The American Dream promises that with hard work and determination, anyone can achieve success. Yet for many American children, this dream is out of reach. Education has long been promoted as a means to reduce the effects of U.S. class inequality, allowing students to build social mobility through access to opportunities. However, achievement gaps between children emerge well before they enter first grade, tracking student’s income, race, and geography. Consequently, many six-year-olds are already at a disadvantage. 

Children can be supported before they enter school. Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs are one of the most effective ways to address long-term socioeconomic inequalities. Nevertheless, funding for these programs remains inconsistent and insufficient. More public resources should be directed towards ECE programs so that students can have a stronger educational foundation for future success. 

Currently, the federal government funds some ECE programs, but at a level well short of the financial commitment that would assure universal coverage. As a result, states have assumed responsibility for much of the cost of ECE. Each state sets its own ECE policies concerning coverage, including age ranges and preschool operating hours, along with the required financial contributions. States that do not provide free universal preschool leave some parents financially responsible for ECE. The unavailability of affordable preschools, or the offering of only limited-hour programs (such as half-day preschools), forces many parents to cut back on their working hours to tend to their children, resulting in an estimated $30-$35 billion in lost income and $4.2 billion in lost tax revenue annually.   

Increased public funding for ECE would not only alleviate the financial struggles of households with young children but also generate long-term social returns. A 2016 study estimated that students who attended ECE programs produced returns of around $3 to $4 for every dollar invested, with some preschools showing returns as high as $17 per dollar. The social returns come in many forms, including reduced public spending and higher household earnings down the road.  

Consider the universal pre-K program adopted in Oklahoma in 1998, providing tuition-free half-day or all-day preschool for all four– year olds. The program has shown promising results in improving school readiness and narrowing achievement gaps, with students experiencing a 16% improvement in standardized test scores; Hispanic children benefited the most with 54% improvement, followed by Black students who increased their scores by 17%. These gains show the program’s ability to support early academic development with minority groups who are most affected by the achievement gap. Years after its implementation, Tulsa’s pre-K program was found to increase college enrollments by 12%. 

For the 2023 school year, Oklahoma allocated $187,024,576 to pre-K alone, with an additional almost $2,000 per child in enrollment funding from the federal government. If ECE programs are expanded nationwide, many of the costs would still fall to individual states. But this spending is a sound investment: universal ECE programs are estimated to generate annual benefits totaling $304.7 billion by 2050 alone, driven by increased worker compensation, government savings, and reductions in crime and child maltreatment.  

In addition to economic returns, early education has been found to reduce troublesome behavioral issues. An Australian structured social-emotional learning program offered to first graders lowered problem behaviors such as aggression, anxiety, and hyperactivity, demonstrating that appropriate training can support better self-regulation and conflict resolution skills. More generally, ECE contributes to an overall reduction in crime rates, increased high school graduation rates, and higher lifetime earnings, as students transition into adulthood.

ECE is a proven success, but one that some states do not recognize or act upon. Students deprived of ECE are being left behind, contributing to the longstanding achievement gaps. Failing to invest in ECE perpetuates cycles of poverty and inequality that ultimately weigh on our economy and society. Funding early education is not a cost but an investment, and a high-return investment at that: one that reinvigorates the American dream.