ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues

This "unintended consequence" is occurring in other states, as well, as they expand availability and accessibility of publicly funded EC programs. This is a positive development if they replace poor quality EC programs (family or center-based) and increase the availability of high quality ECE that meets families’ needs, especially poor families. But, if the states are displacing good programs and failing to increase the number of publicly funded high quality EC programs, they are probably damaging our already inadequate EC system. Could these negative consequences be avoided with community involvement and planning?

I see similar repercussions in NYC where, after the exciting Pre-K initiative by Mayor de Blasio, many high quality private, not for profit EC centers have encountered drastic enrollment deductions and hence terrible budgetary problems.

Like Fertile, MN, my center is located in a very small community of lower income families. As Transitional Kindergarten is scooping up our 4 year-olds, a couple of our Family Day Care homes have closed. At my center, we're in a holding pattern financially but it's a matter of time until our program is impacted. There have been some 4 year-olds in my preschool who should have had one more year to develop emotionally and cognitively but the parents needed to save tuition by sending them to TK. These children weren't successful in TK and had to repeat before Kindergarten, a miserable year for the kids & parents alike. I employ 7 staff members in a low income community, and will probably have to cut staff as a result of lower enrollment due to TK. I wish the politicians would realize that small independent childcare/preschool centers like mine support the job market and are able to fill the needs of individual children in a more nurturing environment.

RE: teri torchia's comment: I agree that better training is needed overall in ECE, but elementary teaching is a different world than ECE teaching. In CA, Transitional Kindergarten was mandated in the CA public schools. Instead of seeing 4-year-olds as needing a distinct environment and approach, they were blended into Kindergarten Classes (sometime 2-3 TKs among 20 Ks; sometimes vice versa). It has been a disaster. Four-year-olds are not ready to learn via worksheets and drill (neither are Ks, but pushing down the curriculum to younger ages is now the norm). As a result, parents are reporting that their TK children now see themselves as "dumb" and their kids have lost any interest in school (at age 4!).

Also, when the implementation of TK was being debated in the CA state legislature, the resulting closure of private centers was pointed out. The lawmakers responded that those left unemployed by the shift in enrollment would find jobs as Teaching Assistants in public school classrooms. (That didn't happen.)

I am a local Family Daycare Provider. I have been in business for over 25 years. When I started there were over 50 people like myself, now because of the area schools starting simular programs fir 3 &4 year olds, there is less than 10 in home daycare and some of the smaller daycare centers also had to close...Not all children will thrive in the larger programs...SAD....