"Skill begets skill and learning begets more learning. Early advantages cumulate; so do early disadvantages."

"To sustain America's economic strength, community leaders, business leaders, policymakers, and parents must make providing access to high-quality early childhood education a top priority across the country. We can't expect our children to make strides when we're taking baby steps."

"Although education and the acquisition of skills is a lifelong process, starting early in life is crucial. Recent research - some sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis in collaboration with the University of Minnesota - has documented the high returns that early childhood programs can pay in terms of subsequent educational attainment and in lower rates of social problems, such as teenage pregnancy and welfare dependency. The most successful early childhood programs appear to be those that cultivate both cognitive and noncognitive skills and that engage families in stimulating learning at home."

"Early childhood development is economic development, and it's economic development with a very high return."

"Education - particularly early childhood education - is one of the most important investments a country can make."

"Our pre-kindergarten programs have shown a better work force and have attracted more businesses into the state."

"Early childhood is the time to focus resources - where they will have the most impact.  If we are to have the minority students we want to fill our medical school and nursing classes it has to start with making sure these kids have great opportunities during their earliest years.  We don't think of this as the Governor's PreK proposal - we think of it as the start of the pipeline that ultimately leads to medical school... it's a pre-med program."

"Most people would not automatically link early childhood education with economic development. We now know the link because it is supported by studies and data."

"When we invest more funds into the early education of the community's people, we see a higher percentage of educated persons who ultimately earn a higher wage, giving that community a higher percentage of income.... The earlier we begin educating our children, the greater chance they have of succeeding in school and college and of making a greater impact on our community."

"Too many children enter kindergarten unprepared. We cannot let our children fall behind at an early age. Early childhood education paves the way to a lifetime of learning."