Pre-K for Military Families: Honoring Service, Educating Children

High-quality pre-k is an important strategy for addressing the unique challenges faced by military families, and by expanding pre-k eligibility to include military children, policymakers can support the work of our dedicated service men and women. Pre-k provides Active Duty personnel with the assurance that their children are receiving the strong educational, social, and emotional foundation that they and all children need to thrive and succeed.

In fiscal year 2007 alone, state pre-k investments increased by more than $450 million, providing thousands more children with access to pre-k. Yet, pre-k eligibility varies widely from state to state, creating a revolving door for frequently relocated military children. For example, a military child who is eligible for pre-k in Georgia, where the program is open to all four year olds, would likely no longer have access to pre-k if her family moved to California, which provides pre-k to just 10 percent of its four year olds. This disparity in pre-k access represents a tremendous challenge for our military families, and creates further disruption for children already exposed to repeated and often drastic transitions.