A new report by the Government Accountability Office provides the first comprehensive nationwide look at state early education programs and how they are funded.
Four states—Idaho, New Hampshire, South Dakota, and Wyoming—reported no state-funded early-childhood programs, but all others had at least one preschool or early-childhood initiative.
A majority of the 86 state programs in the study reported using both state and federal or other funding. The GAO noted that multiple funding sources provided flexibility and allowed the state to serve more families. But the GAO also found the various funding sources at times conflicting rules.