20 U.S.C. § 9401 — Purposes

to increase the availability of voluntary programs, services, and activities that support early childhood development, increase parent^* effectiveness, and promote the learning readiness of young children so that young children enter school ready to learn;

to support parents, child care providers, and caregivers who want to incorporate early learning activities into the daily lives of young children;

to remove barriers to the provision of an accessible system of early childhood learning programs in communities throughout the United States;

to increase the availability and affordability of professional development activities and compensation for caregivers and child care providers; and

to facilitate the development of community-based systems of collaborative service delivery models characterized by resource sharing, linkages between appropriate supports, and local planning for services.