"I believe every child deserves a chance to make it in life. That’s why we need a universal pre-kindergarten program, that's why we need more help for families, so that they can get their own children off to a good start." -from Remarks before State of Union (02/05/08)

"We must continue to be a nation that strives always to give each of our children a better future..."
-from speech on Super Tuesday (02/05/08)

"I want a new beginning in education. Education begins in the family and we've got to do more to help families get the tools and resources they need to take care of their own children. That's also work that I’ve done a very long time. Going back to my earliest years when through my church, I was involved in all kinds of activities affecting small children that had some difficulties, that had some disadvantages to overcome. I want to do more to help families. I want to have a universal pre-kindergarten program, again - like what you are doing here in Iowa to help every child, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds get better prepared. And I want to end the unfunded mandate of No Child Left Behind which has interfered with learning and teaching."
-from the Hillary I Know Event (12/17/07)

"And one thing people rarely talk about is when you look at test scores and analyze assessments, private schools don't do better than public schools, but a lot of people believe that because everything that happens in the public school is public information. If something bad happens in a public school, it is going to be in the newspaper, if something happens in a private school, you are not going to read about it. I think it is time that we really invest in our public schools, so let's begin by investing more in our in our youngest children."
-PARENTS AND CHILDREN: Expanding Pre-K (05/21/07)

"During my years in Arkansas, I founded a group called Arkansas advocates for children and family and developed a scholarship program to support single moms. When Bill was elected President, I worked very hard to support the family medical leave act and would proud it was the first bill that he signed into law. It's been such a success that it's hard to remember how controversial it once was, it was actually vetoed twice before my husband was elected. And I want to pay special tribute to my colleague and friend Senator Chris Dodd who was the champion of the family medical leave act for all of those years.
I also worked to create early Head Start, to ensure investment in Head Start and childcare funding, and I planned and to carried out the historic white house conferences on early childhood development and childcare."
-AGENDA FOR WORKING FAMILIES: Helping Parents Balance Work & Family, (10/16/07)

"We are going to provide quality, affordable, universal healthcare coverage to every single American! I learned a lot about what we need to do to get it done. There's a big difference between calling for it, impassioned speeches about it, presenting legislation that embodies your hopes and dreams, and another thing to put together the political coalition to actually make it happen."
-Address at Democratic National Committee winter meeting (02/02/07)

"No government can love a child, and no policy can substitute for a family’s care. But at the same time, government can either support or undermine families as they cope with moral, social and economic stresses of caring for children."
-New York Magazine (04/03/00)