Under Gov. Rell Funding For Head Start Declines

August 29, 2006
-17,000 CHILDREN HAVE NO ACCESS TO PRE-K-

RECORDS REVEAL JODI RELL WAS ONE OF ONLY 7 LAWMAKERS TO VOTE AGAINST HEAD START

New Haven: Standing with students, teachers, and school administrators today in Bridgeport, John DeStefano, Democratic nominee for governor, called on Gov. Rell to adequately fund Head Start and give every child the opportunity to succeed in school.

"There are more than 17,000 three and four year-olds without access to pre-k right now," said DeStefano. "Under Gov. Rell funding for Head Start has actually declined since 2002. This is not surprising considering she was one of only 7 legislators to vote against Head Start in 1992. If Gov. Rell has her way, it would take another 36 years to find coverage for all those kids. State Rep. Jodi Rell didn't get it then and Gov. Rell doesn't get it now."

Under Governors Rowland and Rell state funding for Head Start has declined from $4.8 million in 2002 to less than $4.5 million this year - a decline of approximately 7%. At the same time, the number of three and four year-olds in priority school districts who don't have access to a pre-k experience reached more than 18,000 last year. In Gov. Rell's latest budget she proposed adding just 500 spots. At this rate it would take 36 years for all 3 and 4 year-olds to have access to a quality pre-k experience.

Gov. Rell's opposition to Head Start is not new; as a state legislator, Jodi Rell voted against SB 138, a bill that provided funding for Head Start. Rell was one of 7 legislators, out of 140, who voted against the bill in 1992. The Act Concerning Head Start Program Quality and Allocation of Funding and the Duties of the Child Day Care Council passed with strong bipartisan support. Fifty eight Republicans voted for the bill and only 6 did not - Rell being one of them.

One month ago, DeStefano called for universal pre-k for all 3 and 4 year-olds, as part of his 'Every Child Reads by Third Grade' plan. Under DeStefano's leadership in New Haven, the public school's Early Childhood program has grown into the largest provider of quality preschool care in Connecticut.

"As a Bridgeport board of education member, I'm extremely happy to see that a DeStefano administration is going to invest in our children through Head Start programs and other pre-k programs because they've proven to be a smart investment," said Max Medina, member of Bridgeport's Board of Education. "It's the morally right thing and the economically sound thing to do. John's plan marks a significant improvement over Governor Rell's record."

Head Start is a federally funded comprehensive child development program instituted in 1965 to serve low-income families and their children. Students who participate in Head Start experience increased achievement test scores and perform better on cognitive, language, and health measures than peers not involved in Head Start. In Bridgeport, over 850 children are enrolled in Head Start.