Early learning in the United States: 2019

Excerpted from the introduction

To better understand the current state of early learning and the opportunities for improvement in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the Center for American Progress produces annual state fact sheets. The 2019 update includes information regarding:

• Child care prices and the strain they put on family budgets
• Gaps in child care funding and access
• Wages for the child care workforce
• The benefits of policies that would expand access to affordable child care and preschool

Policymakers and advocates can use these fact sheets to identify their state’s greatest opportunities for improvement and to highlight the benefits of investing in high-quality early childhood programs.