Planning, Budgeting, and Finance │ Center for Early Learning Systems

Developing a rationale and approach for expanding access to preschool or other early care and education programs is an important part of the planning process. AIR offers tools for planning and budgeting for quality initiatives on a “system-wide” basis, such as within a state, county, city, or one or more school districts. AIR also offers information on finance options.

There are both short-term and long-term approaches to financing quality preschool. A long-term strategy might be to secure a stable state or federal revenue source and investment equivalent to that in kindergarten.  But even in the event that such a source became available, localities may still want to consider supplemental finance strategies. As is the case with K-12 education in the United States, even preschool initiatives with a dedicated state revenue source are unlikely to get all the support they need. 

AIR offers technical assistance related to finance options from a local perspective. Some of the options are sufficient to sustain access to preschool, at least within targeted neighborhoods, even without a statewide dedicated funding source.