Partnering with the Private and Philanthropic Sectors - A Governor's Guide to Investing in Early Childhood

Governors recognize that promoting school readiness is a key strategy for preventing school failure and subsequent costs to society in the form of remedial education services, health and social services, criminal justice services, and lost tax revenue. In 2005, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices' Task Force on School Readiness identified actions that governors and states can take to support families, schools, and communities in their efforts to ensure all children begin school ready to reach their full potential. Governors identified the impact of early investments in the school readiness equation—children who are healthy and ready to learn when they enter kindergarten have a better chance for school and life success. The task force also concluded that "[a]chieving school readiness cannot be accomplished by any single agency or individual. It requires public-private partnerships and strong leadership from governors."

In recent years, several governors have partnered with private and philanthropic leaders to maximize funding and achieve positive outcomes for young children. This guide describes the nature and activities of such early childhood public-private partnerships (partnerships). It aims to help governors and state policymakers navigate through the decisions they will make if they wish to pursue such partnerships in their own state. Detailed profiles describing the governance, funding, programming, and evaluation of the 11 state early childhood public-private partnerships referenced throughout the guide can be found in the appendix.