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"A 2010 study by the Mayor's Commission for Children showed one out of every five local children is "not prepared" for kindergarten. That number is even higher among children in families that straddle the poverty line. Children without quality early childhood experiences lack the social, emotional and basic academic skills necessary to function in a classroom setting so they can participate, follow simple instructions and learn alongside their peers."

"We know that our K-12 public school system gets its best results when children arrive ready to learn. That requires protecting and enhancing quality early learning programs, like Working Connections Child Care and the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, which provide education, health, nutrition and other services to low-income children."

"While the number of children living in the U.S. has grown, the ratio of children to adults has decreased and the number of children living in poverty has increased significantly. The racial and ethnic composition of the nation's children continues to change. In Sauk Rapids-Rice, as many as 42 percent of our students qualify for free and/or reduced lunch and/or are living in poverty. As a result of successful partnerships with parents and community members and our wise utilization of resources for our children, we have been able to demonstrate our commitment to the success of all students and families despite increasing needs."

"For low-income families, though, the challenges of summer child care are harder to surmount, even if children can be enrolled in day camps that accept payment on a sliding scale based on income. Families with children under 15 who live below the poverty line spend a whopping 30 percent of their monthly income on child care, the census survey showed."

"For years, the Legislature has made it clear to public universities that enrolling and graduating more California students - especially low-income students of color - is a priority for the state. But it has never attached those values to actual funding."

"Now remember that Muscogee Elementary, with 100 percent of its students on the free or reduced lunch program, has the most paddlings among elementary schools, and Baker Middle, at 91 percent, has the most among middle schools. The other schools that used corporal punishment most frequently were Eddy Middle (87 percent impoverished students) with 101 paddlings, Davis Elementary (94 percent) with 32 paddlings and Marshall Middle (90 percent) with 32 paddlings. In fact, every elementary and middle school that conducted one or more paddlings had at least 65 percent of its students classified as living in poverty."

"Next year, New Jersey will spend almost $650 million for preschool in the state's most disadvantaged districts, according to Gov. Chris Christie's proposed 2013-14 budget. About $570 million of those funds will go to the 31 urban districts, including Pleasantville, Vineland, Millville and Bridgeton, which offer full-day programs for all 3- and 4-year-olds as part of the state Surpeme Court's Abbott vs. Burke decision."

"Last year - in what was widely viewed as a bad year for early childhood education - the Missouri Legislature trimmed $14 million in funding for child care and preschool programs, mostly in last-minute deals to balance the budget. Blaylock said the cuts placed his preschool, CoCo's Kidz of St. Louis, in a lurch. The licensed center lost all of its 17 subsidized slots for infants and toddlers in low-income families."

"A handful of arts and cultural programs across the Valley are getting a boost. The Fresno Regional Foundation is granting $120,000 to nine organizations that enrich the Valley by providing high-quality and culturally relevant programs to the community [...] Youth Orchestras of Fresno has been awarded the largest grant of $50,000 to expand its after-school violin program in west Fresno. The program has shown promise in directly linking participation with improved literacy for low-income children."

"She also said that the Saver's Tax Credit, aimed at boosting the incentive for low-income people to put aside money for retirement, should be simplified and made refundable, meaning taxpayers would receive the value of the credit even if it results in a net refund from the government. The credit is underused now, not only because low-income people have little money to save but also because it provides little incentive to low-income people who already pay little in taxes."

"Senior Concerns in Thousand Oaks, a nonprofit that provides an adult day program for seniors with dementia and other special needs, recently was awarded a $150,000 grant from the Weingart Foundation. 'One area of particular interest to the Weingart Foundation is older adults,' said Andrea Gallagher, president of Senior Concerns, which has received grant funding from the foundation in the past. 'We are very delighted with this tremendous new grant.'...The money will help to maintain and sustain the nonprofit's core services, particularly those for low-income seniors, she said. It also will allow Senior Concerns to add programs for growth in coming years, she said."

"Local educators are pushing to expand and enrich preschools for low-income children this year after budget cuts have left Ventura County serving only half of eligible kids. A group of 100 parents, teachers and county officials met Thursday afternoon at an El Rio preschool to discuss the problem and what's being done to help."