High quality early childhood education and care are essential for children’s ability to fulfill their potential later in life, yet too many young children in America today can’t access high quality early education and care. This statement briefly summarizes the volumes of research that show the long term positive impact of early education and goes on to explain that the high cost of private preschool and the limited availability of existing publicly funded early education initiatives means that many children are left out. Though many states and localities have increased investment in early childhood education, with a slow economic recovery relying on state and local funds is not sufficient to ensure high quality and broad access. The statement also includes a list of actions Congress can take to improve the system of early childhood education and care and ensure that every child has access to a high-quality early education experience.
