Pocono News Section

Early Childhood Care Reaching Breaking Point

Early Childhood Care Reaching Breaking Point - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 4:45PM EST

Reported by: Mike Trim
Tuesday, Sep 15, 2009 @ 04:45pm EDT
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY -- Early childhood education is at its breaking point in Luzerne County. That's what came out of this emergency meeting held by the United Way of the Wyoming Valley. Without a state budget, childhood education providers say it's hard to map out what's next.

Joann Rush of Plains knows the importance of pre-kindergarten education. Her 5-year-old son graduated from a program last year. Rush said, "I just feel bad for the children who are not getting that extra edge to go to school. Like I said, brain development all starts before kindergarten so why not have these programs?"

Rush realizes a stalled state budget might shut children like her son out of pre-k education. Places like Luzerne County Head Start use state money to offer free early childhood care.

Head Start usually gets its state money in July. The program is now three months into the new fiscal year without that money, which is leading to big cuts.

Luzerne County Head Start has closed two classrooms. 13 staff members have been laid off and Head Start has even had to open a line of credit to make up for the lack of state funding.

Head Start teachers, day care owners and parents are speaking out. They addressed their problems at this United Way emergency meeting at Head Start in Wilkes-Barre.

Many were hopeful new framework for a budget can be quickly approved. Barbara Straub of the United Way of Wyoming Valley said, "It appears that this budget is one that we can support. It is a shame however that this journey has been such a struggle for all of us in this room today."

But without a finalized budget, the early childhood community says it's hard to predict the future. Two pre-k programs have been shut down already due to the lack of a state budget.

Some programs at Wyoming Valley West and Pittston Area schools weren't able to operate this school year with state money.