What Is Universal Pre-K?
Universal pre-kindergarten provides all families with preschool-aged children access to their state or community's publicly-funded pre-kindergarten learning and care program.
With the Build Back Better Act, publicly-funded pre-K for all three- and four-year-olds would be guaranteed. This extraordinary step would expand access for more than 6 million children, saving American families an average of $8,600 per year, per child.
Such access would ensure every child enters kindergarten ready to learn and succeed. Children who arrive at kindergarten without a solid educational foundation are likely to fall behind. Making sure every child has access to high-quality preschool is essential to closing the education gap.
Access to high-quality early education and care is an economic issue, too. The early learning and care industry contributes approximately $100 billion to our economy and employs over 1.5 million people. We can’t afford to lose this income and job opportunity!