Published in the Express-Times, by Precious Petty

October 7, 2014

Gov. Tom Corbett on Tuesday announced more than $9.8 million in grants for early childhood education providers statewide, including two that serve Lehigh and Northampton counties.

Community Services for Children Inc. and Lehigh Valley Children's Centers Inc. will receive $314,400 and $503,040, respectively, according to state officials. They are among 32 early childhood education providers in 27 counties awarded grants through the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts program, officials said.

Representatives from Community Services for Children and Lehigh Valley Children's Centers did not immediately return calls for comment late Tuesday afternoon.

"High-quality early learning programs like Pre-K Counts are proven to ensure at-risk children are ready to learn when they enter the K-12 education system," Corbett said in prepared remarks. "This funding will provide the opportunity for more Pennsylvania families to enroll their child in a pre-kindergarten program."

Pre-K Counts provides half-day and full-day pre-kindergarten services to children who are 3 to 5 years old, come from low-income families and may be English-language learners and have disabilities or developmental delays.

"Families who enroll their child in Pre-K Counts can expect a high-quality learning experience," Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq said in prepared remarks. "This investment will ensure that our children have access to well-qualified educators and quality educational programs that will ensure their future success."

In the announcement, officials note that Corbett's latest budget boosted state funding for Pre-K Counts by $10 million, or 12 percent over last year's figure, to $97.3 million. Since taking office, officials said, the Republican governor has increased Pennsylvania's investment in early childhood education programs from $302 million to $374 million, or 24 percent.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf has been hammering Corbett's record on education. During last week's campaign stop in Allentown, he alleged the governor's cut $1 billion in education funding.

A Corbett campaign spokesman refuted that claim, saying the governor had steadily increased education spending, restoring cuts made by the previous administration that had been offset by one-time stimulus money.

Also Tuesday, the governor visited Bethlehem to announce a grant that will assist in the development and expansion of Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts.

(Precious Petty, "Gov. Tom Corbett announces $817K in grants for Lehigh Valley's Pre-K Counts programs," The Express-Times, 10/7/14)