STATE OF INDIANA Michael R. Pence
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR Governm-
State House, Second Floor

Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

 

 

June 2, 2016

The Honorable Secretary Sylvia Burwell
Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20201

Re: Preschool DeveIOpment Grants Program

Dear Secretary Burwell,

As Governor of Indiana, I support access to quality prekindergarten education, and I am committed
to opening the doors of opportunity to the most vulnerable children in our state. As you may know,
in 2014, I signed legislation that created ?On My Way Pro-K?, the first state-funded
prekindergarten pilot program in Indiana history.

The ?On My Way Pre?K? program awards grants to low?income families with 4-year-old children
so that they may attend an approved high?quality preschool program the year before they enter
kindergarten. What makes this program unique is that it targets those who need it the most, fosters
parental engagement, and requires local support and funding. I have always believed that the
strongest foundation for children is built at home. However, we sadly know that this is not always
the case, and some children are in need of additional services to ensure that they remain on track
with their peers as they enter the education system.

I am very proud of the fact that my administration championed not only the program, but funding
for it as well in the amount of $10 million each year. I am also pleased to inform you that the pilot
program is going extremely well, and we are encouraged by the support and interest it has received
at the local level. In fact, 2,300 low-income children have been served in the five pilot project
counties, which are geographically diverse and represent both urban and rural areas across the
state.

By not expanding the pilot program prematurely, I kept a promise I made to key legislative leaders
in order to gain their support for my prekindergarten program. I promised we would not expand
the program until we saw evidence that it was working. Keeping our word will be critical as we
again look to the legislature next year for additional support to help us expand prekindergarten
opportunities for those children in need.

Since the program launched in 2015, many signi?cant milestones have been met, including the
completion of infrastructure design and implementation, successful family and community
outreach efforts, and eligible prekindergarten provider capacity building. Efforts have been highly
collaborative between state agencies, local leadership, prekindergarten programs and families.
This is why we are now considering ways to expand as we prepare for the state?s next budget
session, which will begin in January 2017.

Therefore, we are interested in learning more about the Department of Health and Human Services
intentions for the Preschool Development Grants program authorized under the Every Student
Succeeds Act (ESSA). The Preschool Development Grants program, as updated in the ESSA,
provides states with options to focus on conducting a statewide needs assessment, developing a
strategic prekindergarten plan, maximizing parental choice, sharing best practices and improving
program quality. We are encouraged that the program could be a good fit for Indiana now that
?On My Way Pre?K? has had the opportunity to build the necessary foundation to support future
program expansion.

So that we can plan for the next budget session, I would sincerely appreciate it if you would let us
know when the application will be available for the Preschool Development Grants program. I
look forward to learning more about the grant process, and I am grateful for the opportunity to
expand a program that has produced great results for young Hoosiers, and a program that we are
proud to have built right here in the state of Indiana.

Sincerely,

 

Governor of Indiana