Boone County committee meets to discuss early childhood education

An advisory committee to the Boone County Coordinating Board for Early Childhood Education met Thursday to brainstorm on what’s needed to create an improved early childhood education system.

Early childhood education, which can begin as early as the prenatal stages, continues until a child enters kindergarten.

The first of three committee meetings took place Thursday morning at the Administration Building of Columbia Public Schools, 1818 W. Worley.

The committee, which has about 30 members, began by determining what an inclusive system of early education would look like. Members discussed the needs of parents, care providers and children.

The committee suggested accessible transportation, various types of programs from which parents could choose, parent education and open, ongoing communication.

The group also said an ideal system would provide children with consistent caregivers and a high-quality curriculum.

“A significant fraction of kids arrive at kindergarten lacking the skills to succeed,” board chairman Philip Peters Jr. said. “There is a remarkable return on investment in early childhood education.”

Peters said he hopes this encourages the school district, the state and other potential funding sources to invest in early childhood education.

The next two meetings of the committee, scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on March 21 and April 18 at the administration building, will be used to prioritize the recommendations made to the coordinating board and to integrate existing programs into the plan. Peters said the committee will also discuss the “pros and cons” of universal pre-kindergarten.