Fast Facts

Economics

Research tells us that investing in early learning benefits children + families + society.
The availability of early education programs attracts homebuyers and increases property values by $13 for every dollar invested.
A lack of childcare costs businesses $4.4b annually due to employee absences.
Quality early education reduces grade retention and saves school divisions money in the long run.
Children who attend higher quality programs enter kindergarten ready to learn, live healthier lives, are LESS likely to repeat a grade, and are MORE likely to graduate from high school.
A focus on birth to five lowers rates of chronic disease and lowers health care costs.
Children who participate in high quality programs show long-term health benefits (reduced depression, rates of smoking, obesity and substance abuse).
The annual cost of infant, toddler and preschool programs ranges between $10-16k. Those programs may not be high quality.
Children from low-income families often have access to lower quality programs.

Children are born learning.
Children who enter kindergarten behind their peers are more likely to remain behind in their education, careers and lives.
The foundation for reading ability is built in the first five years.
High quality early learning increases high school graduation rates by 14%.
When children face adversity, they are at far greater risk for cognitive, language, social & emotional delays.

Most voters say there is a lack of affordable, high quality early education programs.
There is bipartisan support for early learning.
Investment is slow and steady in most states.
Today, Democratic and Republican candidates are making high-quality early learning part of their campaign platforms.
National and state polling shows an increase in support for greater investment in early education.
American voters support making early learning and childcare more affordable for working families (82% R’s, 85% I’s and 97% D’s).
2/3 of American voters say we need to do more to give our children a strong start before K.

More children started kindergarten without key readiness skills (VKRP, 2020).
More black and brown children entered kindergarten without the readiness skills they need to be successful academically and socially (VKRP, 2020).
Social skills and self-regulation skills are kindergarten teachers’ biggest concerns.
More kindergarteners and first graders started the school year at high risk for literacy failure compared to last year.
Black, brown, English learners (EL) and children from economically disadvantaged homes were at greater risk of reading failure (PALS, Fall 2019 to Fall 2020).
The increased number of kindergarten and first grade students starting the school year at high risk for reading failure is a threat to third grade reading outcomes down the road (UVA COVID-19 Research Brief, Fall 2020).