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Kirk Tours Early Education Center That Wants New Reforms

CHICAGO (CBS) -- U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) spent the day Wednesday gathering information about education reform on Chicago's South Side.

As WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports, Kirk toured Educare of Chicago, an early education center at 5044 S. Wabash Ave. close to Washington Park.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports

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Kirk is looking ahead at a Congressional rewrite of the disputed No Child Left Behind education reform law from back in the George W. Bush administration.

Diana Mendley Rauner, president of the Ounce of Prevention Fund that runs the school, gave Kirk the tour.

"We know that far too few children – especially children in the first three years of life – are being served in high-quality education centers," she said.

Rauner says parent involvement is the key at Educare.

"If you start parents out right, just as if you start kids out right, with supportive environments where they understand what they need to do, and they are mentored and supported in doing that, they'll grow up to become parents who can help their kids in 2nd grade, and in 5th grade, and in 8th grade," she said.

Rauner says this is the message she wants to send to Congress.

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