Governor Abercrombie signs Senate Bill 1093 in ceremony today

Honolulu, Hawai‘i -- The Good Beginnings Alliance today applauded Gov. Neil Abercrombie for signing the School Readiness legislation into law.

“School Readiness is an important first step toward assuring that families with children in Hawai‘i have access to preschool,” said Deborah Zysman, Good Beginnings Alliance Executive Director. “We are elated that the foundation for a state-funded preschool system is now in place.”

The Good Beginnings Alliance thanked the state Legislature for passing Senate Bill 1093 and credited preschool providers, parents, children’s organizations, businesses and other community partners for stepping up to the plate to advocate at the Legislature on behalf of the state’s preschoolers and their families.

Through the Be My Voice! Hawai‘i campaign, Good Beginnings Alliance launched television, radio and public service announcements to draw public attention to the issue. The non-profit also rallied key stakeholders as part of community engagement efforts that focused on advocacy trainings, community gatherings and legislative updates.

“Getting the community behind the early learning push was key in showing that constituents firmly backed the effort,” Zysman said. “We plan to advocate for additional funding to cover more children and to support the effort to pass a Constitutional Amendment in the 2014 General Election that is needed to set up a high-quality state-funded early learning system.”

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Good Beginnings Alliance is Hawai‘i’s leading independent voice advocating for the rights of the whole child: safety, health, and education. The grassroots, public will-building campaign, Be My Voice! Hawai‘i, is committed to ensuring every child has access to quality preschool so they can succeed in school and in life. www.bemyvoicehawaii.org

NOTE: Media Contact Crystal Kua by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (808) 531-5502.