For more than 20 years, New Jersey has been a national leader in providing high-quality preschool with an initial focus on low-income 3- and 4-year-olds, but more recently to additional children living in eligible communities throughout the state. This is money well spent as research shows that children who attend quality preschool are more likely to succeed in school and in life.
A 2021 study by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) found that by 10th grade, students who attended preschool in the original 31 state-funded programs continue to thrive, particularly in math and language literacy arts and literacy. Grade retention was also reduced by 15% and special education was reduced by 7%.
While more of New Jersey’s preschoolers currently have access to our state’s high-quality program, others living in eligible districts are missing out on this opportunity. That is why it’s important for school administrators and school boards to understand the benefits of state-funded preschool and child care providers and parents to know how to advocate to bring preschool to their communities!
Find preschool advocacy tools.
- View Roadmaps for parents, providers, and districts.
- Find out if your school district has a state-funded program or has been eligible to apply in the past.
- Use this toolkit to help bring public preschool to your district.
