PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Gov. Tom Wolf said Pennsylvania's $30 million funding increase for early education in this year's budget highlights the importance of the programs.
The budget includes a $25 million increase for Pre-K Counts and a $5 million increase for Head Start. The new funding will allow an additional 3,270 children to enroll in these state programs.
"It's not only the right thing to do," he said, "it's also the smart thing to do. It makes us all better."
Wolf said support for early education is coming from all sides of the political spectrum, including organized labor and chambers of commerce. Not only does it improve education outcomes, quality day care and early education, but he said it also frees up parents to work.
"Child care really matters, and we've got to make sure we can allow working parents to assure themselves they have quality child care and early childhood education from the earliest possible point in time," he said.
This funding increase is an important step, but Wolf still believes universal pre-K and toddler education need to be prioritized, and funding is key to that prioritization.
"If we get children started off on the right path early on in life when brain development is really important, we're gonna make the rest of their life a success," he added.
