State Funding For Preschool Rises Steadily

By Deborah L. Cohen

After a big growth spurt in the mid-1980's, state funding of preschool programs has continued on a slow but steady rise, with several states making major new investments even in times of fiscal austerity, a new study shows.

While growing numbers of states are pulling together networks of providers beyond public schools, many are not serving families comprehensively or meeting the needs of working parents, according to the survey by the Children's Defense Fund.

The survey--the first large-scale study of its kind since the late 1980's--looked at programs that provided at least some education-related services to prekindergarten-age children--mainly 4-year-olds--in...