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Early Learning Campaign

POWER-PAC launched the Early Learning Campaign in 2007, to address barriers and build access to quality pre-school opportunities for low-income families.

Based on more than 5,000 interviews in 19 Chicago neighborhoods, in May, 2009, POWER-PAC released Why Isn't Johnny in Preschool? The acclaimed report sheds light on why almost half of eligible children in low-income neighborhoods are not enrolled in any quality early education program.  And POWER-PAC is winning important victories to implement the public policy and program recommendations contained in the report.

  • A POWER-PAC grandmother was appointed to sit on the Governor's Council for Early Learning, bringing a strong voice for families to the table.
  • POWER-PAC won a commitment from the Chicago Public Schools to pilot test "Walking Preschool Buses" - for preschoolers whose parent or grandparent has a difficult time getting them to or from preschool.
  • POWER-PAC convinced the City of Chicago to pilot a key recommendation for  parent-to-parent outreach. Over the summer and fall, POWER-PAC leaders worked as Head Start Ambassadors and helped exceed local Head Start recruitment goals.

Early Learning effort grew organically from parents' successful work on the Elementary Justice Campaign. Despite success in eliminating punitive, zero-tolerance policies in the Chicago Public School discipline code, too many children still face academic failure and discipline issues. POWER-PAC leaders believe that the large numbers of children not attending preschool contributes to achievement and behavior problems for many in elementary school.

Research supports the parents' campaign. Longitudinal studies show children who participate in high quality early learning programs are less likely to need special education, to be involved in juvenile crime, or to drop out of school, and are more likely to participate in post-secondary learning and have higher earnings. Access to high quality early childhood education is proven to be part of the path out of poverty and critical to avoiding the "Cradle-to-Prison" pipeline that catches too many of our city's African-American and Latino young people.

 

 

Parent leaders won a victory in their Early Learning Campaign when they convinced the City of Chicago to pilot a parent-to-parent outreach effort – the Head Start Ambassadors Project – as a way to increase participation of low-income children of color in quality early learning programs.  We created the Head Start Ambassadors Project that employs POWER-PAC leaders reaching out family-to-family in neighborhoods across Chicago, including Altgeld, Austin, Cabrini, Englewood, Humboldt Park and Lawndale. 

POWER-PAC Ambassadors spoke with more than 3000 families and provided them with information and encouragement to get their preschoolers enrolled.  The results are terrific: Head Start in Chicago is at full enrollment, and the grassroots parent-to-parent model is being incorporated into more traditional outreach by social service agency professionals across the city.