Rounds: Use Stimulus Money For Birth To 3

Governor Rounds says he wants to use federal stimulus money to help fund Birth to 3, an early childhood program he had proposed cutting to save about $2 million.

The Senate State Affairs Committee voted Wednesday to restore funding for the program, officially known as Birth to Three Connections, after Rounds' education secretary, Tom Oster, said the federal stimulus package will require the state to maintain its program.  Rounds said later that he wants to keep Birth to 3 but there would have to be some changes to make it more efficient.

Supporters say they are pleased the administration wants to help find money for it.