Dive Brief:
- On Thursday, House Representative John Delaney (D-Md.) introduced legislation to provide state governments with the funds to establish universal preschool access programs.
- The legislation provides for a pot of money, the Early Education Trust Fund, that would distribute grants to participating states.
- The funds would come from a tax on individuals earning more than $500,000 a year and would provide up to $8,000 per student per year.
Dive Insight:
The Obama administration has made preschool access a key part of the president's final term. But the issue has failed to gain traction at the national level.
Delaney's legislation is a bold play but it's unclear if it has the support to make inroads. That could become clearer as Congress continues to hash out a budget deal, which currently includes cuts to preschool funding. Instead, states are moving forward with a mix of local, state and federal dollars, to fund expanded access to preschool. If more funds were available, it's likely states would take advantage.