PREPARED AND READY TO TAKE ON
WHAT IT TOOK IN ORDER TO BE
SUCCESSFUL.
>> THIS VIRTUAL TOUR IS BEING
LED BY MARK SHRIVER WHO ALONG
WITH ACTOR JENNIFER GARNER ARE
BOTH LONG TIME CHILD ADVOCATES.
THEY JOIN ME NOW.
WELCOME, BOTH.
JENNIFER, WHY IS THIS ISSUE OF
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SO
IMPORTANT TO YOU AND WHY IS IT
EVEN MORE CRITICAL DURING THIS
PANDEMIC?
>> IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO ME
BECAUSE I BELIEVE SO MUCH IN
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AS THE
FIRST STEP TO HELPING PEOPLE WHO
HAVE LESS IN THIS WORLD LADDER
UP INTO A SUCCESSFUL EDUCATION,
AND THEN INTO -- JUST UPWARD
MOBILITY, THAT OUR COUNTRY IS
SUPPOSED TO OFFER, THE AMERICAN
DREAM.
BUT IF YOU START AT
KINDERGARTEN, YOU’RE TOO LATE.
>> AND MARK, YOU’RE HOLDING
THESE CONVERSATIONS IN SWING
STATES.
SO CLEARLY YOU’RE LOOKING AT IT
FROM A POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE,
THAT’S OKAY, THAT’S WHERE WE ARE
RIGHT NOW.
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING IN THESE
STATES?
>> I THINK WE JUST HEARD ABOUT
THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ISSUE,
NOT ONLY FOR BLACK AND BROWN
KIDS, BUT KIDS ALL ACROSS THE A
COUNTRY.
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
PERIOD, 90% OF BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
HAPPENS IN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
OF LIFE.
AS A COUNTRY WE DON’T INVEST IN
THOSE YEARS.
THE BIDEN/HARRIS PLAN DOES
INVEST.
IN HOME VISITING, EARLY HEAD
START, HEAD START, THEY TRY TO RAISE THE CAPABILITIES AND THE
RAISE THE CAPABILITIES AND THE
PAY FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD
TEACHERS.
WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT TODAY.
WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT IN CO-VID
RELIEF.
AND WE NEED TO GET A SYSTEM AND
A HIGH QUALITY SYSTEM ACROSS
THIS COUNTRY.
>> PEOPLE COULD GO BACK TO WORK
IF THERE’S --
>> JENNIFER, THAT’S ALL THE
TALKS GOING NOWHERE, FIXING THAT
PROBLEM ON THE CO-VID RELIEF,
BUT WHAT WERE YOU SAYING?
I’M SORRY.
>> I WAS JUST SAYING THAT
MOMS -- NOBODY CAN GO BACK TO
WORK IF THEIR KIDS AREN’T SAFE
AND IN A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
AND WE’VE GOT TO GET BACK TO
WORK.
WE HAVE TO GET MOMS BACK TO
WORK, BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT,
WE HAVE TO STABILIZE THE CHILD
CARE INDUSTRY AND WE SHOULD GET
RID OF THE TERM CHILD CARE.
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS.
DANE DENT WHO WE JUST HEARD FROM
SAID HE’S NOT A CHALD CARE
PROVIDER.
SHE’S A BRAIN ARCHITECT.
I LOVE THAT.
>> ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THE DATA
THAT WE’VE BEEN SHARING ABOUT
HOW IMPORTANT THOSE FIRST FIVE
YEARS ARE.
IT WAS JUST ANNOUNCED TODAY,
JENNIFER, THAT THE WORLD FOOD
PROGRAM HAS WON THE 2020 NOBEL
PEACE PRIZE FOR ITS EFFORTS TO
COMBAT HUNGER AND FOOD SECURITY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE U.S. DURING
THE PANDEMIC, SOME OF OUR
CHILDREN RELY ON IN PERSON
SCHOOLING FOR THEIR FOOD NEEDS
AND LUNCHES, FOR THEIR
BREAKFASTS.
AND THEY’RE NOT GETTING
BREAKFAST AND LUNCH DURING THIS
PERIOD.
WHAT’S THE IMPACT ON THAT?
>> IT’S A HUGE, HUGE ISSUE, AND
A TRAVESTY.
AND SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO
ADDRESS AS A COUNTRY.
IT CAN’T JUST BE PIECEMEAL, BUT
FOOD INSECURITY TRIPLED IN ONE
MONTH FOR KIDS IN THE MONTH OF
MARCH.
AS SOON AS THE SHUTDOWN
HAPPENED.
30 MILLION KIDS RELY ON SCHOOL
FOR BREAKFAST AND FOR LUNCH, AND
OFTEN TO HAVE THEIR BACKPACKS
STUFFED AS THEY GO HOME TO HAVE
FOOD FOR THEIR FAMILIES AFTER
SCHOOL.
AND SCHOOLS WERE TRYING AS FAST
AS THEY COULD TO JUST MAKE THE
FOOD AND TRY TO GET FOOD OUT TO
KIDS, BUT IT’S DEFINITELY TAKEN
A TON OF WORK.
I KNOW FOR SAVE THE CHILDREN,
AMY ADAMS AND I STARTED SAVE
WITH STORIES WHICH FUNDED
SCHOOLS HAVING MONEY FOR THE BUS
DRIVERS TO GET THERE EARLY AND
TO DELIVER FOOD OUT INTO HOLLERS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, OR SO
INCLUDE EDUCATIONAL SUPPLIES
WITH THE FOOD FOR KIDS WHO DON’T
HAVE ACCESS TO BROAD BAND.
BUT IT’S GOING ON.
WE’VE GOT TO GET IN THERE.
>> I HATE THIS SATELLITE DELAY.
I’M SO SORRY.
I KEEP JUMPING IN ON YOU, NOT
INTENTIONALLY AT ALL.
MARK, I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT
SOMETHING.
NBC NEWS IS REPORTING THAT
FEDERAL PROSECUTORS WHO WON THE
2017 SO-CALLED PILOT PROGRAM
DETERMINED CHILDREN YOUNGER FROM
12 SHOULD NOT BE SEPARATED
BECAUSE MOST WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO
FIND THEIR WAY BACK TO THEIR
FAMILIES ALONE.
THEY WENT AHEAD, AND WE’RE
LEARNING JEFF SESSIONS AND ROD
ROSENSTEIN HAD IN A CABINET
MEETING APPROVED THAT PROGRAM
THEMSELVES.
>> IT’S AMAZING THAT IN THE
RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE HISTORY
OF THE WORLD, IN A COUNTRY THAT
PRIDES ITSELVES ON TAKING CARE
OF THE -- I’M FLABBERGASTED THEY
WOULD TALK ABOUT SEPARATING ONE
AND TWO-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN FROM
THEIR PARENTS AND SENDING
CHILDREN 11 AND 12 BACK TO THEIR
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN AND THEY’D
FIND THEIR WAY BACK.
CAN’T WE DO BETTER THAN THAT?
CAN’T WE INVEST IN OUR KIDS IN
THIS COUNTRY.
SO THEY ENTER KINDERGARTEN READY
TO LEARN?
THE IDEA THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION WANTS TO SEPARATE
CHILDREN FROM THEIR PARENTS IS
MIND BOGGLING.
THAT’S WHY THE BINDEN/HARRIS
TICKET IS SUCH A BREATH OF FRESH
AIR.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HUMILITY AND
A COMMITMENT TO THE COMMON GOOD
AND RESTORING THE SOUL OF THIS
COUNTRY AS VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN
SAYS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
THAT’S WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT.
YOU TALK ABOUT PRO LIFE.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE
COMMITMENT TO LIFE AT ALL
STAGES.
THAT’S WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN
THIS COUNTRY.
IT’S FLABBERGASTING.
>> I WANT TO LEAVE ALL OF US
WITH SOME REAL HOPE AND WITH A