Governor JB Pritzker stopped in Mt. Vernon Thursday as part of a statewide tour to support his proposed ‘Smart Start’ Early Childhood Development Program.
The stop was a Spero Services which has already seen an expansion of its Bright Start program under a pilot program. CEO Joe Bernard says 100 additional families of three to five year old’s are being served.
“It improves our ability to attract and retain a quality workforce, to expand our curriculum, and to improve the lives of the families that we serve. And while we are appreciative of those investments there is still more to do. The need in the community is greater than the resources.”
Governor Pritzker says the Smart Start would provide five thousand new pre-school spots next year, increase pay for child care workers and add funding for early intervention and home visiting efforts as well as building new facilities. The Governor says the effort will have big returns, with the state getting $7 back on every dollar spent.
“We lower the cost of remedial education and K-12 education where we get to these kids earlier. You get better 3rd grade reading scores. All the research shows 3rd grade reading scores are the best indicator of whether a child will graduate from high school.”
Pritzker says the state can afford the additional investment due to the state’s greatly improved financial condition where all bills are now being paid on time.
