I live in Lakewood, WA.
I rely on continuing education support as a professional child care provider. I operate a child care and preschool from my home. Being mentored by a child care professional, who has a degree in Early Childhood Education, inspired me to improve myself and the quality of care I could offer. I am currently a student at Bates Technical College taking classes toward an ECE degree. As the sole provider for my own family I could not personally afford to pay for these courses. I rely heavily on the financial resources I have been so graciously receiving through state funds allocated to the Child Care Resource and Referral’s Washington Scholarships program and Bates Foundation scholarships.
These classes have given me priceless knowledge and experience to improve the quality of care and learning for the children in my home. I know the value of learning and development in a young child. I know that the treatment and education offered to children lays the foundation for the rest of their lives. I have been given enhanced knowledge of children with disabilities. With so many children having special needs, I take great responsibility for teaching and raising children to be a valuable part of the community. The more that I learn the more I am able to understand them and help them succeed.
If the funding for streamlining pathways and increasing supports for professional development is cut, it will be detrimental to myself many child care professionals willing and wanting to further their education in efforts to enhance the lives of young children and the lives of our future generations. If supports for professional development are not accessible, children will be deprived of the tools and experiences necessary for successful integration into society.
Please maintain funding availability to child care and early learning professionals. Please continue grants to CCR&R for Washington Scholarships and extend qualifications to four year degrees as well. Please maintain funding to Bates Technical College. I have taken ECE classes through a few different programs and have found my education at Bates to be far superior to its competition.
Every child needs a chance to succeed. Don’t take away our chance to give a child one.

The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children.
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

What a profound statement from a man who has been deceased since 1945, and yet his words are ringing truth of the type of Society our current Government is asking, no more like demanding the Children of today accept as they become our future adults, and moreover our future Government.

By requiring children to have a lack in educational, health, and security needs, our Government is in fact requiring the states residents to reap what they are sowing (pocketing) now. Instead of cutting their own wants now, they'd rather demand that these same children support their needs later, and they wont have the ability to live up to their demands then, for lack of their own "NEEDS" now.

Notice the difference between our Government and the Children? Government has "wants" vs. the Children "needs" - Where is the MORAL Society in this one? It's in the pocket of the Governor who just last year said the Viaduct would be demolished as long as she has anything to say about it, yet she can "pledge" Billions of dollars for a "Toll Tunnel" no one wants (Komo 4 news 01/13/09), but not Pledge the same amount for the "NEEDS" of the Children.

That my dear friends and families is where this states Moral Society thinking is at.

Life at home was too hard for the children. My children are 10, 7 and 4. They had to hear Their father andI argue relentlessly. School was their only escape. When taking Travis to his ECEAP preschool, I found out that I could get together with other parents and talk about the children. This got me to be more involved. I am now a full on volunteer at the Northport School. I love seeing my children and them seeing me here, supporting them at school. Being involved helped me to be a stronger and more confident person. I would not have been able to be where I am now without the assistance of the ECEAP program.

my son recently was diagnosed with ADHD and a learning disorder, making it hard for him to learn and behave correctly in social situations. He now attends special education pre-school so that he may develop the skills needed to enter kindergarten and beyond. without these classes my son would be far behind other children his age his whole life, both mentally and socially. please, i implore you to NOT cut funding for my son and other children like him.
Thank you,
Lynne Jasin

Our community is receiving State sponsored 21st Century after school money. This support is vital to the youth of our community. We live in a very challenging region (remote, lack of services, low tax base due to Federally owned land, high poverty level). We have been fiscally responsible with the money and have established strong, successful programs that are valued by the youth and families. With out this financial assistance we will not be able to fund after school programs and there is no alternative organization within 50 miles that offers this type of service. Some of our programs are relatively sustainable, we continue to work on this important aspect. At the same time, the man hours that are required to constantly develop, improve, train, find additional funding, and evaluate programs requires financial support from grants like our 21st Century grant. Please help us continue to support our youth at this important time.
thank you!
Mary Schilling