Retired Generals and Admirals From Virginia Demand Protection For Arlington Children In Child Care

New Report Examining Pre-K Availability, Quality and Outcomes in Virginia, Maryland & DC Released on Day of Critical Budget Session

**Media Availability for April 2, 2013**

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was issued today by MISSION: READINESS:

WHAT:        Media availability – telephone and in-studio interviews

WHEN:        Tuesday, April 2, 8 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. – 6 p.m.

WHO:          Lieutenant General Norman R. Seip, US Air Force (Retired) 

Background: Retired generals and admirals from Virginia are calling on Arlington County to reject a proposal to eliminate quality and safety standards in early care and education settings.  

If the proposal passes, the county will no longer conduct sex offender, criminal or health background checks for providers who care for up to six children on a daily basis – and will end safety inspections and child development training for the providers as well. For more details, see today's Washington Post story by Brigid Schulte at http://www.missionreadiness.org/2013/arlington/.

On April 2 at 6:30 pm, the Arlington County Board will consider the childcare proposal during its Budget Work Session for the Department of Human Services. General Seip is available for media interviews prior to the meeting.

Representing Mission: Readiness, the retired generals and admirals have also released a new report showing that that children in various jurisdictions around the DC Metro area fare differently when it comes to receiving high quality early education. The report offers a breakdown of opportunities in Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Montgomery and Prince Georges and in the District of Columbia.

They also urge state and local policymakers to close the funding gap that has left almost 900 children in Fairfax County on waiting lists for high-quality pre-K programs, along with 7,000 children statewide.

Key Points:

• The report shows that quality early education can address the education and crime problems that contribute to military service being out of reach for 75% of all young adults age 17-24.
• The report highlights how – as a result of a funding gap, Fairfax has such a long waiting list for its pre-K slots for at-risk kids – and reports that the county returns funds to the state instead of using them, thereby ending up with the long waiting list.

NOTE: EMBARGOED COPY OF REPORT AVAILABLE ON REQUEST.

SOURCE MISSION: READINESS

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED