Media Advisory                                                                    

Contact: Amber Healy, Manager of Communications,

    Generations United at 202-289-3979 or ahealy@gu.org

 For Immediate Release

Merle KEARNS PROMOTES "seniorS4kids"

Retired legislator to discuss importance of early education, health care.

May 15^th, 2007 (Washington, D.C.)- Former State Representative and Senator Merle Kearns agrees with the state's many older adults that Ohio's early care and education system needs to be improved. She has joined with Generations United's Seniors4Kids program as an honorary co-chair for the civic engagement initiative, which brings together older Americans to advocate for early childhood care and education for Ohio's youngest citizens.

Kearns, speaking on behalf of her fellow co-chair Judy Sheerer, will be on hand to announce the start of the Seniors4Kids initiative in Ohio in conjunction with Older Americans Month. As part of the initiative, older adults are urging the state legislature to increase funding for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs along with expanding health and behavioral care opportunities for all children from birth until the age of six.

WHO:                         Former state senator and director of the Ohio Department of Aging Merle Kearns; Donna Butts, executive director, Generations United, and a representative from groundWork Ohio. The event is organized by Generations United and groundWork Ohio.

WHAT:                      Kearns will be discussing why early childhood care and education is of importance to older adults and their role as advocates on behalf of children. Those at the event will also discuss the importance of early education and care. All speakers will be available to answer questions at the close of the program, which will include an exchange of flowers and seeds between children and older adults at the event.

WHEN:                      May 22^nd, 2007 at 1:30 p.m.

WHERE:                   The State Room, Ohio Statehouse, Columbus.

WHY:                          Seniors4Kids is comprised of age 50+ adults who have organized on behalf of Ohio's children to convince state legislatures to expand Ohio's existing early education system to be accessible for all children from birth until the age of six. The group believes widespread access to education and early health and behavioral care better prepares the children to enter kindergarten ready to learn.  

More information about Seniors4Kids is available at www.seniors4kids.org.

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