in ITS CommITMENT TO EARLY CHILHOOD DEVELOPMENT

Early Childhood Investments Key to School Success,

According to Save the Children’s Annual Report

to be released on May 5th

WHAT:           Two thirds of America’s fourth graders are reading below grade level, and more than 200 million children under 5 worldwide are not reaching their full learning potential, according to Save the Children’s State of the World’s Mothers 2009 report, which says the current global education crisis requires smarter, earlier investments in child care and literacy.

                        “Comprehensive early childhood development programs, starting in infancy, can put millions of children in the United States and worldwide on the path to school success,” said Charles MacCormack, president and CEO of Save the Children.

                        The report compares the United States to 24 other developed nations on how they meet 10 benchmarks of early childhood development. Sweden meets all 10, while the United States ranks near the bottom, meeting only three.  The report also looks at 100 developing countries and notes that Cuba and Armenia lead the developing world in prepping children for success in school.

HOW:             Save the Children recommends the following to help ensure children succeed in school:

·        Invest in better health care for mothers and young children

·        Provide coaching and information to help parents give children the best chance to succeed

·        Improve training and support for early child care providers and preschool teachers

·        Expand early learning for children affected by AIDS, conflict and natural disasters

·        Increase government support for early childhood development programs in U.S. and world

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Save the Children is the leading independent organization that creates lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. Save the Children USA is a member of the International Save the Children Alliance, a global network of 27 independent Save the Children organizations working to ensure the well-being and protection of children in more than 120 countries.

Chloe O'Gara, Associate Vice President, Office of Education, is an international education professional with expertise in basic and early childhood education, AIDS, gender and nutrition. She has worked in more than 50 countries in Africa, Central and Latin America, and South Asia. Prior to joining Save the Children, she was Vice President and Director of the Ready to Learn Center at the Academy for Educational Development, based in Washington, DC. Other Languages:  Spanish.

Pablo Stansbery, Ed.D, Senior Director, Early Childhood Development, guides the agency’s early childhood development programs in more than 40 countries around the world. Prior to joining Save the Children, Pablo provided technical assistance to First 5 California, an agency dedicated to improving the lives of California’s children and their families.  He received his Doctorate in Education from Harvard University.  Other Languages:  Spanish.