Guam committee hears broad support, questions for bill requiring early‑childhood training across agencies

Guam senators and agency officials on Wednesday heard detailed testimony supporting legislation that would require coordinated early‑childhood development and literacy training for public employees and licensed professionals who work with children from birth to age 8.

Senator Sabina Perez, author of the bill described in committee as Bill 100‑38, opened the hearing by saying the measure "updates and adds provisions" to strengthen early care and education, promote data sharing, and improve cross‑agency collaboration.

Why it matters: Supporters said the window from birth to age 3 is decisive for language development and that many children in Guam start kindergarten behind their peers. The bill would create a government‑wide training network led by the Department of Public Health and Social Services to align messages and streamline referrals across WIC, home visiting, Head Start, Guam Early Intervention System, Guam Department of Education and the judiciary.

Testimony and main points

Dr. Laura M. Torres Souder, identified herself as testifying in "full support of bill number 100‑38" and told senators that, in her view, "about 70 percent of our children start school already behind due to a…