Pre-K Now
State Profiles

States across the country are facing the challenge of making pre-kindergarten available for all children. The states profiled here are leaders in the pre-k movement. Their stories point out the exceptional features in each state and highlight the outstanding work of advocates.

No state has a perfect system, but each has features worth noting and an advocacy story worth telling. In each of these states, advocates, parents, educators, and business leaders have worked with the governor and other state leaders to do what's right for their state's children.

All of these states, furthermore, are at different stages of development. Some are already beginning to provide pre-k. Others are just laying the foundation. Currently, only three states - Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma - have a system that provides access to pre-k for virtually all children, yet even these states have work to do. Florida's relatively new program is underfunded and lacking in quality standards. In Georgia, several large school districts choose not to participate, as do a few in Oklahoma. None of these states offers pre-k for three year olds.

 
Resource Center
Pre-K Advocates
Policymakers
Media
Business and Community Leaders
Educators
Families
Meeting the Challenge of Rural Pre-K
Families everywhere struggle to find high-quality pre-k programs for their children, but the problem is even more acute in rural areas. Pre-K Now has come out with recommendations for federal policymakers to help states meet the unique challenges of rural pre-k.
Follow Pre-K's Progress Across the Nation
Our maps track the availability and quality of pre-k and the political environment surrounding the issue in each state and Washington, D.C.
Find High-Quality Pre-K
With Our Checklist
Quality is key to unlocking pre-k's many benefits. Learn what to ask about and look for when choosing a pre-k program for your child.
Tour a Pre-K Classroom
Through our virtual classroom tour and our short video following real children through their pre-k year, we will help you recognize high quality, understand why it makes a difference, and show you how children benefit.
Providing voluntary, high-quality pre-k to all children is as much about economic development as it is a tool to improve educational outcomes.