California to receive largest share of proposed Universal Preschool funds
California is expected to receive the most federal funding of any state in the country under President Obama's "Preschool For All" proposal. The state will receive $334 million for the first year to pay for the universal preschool program. The money will cover 90 percent of the state's first year costs. California would have to chip in 10 percent in the first year, about $34 million.
California gets more money for universal preschool than any other state because it has more pre-school kids living in poverty.
The Department of Education estimates California could serve 40,000 low and moderate income pre-schoolers in the first year of the program. Kris Perry, Executive Director of the early education advocacy group First Five Years Fund, said the funding will be critical for California’s low-income families.
Perry called the funding announcement “good news” and said it recognizes that in large states like California: "