Specifications include, but are not limited to: (1) provide open access for children to quality programs that promote the health and safety of children and prepare them for formal schooling; (2) provide opportunities for parents to choose among affordable and accredited programs; (3) encourage coordination and cooperation among programs and prevent the duplication of services; (4) recognize the specific service needs and unique resources available to particular municipalities and provide flexibility in the implementation of programs; (5) prevent or minimize the potential for developmental delay in children prior to their reaching the age of five; (6) enhance Federally Funded School Readiness programs; (7) strengthen the family through: (A) encouragement of parental involvement in a child's development and education; and (B) enhancement of a family's capacity to meet the special needs of the children, including children with disabilities; (8) reduce educational costs by decreasing the need for special education services for school age children and to avoid grade repetition; (9) assure that children with disabilities are integrated into programs available to children who are not disabled; and (10) improve the availability and quality of school readiness programs and their coordination with the services of child care providers. It is expected that all children who participate in quality school readiness programs will demonstrate the skills at kindergarten entry that have been delineated in
