President Obama to Give $1 Billion to Preschools
President Barack Obama promoted a new $1 billion package of combined public and private funding for U.S. preschool programs during a White House summit.
His domestic initiative is partially funded by The Walt Disney Co., who contributed $55 million in "Disney Imagicademy" apps and books to help expand pre-kindergarten reading programs, according to the company.
This funding effort is part of the Obama administration's new campaign, "Invest in U.S.," which partners private investments in various programs. Celebrities like Jennifer Garner, Shakira and John Legend will all lend their voices to the promotional campaign, according to officials.
"What we're demonstrating here is how important this is, that we're making progress and doing it in a bipartisan way," Obama domestic policy adviser Cecilia Munoz said.
Government grant programs will fund three quarters of the proposals. Four dozen other private sector companies have pledged donations totaling more than $300 million combined. According to the White House, these brand names include toymaker LEGO and PVH Corp., which owns Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger clothing companies.
The U.S. Education Department said the new federal grants will allow around 63,000 additional children in this country to receive early childhood education programming as soon as next year. Currently, only 3 of every 10 American 4-year-olds has access to state-funded preschool programs, the agency reported.
"We're seeing just tremendous interest from Republican and Democratic governors across the nation to expanding the grant programs," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said. "What still haunts me is the unmet need in state after state after state...There are so many 3- and 4-year-olds that still don't have access and we know the consequences long-term when we fail to prepare them for kindergarten."
This summit is part of a frenzy of domestic-issue addresses launched by the presidency following Democrats' losses in the most recent midterm elections. Since Election Day, Obama has stepped in to take executive action on immigration, unveiled new rules on ozone pollution and hosted other summits on Native Americans and foster children's issues.
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