Location and Income Can Determine Access
According to a new study by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), vast disparities among and within states remain for access and quality of state-funded preschool programs nationwide. The information released in The State of Preschool: 2004 State Preschool Yearbook, a report that compares state-funded preschool programs, says that quality and access remains the exception and not the rule. Essentially, research showed that access to a good state-funded preschool program depends largely where a child lives and parent income.
NIEER found that while the number of children attending state-funded preschool programs such as Head Start continues to rise, these preschool programs only reach about 10 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds. Nearly 740,000 children in 38 states attended a state-funded preschool program last year, which is a 45,000 increase over the previous year, according to the data collected. Twelve states--Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming--do not invest in state preschool program initiatives. (A few, however, do provide supplemental state funding.)
Preschool education programs have expanded in both the private and public sectors, although at different rates. Just over half of children attending preschool are in private programs. Private programs are operated by for-profit organizations, independent nonprofit organizations, or religious organizations. They may operate under a wide variety of names, including nursery school, preschool, daycare, moms day out, or in-home care. Regulation is primarily by state child care agencies.
The federal Head Start program, which was launched in 1965, has provided many low-income families with free education for 3- and 4-year-olds. During the 2003 fiscal year, Head Start reported funding more than 900,000 children.
While the increased numbers in state-funded programs is a positive sign of services being provided to low-income families, the bad news according to the report is that per-child funding is dropping. The spending per preschool student fell as funding failed to keep pace with enrollment, particularly in states with budget shortfalls that opted to cut funding to preschool programs. Despite this funding instability, some states did make funding gains: New Jersey, North Carolina, and Louisiana. In terms of access, Louisiana, Kansas and North Carolina made noteworthy gains. Georgia and Oklahoma continue to be the only states that make preschool programs universally available to children. Across the U.S., only one of 10 children ages 3 and 4 participate in state preschool programs targeted to serve economically or otherwise disadvantaged children.
See the complete report at The State of Preschool: 2004 State Preschool Yearbook.
NIEER found that while the number of children attending state-funded preschool programs such as Head Start continues to rise, these preschool programs only reach about 10 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds. Nearly 740,000 children in 38 states attended a state-funded preschool program last year, which is a 45,000 increase over the previous year, according to the data collected. Twelve states--Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming--do not invest in state preschool program initiatives. (A few, however, do provide supplemental state funding.)
Preschool education programs have expanded in both the private and public sectors, although at different rates. Just over half of children attending preschool are in private programs. Private programs are operated by for-profit organizations, independent nonprofit organizations, or religious organizations. They may operate under a wide variety of names, including nursery school, preschool, daycare, moms day out, or in-home care. Regulation is primarily by state child care agencies.
The federal Head Start program, which was launched in 1965, has provided many low-income families with free education for 3- and 4-year-olds. During the 2003 fiscal year, Head Start reported funding more than 900,000 children.
While the increased numbers in state-funded programs is a positive sign of services being provided to low-income families, the bad news according to the report is that per-child funding is dropping. The spending per preschool student fell as funding failed to keep pace with enrollment, particularly in states with budget shortfalls that opted to cut funding to preschool programs. Despite this funding instability, some states did make funding gains: New Jersey, North Carolina, and Louisiana. In terms of access, Louisiana, Kansas and North Carolina made noteworthy gains. Georgia and Oklahoma continue to be the only states that make preschool programs universally available to children. Across the U.S., only one of 10 children ages 3 and 4 participate in state preschool programs targeted to serve economically or otherwise disadvantaged children.
See the complete report at The State of Preschool: 2004 State Preschool Yearbook.
