Media Contact: Allie Wright, [email protected], (202) 794-1823

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 24, 2016) — Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) President Mark Shriver today commended the New Hampshire state Senate for the passage of Senate Bill 503, which would help provide more New Hampshire kids with access to high-quality early learning programs.

“I would like to thank members of the New Hampshire state Senate for passing this key legislation. All children are born ready to learn, yet far too many of New Hampshire’s children currently do not have access to the early learning opportunities needed to prepare them to succeed in school and life,” said Shriver. “This bill is crucial in helping pay for critical early learning programs, like pre-K – something every child deserves.”

Senate Bill 503, sponsored by state Sen. David Watters, would expand pre-school to 4-year-olds in the state by creating a “Pay for Success” partnership with private investors. This partnership would allow private investors to make the initial investment to expand access to proven pre-K programs.

A pre-school pilot program funded through Pay for Success would not be mandatory for all kids, but would provide access to critical early learning programs to kids who need it most.

In a Pay for Success program, if the outcomes for a program aren’t met, the investors are out those dollars, and taxpayers don’t lose a cent. And programs funded through this legislation would save taxpayer dollars by preventing the need for costly remedial education.

These financing tools are a solid foundation of viable options to drive new resources to increase the quantity and quality of early childhood education.

The legislation will now be sent to the state House of Representatives for consideration.

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Save the Children Action Network is the political voice for kids. We believe that every child deserves the best start in life. That’s why we’re building bipartisan will and voter support to make sure every child in the U.S. has access to high-quality early learning and that no mother or child around the globe dies from a preventable disease or illness. By investing in kids and holding leaders accountable, we are helping kids from birth to age five survive and thrive.