Universal Pre-Kindergarten Makes a Difference
Funding pre-kindergarten programs is one of the best investments that government can make. Study after study has demonstrated that children in Head Start programs are more likely to graduate high school and enjoy a higher rate of employment and income than their non-Head-Start peers. These children also have a significantly lower risk of being arrested for a violent crime or for becoming pregnant as teenagers.
But pre-K programs do not just benefit low-income children. There are significant and lasting benefits for middle-income children as well and that universal voluntary pre-K programs would be more cost-effective than targeted programs. And there are benefits for society as well; the Rand Corporation, for example, estimated that in California every dollar invested in a one-year universal pre-K program would generate $2.62 in returns.
Children’s advocates must take a stand for universal pre-kindergarten. Even though universal pre-kindergarten is effective and affordable, it is not widely available in the United States.
Promise the Children supports universal pre-kindergarten in the state of Massachusetts by promoting An Act Relative to Early Education and Care (H.3776). This legislation to establish universal pre-kindergarten was approved twice by the legislature in 2007, only to vetoed by Governor Romney at the end of the formal session. If supporters keep up the pressure this year, its passage is likely.
For more information about An Act Relative to Early Education and Care, visit the Early Education for All Campaign.
Ann Barham contributed to the research and writing of this article.