As of now, few states offer fully funded early childhood education programs. As of 2002, only three states offered fully-funded pre-kindergarten programs (Porch 2002). The fundamental purpose of the Early Childhood Development Initiative was to increase awareness of the importance of early childhood education. Yet more work needs to be done to ensure government support of early childhood development programs and not just lip service.

Kagan (2004) suggests some possible solutions to the lack of comprehensive funding for early childhood education programs for every American. Urban areas should be the number one recipient for federal and state funding, given that most of the nation's disadvantaged students live in urban centers and attend urban schools. Furthermore, wise investments into appropriate early childhood education programs will ensure that the taxpayer funds are spent well and on the type of education that young children need most to succeed.

Until early childhood education programs are universal in the United States, programs need to seek outside support from charitable donations. However, those donations are limited and often tied into special...

Grassroots organizations must therefore continue to pressure their state and federal legislators to make preschool and pre-kindergarten programs available and free for all parents and their children so that truly no child is left behind.
References

Early Childhood Cognitive Development." The White House. Retrieved May 15, 2008 at http://www.whitehouse.gov/firstlady/initiatives/education/readingprograms.html

Kagan, S.L. (2004). Improving Urban Student Achievement Through Early Childhood Reform: What State Policymakers Can Do. Early Childhood Reform. Retrieved May 15, 2008 at http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/50/07/5007.htm

Porch, S. (2002). Early Childhood Education Issues. Educational Research Service. Spring 2002. Retrieved May 15, 2008 at http://www.ers.org/spectrum/spg02a.htm