Many of the neediest children do not have access to quality pre-K and few programs are able to reach all children and families.

Publicly-subsidized child care serves only about 12% of eligible children.

Head Start serves only 60% of children below the poverty line.

In contrast, France serves 100% of its 3- and 4-year-olds in its voluntary pre-kindergarten program.

Federal and state spending is growing...

In 1988, 28 states spent $190 million on pre-kindergarten; by 2002, state spending had grown to $2.7 billion.

The federal government spends over $10 billion on child care programs and Head Start; less than one percent of the total federal budget.

... yet families must still struggle to meet the cost. Greater public investment is needed to help them make ends meet.

An estimated 60% of funds going into child care and pre-kindergarten come from parent/family fees. In higher education only 23% of the revenues come from tuition payments.

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