer Annual Awards Celebration at Martin's Crosswinds on Tuesday in Greenbelt, Md. Kanter will join Rep. Steny Hoyer, state and local education officials and principals from Judy Center schools to honor Judy Centers for their work in providing high quality early learning.
High-quality early learning programs like the Judith P. Hoyer Early Child Care and Family Education Centers —named for Hoyer's late wife, Judy Hoyer, an early childhood educator— are crucial in providing young children with the skills and services necessary to enter school ready to learn. The Judy Centers are designed to provide a comprehensive set of services for at-risk children birth through age five and their families. Judy Centers are located in or affiliated with elementary schools in Maryland and provide full-day, full-year services, which are designed to foster a child's readiness for school.
The President, in an effort to help all children begin school on a level playing field, put forward in his 2014 budget request an historic new investment in early learning that would make preschool available to all 4-year-olds from low- to moderate-income families; expand evidence-based home-visiting services for vulnerable families and children; and support quality improvements through a new Early Head Start-Child Care partnership.