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Janet Lane
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Andrew McDonald
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Pre-K Now To Join Pew Center on the States

Pew steps up efforts to show proved benefits of early investment in children

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A leading pre-kindergarten advocacy group, Pre-K Now, is joining the Pew Center on the States as part of Pew’s renewed campaign to show the proven benefits of early investment in children. The move is effective immediately.

A division of The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Pew Center on the States is increasing its efforts to help states make smart policy choices and invest public dollars that will deliver returns for children, communities and the country. Libby Doggett, the executive director of Pre-K Now since 2005, will become a deputy director of the Pew Center on the States. Danielle Gonzales will oversee Pre-K Now.

“I am thrilled to be working with an organization so committed to advancing evidence-based policy,” said Doggett.  “Now more than ever, our nation needs to direct its precious resources to initiatives that work.  At Pew, we know that helping young children thrive creates huge dividends for our economy.”

“States need to invest taxpayer dollars wisely – where they will have the greatest impact,” said Susan K. Urahn, managing director of the Pew Center on the States. “Pre-K Now’s success in establishing the economic benefits of quality pre-kindergarten will be an enormous asset to the Pew Center on the States in our efforts to ensure that policymakers make sound fiscal choices in these tough economic times.”

Since 2001, Pew has committed more than $83 million to advance a state-led movement for high-quality pre-kindergarten for all 3- and 4-year-olds. Much of this work has been led by Pre-K Now, which was launched in 2002 with Pew funding as part of a broader early education initiative. Over the last six years, both organizations have leveraged research and partnerships with business leaders, children’s advocates and policymakers to make early education a critical fiscal and policy priority at both the state and national level. As a result, an additional 400,000 children have an opportunity to attend state pre-k programs this year, an increase of 63 percent since the initiative began.

The Pew Center on the States houses multiple initiatives promoting investments in young children and their families that provide a proven return on investment. In addition to Pre-K Now, they include:

• the Partnership for America’s Economic Success, a project created by a unique alliance of business leaders, economists, advocates, and a dozen funders to document the economic impacts to the nation of investing in children from before birth to age 5;
• a children’s dental health initiative that works to increase access to dental care for low-income children;
• a campaign to increase access to home-visiting programs for disadvantaged families.

To learn more about Pre-K Now, visit www.preknow.org

To learn more about the Pew Center on the States, visit www.pewcenteronthestates.org

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The Pew Charitable Trusts applies the power of knowledge to solve today’s most challenging problems. Our Center on the States identifies and advances effective policy approaches to critical issues facing states.  Online at www.pewcenteronthestates.org