What Is Universal Pre-K?
Numerous studies have noted that children who have access to high-quality pre-k enter into kindergarten more prepared than their counterparts. Unfortunately, not every child has access to the quality of education that they deserve because of high costs, difficult hours of operation, and lack of transportation. In states such as Massachusetts, it can even be more expensive to send a child to pre-k than it is to send that same child to college.
This is where universal pre-k enters the picture. In simple terms, universal pre-k is “available to any child in a given state, regardless of family income, children’s abilities, or other factors,” says the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Universal pre-k would give educational opportunities to children who are two, three, or four years of age. According to policy analysts from the Center for American Progress, the United States is not providing enough educational opportunities to this age range compared to other countries. As of 2013, only 69% of 4-year-olds within the nation access early childhood education as opposed to over 90% in the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Norway, and similarly high percentages in Mexico and Japan; for 3-year-olds, the number is around 50% in the United States.
Looking at those statistics can be daunting. If children are the future of the United States, we should be fighting for better early education opportunities for them. Additionally, 42% of children born into poverty in the United States will stay in poverty their entire lives; changing the structure of the educational opportunity by providing universal pre-k could give these children the educational start that they not only deserve but that they need.
Starting children on the right path in life at a young age is essential. But as of 2015, only three states — Florida, Oklahoma, and Georgia — offered full universal pre-k solutions to their residents.
Want to learn more about WHY universal pre-k is imperative and how it can help children? Check out our informative blog post “4 Reasons Why We Need Universal Pre-K.”
Do you want to make a difference in early education and preschool in Massachusetts? Fair Shot For All is compiling a childcare services survey to evaluate the current preschool and pre-k needs of families in MA. We’re asking all parents, child caretakers, and those involved in education to take the 2 minute online survey so that we can advocate for improved early educational services.
