After a massive dip in public funding for preschool programs during the Great Recession, funding has now surpassed pre-recession levels overall. Overall, only 29 percent of 4-year-olds and 5 percent of 3-year-olds are enrolled in a state-funded preschool program. The group has been tracking the number of children served by public preschool programs since the 2001-2002 school year. This will happen only if policy makers recognize that high quality pre-K is a necessity, not a luxury that can be passed over when the budget gets tight." The map below highlights which states currently have the most 4-year-olds in state-funded preschool.

Source: Huffington Post May 11, 2016 22:26 UTC