Holly Barnes Higgins
Office 202.862.9863
Mobile 202.834.6846
hhiggins@preknow.org

(Washington, DC) – In response to the growing movement to develop and expand voluntary, state-funded pre-kindergarten programs, Pre-K Now today introduced Engaged Families, Effective Pre-K – a new initiative to research best practices for engaging families in pre-k programs and to advance state policies that support those practices. Led by Deborah Roderick Stark, a nationally recognized expert in child and family policy and programs, and supported by the Picower Foundation, Engaged Families, Effective Pre-K will highlight the fundamental role family involvement plays during the early learning years and the need for states to actively promote it.

"Without a doubt, parent engagement in pre-k improves children's successes in school and life," said Ms. Stark, the new project director. "The pre-k years are not just the best time for teaching early learning skills; this is also the best time for educators to actively engage family members, reinforcing the notion that they are their child's first and most important teachers."

An historic number of states are recognizing the return on investment provided by high-quality pre-k and, despite the economic downturn, are increasing pre-k funding in order to build and expand their programs. Meanwhile, a growing body of research demonstrates that when families are involved in early childhood education, their children are better prepared for kindergarten and, ultimately, achieve at higher levels. Experts agree that if states want to see a return on their pre-k investments, the programs must be of high quality, and that requires family engagement.

During the next 18 months, Engaged Families, Effective Pre-K will conduct a listening tour involving families of 3- and 4-year-old children in order to learn more about their needs, opportunities and challenges faced during the early learning years. The initiative will also convene a national panel of experts to review the research on family engagement, identify promising practices and develop action steps that states can take to support meaningful family engagement in state-funded pre-k.

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Pre-K Now collaborates with state advocates and policymakers to lead a movement for high-quality voluntary pre-kindergarten for all three and four year olds. The following funders contribute to making this important work possible: The Pew Charitable Trusts, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the McCormick Foundation, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, the Foundation for Child Development, RGK Foundation, CityBridge Foundation, and the Schumann Fund for New Jersey.

The Pew Charitable Trusts (www.pewtrusts.org) is driven by the power of knowledge to solve today's most challenging problems. Pew applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform the public and stimulate civic life. We partner with a diverse range of donors, public and private organizations and concerned citizens who share our commitment to fact-based solutions and goal-driven investments to improve society.