In the News

In November 2020, Multnomah County, OR voters approved Measure 26-214, Preschool for All (PFA) to establish a tuition-free universal preschool program funded by a progressive income tax. This month, Preschool for All and Build Up Oregon announced the launch of a new Facilities Fund aimed at supporting early childhood education providers in Multnomah County. Build Up Oregon is a collaborative of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) who have joined forces to help build a more child-centered society by preserving, improving, and expanding child care facilities throughout the state of Oregon. The fund will help to expand this locally financed initiative by offering comprehensive support to early care and education providers participating in Preschool for All (PFA) who are looking to enhance the quality of care at existing facilities, expand to serve additional families, or open a new location. Providers will also receive expert guidance, support and technical assistance implementing facility improvement projects. Read more about this latest news here. 

Pre-K 4 SA recently revealed that they are expanding to build a new center to serve the Southeast side of San Antonio. Pre-K 4 SA is a voluntary, full-day pre-k program for four-year-old children from low and middle-income families funded by a sales tax increase that voted into place in 2012. The program currently serves over 2,000 students per year and is continuing to grow to serve more families around the city. By the 2025-26 school year, the Southeast side of San Antonio will have 350 new early education spots available at the new learning center currently under construction. Read more here. 

Kentucky’s largest city, Louisville, recently announced plans to implement universal, free and optional preschool for its 3- and 4-year-old citizens.

“Imagine a future where every child in Louisville, regardless of their background, regardless of their circumstance, has access to high quality early childhood education,” he said. “Picture the potential, the possibilities that unfold when we invest in the youngest leaders and learners. This is not merely a dream. It’s a vision that we all in this room and outside this room can turn into a reality,” said Louisville Metro Council member Phillip Baker.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced that a new nonprofit called Thrive by 5 Louisville will work over the next five years with both public and private dollars to get children in the city better prepared for kindergarten by providing grants to providers and assistance to families. To kick this off, Greenberg said he will be asking Metro Council in his April budget proposal for funding and is also hopeful other funding sources will help make the vision a reality. Read more here. 

Reginald Harris at the Children’s Funding Project recently sat down with Dow Constantine, executive of King County, WA, for an interview about Best Starts for Kids. Since it’s launch in 2015, Best Starts fir Kids has supported more than 500,000 children, youth, and families and in 2021, King County voters renewed the levy that funds Best Starts for Kids with more than 62% of voters approving the effort for another six years. Click here to watch or read the full interview.

The November 2023 elections provided several wins for kids on both state and local levels. The Children’s Funding Project released a recap of six funding measures that were on the ballots across the country and what the results mean for children and families. Read the recap here. 

San Antonio city officials have identified a lack of child-care resources in the city’s south side where about 11,000 children currently reside. In an effort to combat this, Imagination Child Development Center, a new daycare center located in the South Side, opened last month. The Imagination Child Development Center is a member of the San Antonio Shared Services Alliance, powered by Pre-k 4 SA. This child care center means a better quality of life for local working parents who are thankful to have childcare just minutes away from where they live.

In November 2020, 73% of San Antonio voters approved an eight-year renewal of a 2012 referendum to increase the local sales tax by one-eighth of a cent to fund Pre-K 4 SA, a voluntary, full-day pre-k program for four-year-old children from low and middle-income families. Click here to read our case study about Pre K 4 SA, and here to read more about this recent news.

In November 2018, Kent County, OH voters overwhelmingly approved the Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage proposal which today provides dedicated and sustainable funding for programs that improve the health, school readiness, and well-being of children under age five. The latest round of of funding from the millage which was approved in September and is now being dispersed to programs in the following areas:

• Parent Education and Support
• Early Learning Programs
• Healthy Development Programs
• Outreach and Navigation

“By providing invaluable resources to parents and families, we are not just preparing our little ones for kindergarten; we are nurturing a brighter future for our entire community,” says Kent County Administrator Al Vanderberg. Click here to read more about the positive impacts and support for this funding in Kent County.

Funded by the Philadelphia Beverage Tax, PHLpreK has provided free pre-K for more than 16,000 of the city’s three- and four-year-olds since it’s inception in 2017. This school year, PHLpreK launched with more providers and seats than ever; the program is ready to serve 5,250 students throughout the city. Mayor Jim Kenney joined students to celebrate the eighth year of this transformative program, read the full story here.

In April 2021, the Board of Commissioners in Wake County, NC announced the launching of the ThreeSchool Early Learning Program  in 2022. ThreeSchool provides free high-quality childhood education for three-year-olds to qualified families in Wake County and has doubled its size in its second year from 100 to 200 slots. Read and watch the full details here. 

In a new book, Recent Perspectives on Preschool Education and Care, published by IntechOpen, researchers and scholars discuss early childhood education across the globe. The municipality-funded early childhood initiative in San Antonio, Texas—Pre-K 4 SA is showcased in the chapter Community Approaches to Funding and Supports for High-Quality Early Care Experiences: A United States Example.

The chapter details how Pre-K 4 SA demonstrates a cross-sector perspective to leveraging funds based on local community resources and create long lasting impacts for its citizens and concludes with recommendations for increasing access to high-quality early care experiences in other contexts and environments. Authors include Larrisa-lei Wilkinson of Pre-K 4 SA; Emily Diaz, PhD, and Lauren Decker-Woodrow, PhD, of Westat; and Sarah Baray, PhD, of Pre-K 4 SA. Read the full news story here and download the chapter for free here.