Universal preschool programs: A review of the literature

The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the literature on universal preschool in order to benefit from the experiences of other states and regions which have already implemented services targeting part or all of the preschool population. Programs targeted to low-income children have been in place since at least the mid 1960’s when Head Start was created as an early intervention program. The now extensive literature on publicly funded preschool initiatives includes forty-two states, each with its own version and unique history of implementation.