For FY09, 32 state legislatures and the Council of the District of Columbia wisely acted to increase their investments in high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten programs even in the face of declining revenues and rising deficits. They did so to provide immediate financial relief to struggling families, build the long-term human capital and workforce competitiveness of their states, and give more children a better chance to succeed in school, in life, and in the global economy.

These increases will bring total state pre-k funding to a record $5.2 billion nationally and will provide pre-k opportunities to roughly 46,000 additional children across the country.