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"If you want to know the taste of a pear, you must change the pear by eating it yourself." - Mao Tse Tung

Pre-K/Child Care Collaboration Lauded

In a recently released report on Pre-K programs in Georgia, New Jersey, New York and Oklahoma, the United States Government Accounting Office (GAO) found that in implementing state funded Pre-K programs for 3 and 4 year olds, collaborations between state and local officials and community-based providers were beneficial.  A number of advantages were cited...

*  Officials in all four states reported that such collaborations allowed the states to serve more children.

*  In New York, New Jersey and Georgia officials pointed out that by making extensive use of community providers their programs were able to expand quickly.  In Oklahoma, where school districts have been experiencing declining enrollments, collaborations with community-based programs were less prevalent.

*  In general, officials in all states reported that "collaborations allowed them to take advantage of the existing early care and education infrastructure, such as buildings, equipment, and assistant teachers, to increase program capacity and reduce program costs.

Child care providers in these states also reported favorable experiences with collaborations.  According to the GAO report, ". . . providers mentioned increased enrollment, improved quality of programs, and increased access to school district resources as benefits of their partnerships."

To purchase a recent Exchange trend report, "Update on Child Care in the Public Schools." go to:
http://mail.ccie.com/go/eed/0418

To access a copy of the complete September 2004 GAO report, go to:
www.gao.gov/new.items/d04852.pdf

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