President Barack Obama tucked a sizeable investment into his 3-plus trillion dollar budget last week for early learning that begins even before children are in preschool and child care, $8.6 billion over 10 years for home visitation programs.

Obama wants to spend the money on “evidence-based” efforts focused on low-income families.

The proposal is further proof of Obama’s support of early learning as an investment that can pay big returns later in a child’s life. Quality home visiting programs can help prepare kids for school, reduce child abuse and neglect, and support children’s cognitive, emotional and language development, according to experts and Obama’s budget.

“Mentoring young parents so they can provide for their infant’s health, safety and cognitive development prevents a host of expensive problems, from medical emergencies to juvenile delinquency.  The pay-off is a return of up to $5.70 on each dollar we invest in high-quality home visitation programs serving at-risk families,” Susan Urahn, managing director of the Pew Center on the States, said in a statement.

Congress still needs to approve the funding during its annual appropriations battles. If federal money starts moving, though, Washington state is in a good position to receive funds, according to Joan Sharp, executive director of the Seattle-based Council for Children & Families.

Over the last four years, Washington got a head start by launching home visiting initiatives and building knowledge of what it takes to create successful evidence-based programs, the kind Obama wants to fund, Sharp added. Home visiting is one of the seven key strategies that Thrive by Five Washington is using in its two demonstration communities of White Center and East Yakima.

“I think there is consensus we have laid a strong foundation,” Sharp said. “I think Washington is particularly well-positioned to be successful in a grant process.”

(Thanks to CLASP for highlighting this budget item.)