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Chirlane McCray, Hillary Clinton Launch Early Childhood Initiatives

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York City's First Lady Chirlane McCray and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton have teamed up to launch early childhood development initiatives.

McCray and Clinton introduced the city's "Talk To Your Baby'" public awareness campaign and the Clinton Foundation's "Too Small To Fail'' community campaign guide at a Brooklyn event Wednesday afternoon.

The announcement was made at the SCO Family of Services FirstStepNYC at P.S./I.S. 41 early education center in Brownsville.

Chirlane McCray, Hillary Clinton Launch Early Childhood Initiatives

The "Talk To Your Baby" campaign emphasizes the developmental benefits for children if their parents consistently read, talk and sing to them between birth and age 3 in order to help their brains develop.

Clinton said she often sung to her daughter Chelsea, her favorite tune being "Moon River," WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported.

"Until my daughter learned to talk. And the first words out of her mouth -- just about -- were to put her little finger on my mouth and say 'No sing, mommy, no sing!'" she joked.

Chirlane McCray, Hillary Clinton Launch Early Childhood Initiatives

The initiative is partnering with Scholastic to give out books to thousands of new families, 1010 WINS' Holli Haerr reported.

Clinton is expected to announce her Democratic presidential candidacy in the coming weeks. She's rumored to be locating her campaign headquarters in Brooklyn.

McCray's husband, Mayor Bill de Blasio, is a longtime ally of the Clinton family.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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