Governor Andy Beshear is gathering support from local leaders for his Pre-K for All Initiative. Sixty-three of Kentucky’s county judge executives sent a letter to state lawmakers encouraging them to support expanded access to pre-K. Thirty-one Mayors representing cities across the commonwealth wrote a similar letter to the General Assembly.
Billy Parker is the superintendent of Scott County Schools. During the most recent Team Kentucky update, he emphasized the importance of starting children's education early.
“A child's brain development is 90% completed by age five. When we miss out on giving children exposure to phonics, math skills, and social skills during this critical window, we miss a major opportunity in a child's development,” Parker said.
Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory said expanding access to pre-k would save workers thousands of dollars.
“In Hardin County, on average, families spend over 10% of their annual income on child care. That's thousands of dollars we can return to the pockets of our working families when we provide them access to pre-k. Studies have shown that, on average, parents will save about $7000 on the cost of pre-k when we guarantee pre-k for all,” Gregory said.
A report from the governor's office shows Kentucky's labor force participation rate is lower in counties where child care centers are harder to access, and higher in counties with easier access.
Between January and September 2024, over 70,000 Kentucky adults were unable to work because they needed to care for a child.
Since its launch in June, over 60,000 Kentuckians have written to their state legislators asking them to support the initiative.
