“This is a tremendous, bipartisan win for Idaho’s kids. Now, more children, regardless of their zip code or socio-economic status, can have the best possible start to their education.”

Washington, D.C. (March 28, 2022) – Save the Children Action Network applauds the Idaho State Legislature for prioritizing early literacy funding and providing school districts with the flexibility to use these resources to provide full-day kindergarten and other literacy supports and interventions. Until now, Idaho only provided funding for half-day kindergarten, making full-day kindergarten inaccessible for many kids and families throughout the state. Children who attend full-day kindergarten show significantly better academic gains over the course of the kindergarten year than their peers in half-day kindergarten.

“This is a tremendous, bipartisan win for Idaho’s kids. Now, more children, regardless of their zip code or socio-economic status, can have the best possible start to their education,” said Ryan Murphy, Western Senior Director of Save the Children Action Network. “We commend Governor Little for his steadfast support of early education and literacy, and applaud the legislature for following his recommendation to prioritize early learning in the state budget. Idaho’s future will shine all the brighter for it.”

Over the course of the legislative session, Save the Children Action Network worked closely with the Ready Idaho Coalition to advocate for this funding, sending letters to the editors and constituent emails to lawmakers.

“We were proud to support our incredible partners in Idaho, and look forward to continuing to work together to ensure children get the best start in life,” continued Murphy.