Public Comments for: HB419 - Early childhood care and education system; need- and demand-based funding.
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Last Name: Spiro Locality: Hamburg Finkenwerder

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Last Name: Peaslee Locality: Harrisonburg

As a retired early childhood development specialist and child care program director I know the importance of funding for early care and education. Everyone benefits when young children’s development is supported. 90% of the brain develops before age 5. The emotional and physical health, social skills, and cognitive and linguistic capacities that emerge in the early years are all critical for success in school, the workplace, and in the larger community. Thank you for supporting this vital bill.

Last Name: Maria Organization: League of Women Voters Virginia Locality: Burke, VA

On behalf of the League of Women Voters Virginia, I strongly support House Bill 419. This bill strengthens the funding formula and maintains educator incentives - both of which are critical to improving the quality and accessibility of child care in the Commonwealth. Only 57% of demand for child care in Virginia is being met in the current system. That's nearly half of Virginia's children not getting access to the care their families need. This bill would ensure that much-needed funds would be allocated towards child care and, once allocated would never revert back to the general fund.  As a mom of three spending over $35,000 per year on child care, I urge your support for House Bill 419, a pivotal step towards securing a brighter future for Virginia’s children and families.

Last Name: Adamiak Organization: HB419 Locality: Henrico

I am writing in support of HB419. As a parent and early child educator, preschool is vital to students success in kindergarten and beyond. I see a huge divide in my kindergarten class socially, academically, and behaviorally of students who attended good preschool and those who did not.

Last Name: Meriwether Organization: HB419 Locality: Newport News

I am respectfully asking for help with this very important bill I'm working two jobs and still trying to stay afloat with barely even being able to spend quality time with my kids. Thank you Darline Meriwether

Last Name: Parks Organization: United Campus Workers of Virginia Locality: Albemarle

Vote YES on HB 419 to provide a stable source of public funding to early childhood education. The early childhood education system is not working for Virginia's families. Many families struggle to find safe, affordable, high-quality childcare or spend a significant proportion of their paychecks on childcare. Finding a the solution to this problem will require significant, sustained public funding, which this bill will provide. Relying on the whims of the legislature or the governor each year for funding creates instability and insecurity, further troubling an already troubled marketplace. This bill is a necessary investment in early childhood education. For Virginia's economy to work, a stable childcare system is vital, and this bill takes us a step closer to that stability.

Last Name: Logan Organization: United Campus Workers of Virginia Locality: Richmond

Please support HB 419; it's clear that our nation and the commonwealth are in the midst of a childcare crisis, and we need to take meaningful, sustained action to address it. HB419's greatest strength is its commitment to sustainability; we cannot depend on a given budget or administration to determine whether early childhood is worth funding. This is a common sense piece of legislation that could have a practical, huge impact on the way we plan for childcare and early childhood development.

Last Name: Umstead Organization: FirstSpark Locality: Newport News

I support this companion bill to SB54 as the state seeks to place early childhood education on the full education continuum. This means funding this part of the system and strategies in this bill will build that in. It is also critical to recognize and incentivize teachers in high quality early learning settings who are the everyday heroes. They are helping working parents by providing full-day, full-year child care and usually don’t receive a living wage themselves. Let’s keep the momentum going to invest in early education for VA’s future - our children!

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