Study: Access to Pre-K in Indiana Ranks Low
The brief was released by Early Learning Indiana.
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA new policy brief released by Early Learning Indiana suggests the state has more work to do to improve access to high-quality pre-kindergarten programs. The brief says Indiana ranks 43rd out of the 44 states that offer state-funded pre-K programming.
"Mile Markers: Access to High-Quality Pre-K" says while pre-kindergarten programming is expanding in Indiana, access to such programs is not uniform throughout the state. The analysis says under 2 percent of eligible Indiana four-year-olds are covered by state-funded pre-K.
Indiana’s On My Way Pre-K program, which began in five counties in 2014, was recently expanded to include an additional 15 counties. The Indiana General Assembly also approved an additional $10 million per year to cover the new counties.
Early Learning Indiana says some of the barriers associated with the state’s pre-K program include the poverty threshold used to determine a family’s eligibility and the requirement that families must either be working or attending a training or education program to be eligible.
"Access to high-quality, state-funded pre-K should not stop at a county line," says Karen Ruprecht, director of research and practice for Early Learning Indiana and author of the brief. "Much like roads, pre-K should be treated as a critical piece of our state’s infrastructure and economy, a piece that helps ensure our future success."
The brief was funded by a grant from the Illinois-based Joyce Foundation. You can view the full brief below: