Prekindergarten

A total of 27 governors (as well as the mayor of the District of Columbia) referenced early care and education in their 2013 state of the state addresses—an increase from 22 governors in 2012 and 17 governors in 2011. These governors recognize that early care and education helps prepare young children for future educational success, provides crucial support for parents, and strengthens our nation’s economy.  

High-quality child care encourages children’s learning and development and helps them enter school ready to succeed. Yet in most communities, high-quality care is in short supply, particularly for low-income children and very young children. States and communities are working to address this shortage and improve the quality of care through a number of promising strategies, with the help of federal funding. To obtain a snapshot of notable state quality improvement initiatives, the National Women's Law Center asked child care administrators in each of the fifty states and the District of Columbia to identify their states’ most promising quality initiative and most promising infant/toddler initiative supported with these resources.