If you are a supporter of early childhood education, then two recent budget proposals show reason for optimism in Washington, D.C., and a great cause for concern in Sacramento. President Barack Obama has released his budget proposal for the upcoming year, and it includes exciting news for children and families.  The President proposed significant investments in early childhood programs, including a $989 million increase for Head Start and Early Head Start to maintain American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding levels.

His proposal also included a $1.6 billion increase in the Child Care and Development Block Grant and support for pending legislation that would provide $8.9 billion over 10 years for the Early Learning Challenge Fund. For some ideas of what you can do to support this funding for early education, please Preschool California.

At the same time that the President is showing unprecedented support for early education, in California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger offered a state budget plan that would cripple local programs, including LAUP, which receives funding from First 5 LA and First 5 California.

The proposal calls for $1.5 billion in cuts over five years, including a 50 percent reduction in state and local First 5 funding for that time period. To learn more about what you can do to fight back against these proposed cuts to early education, health care, and other safety net services, please visit the First 5 Association.