The argument for a high quality universal preschool is becoming increasingly compelling. News articles highlighting the latest failing of American students are closely followed by articles pointing to the growing gap between the wealthy and the poor in American society. Although social mobility is not an issue that can be solved by addressing a single variable out of a complex equation, preschool is an important place to begin.

The debate on universal preschool has brought together historically divided groups: liberals and business. Liberals are, perhaps, the predictable supporters of a universal preschool program: a government-backed program with social benefits for all that has a direct positive impact on those who need it most. But business, led by the Committee for Economic Development, has taken up the torch with liberals in promoting the benefits of universal preschool. Not surprisingly, their support is based on the evidence of strong financial gains accompanying universal access to preschool.

By attending high quality universal preschool, students increase their chances of succeeding for the remainder of their academic career—which, in turn, translates into better career opportunities and higher living standards as they age. The benefit is not limited to impoverished children. Children across the income scale experience improved academic and social skills by participating in high quality universal preschool programs. Children from impoverished families have the greatest gains, but children from middle class families also have significant improvements. In a forthcoming Century Foundation issue brief, we favor universal rather than targeted programs for a number of other reasons as well.

• Targeted preschool programs have a history of lower quality and lower funding. By contrast, a universal preschool program that is connected to the K12 public school system would be politically potent. With this affiliation, the universal preschool program would gain considerable political weight and public support, enabling it to maintain consistent funding, a necessary component to a quality program. To ensure that quality, the preschool program would also have federally-mandated quality standards to which it would be held accountable.

The current preschool system consists of a hodgepodge of programs, some private, some public, with no quality control standards and very little consistency. Preschool teachers are paid such meager wages with such poor benefits that the turnover rate is astounding. High teacher turnover rates disrupt the children’s education and further hurt the quality of the programs.

• Universal programs also provide economically diverse classrooms, which is more beneficial to the children in them. Targeted programs, on the other hand, primarily focus on lower-income students. This targeting leads to severe economic isolation and reduces the positive impact preschool can have on children’s academic development.
  
  
• In addition to the long-term benefits universal preschool provides for students, it provides immediate benefits to parents, poor and middle class alike. When parents have somewhere that they can afford to leave their children while they work and rest assured that the care received there is beneficial to their children, more parents work. This phenomenon is particularly true for mothers. So, while children are being educated, their parents are able to pursue better jobs, giving them the means necessary to better provide for their children.

Although Congress has not yet created any form of incentives for states creating universal preschool programs, states have been taking it upon themselves. In 2005, eight states offered some form of universal preschool to their children and other states are undergoing open dialogues about expanding their own state preschool programs. In our paper, we propose that the federal government recognize this positive trend and encourage its growth with federal incentives. Studies illustrate the positive impact of preschool education on reducing incarceration rates and lowering welfare dependency, among others. With extensive evidence demonstrating the benefits of preschool education and interest from states in pursuing widespread access to preschool, the time is ripe for the federal government to step up and help them accomplish that.

By participating and providing financial assistance and guidance, the federal government will be in the position to ensure that every state consistently offers its children a high-quality preschool program. Federal oversight will provide national quality standards and the means to enforce those standards. And as part of the public school system, the preschool program will not be as vulnerable to political whims. Public and political momentum is behind this movement for universal preschool and action needs to be taken now in order to turn it into a tangible program from which all will benefit.

Kristen Oshyn is a Program Assistant at The Century Foundation.