A June 2017 national poll found that 79% of voters—including 80% of Trump votes and 79% of Clinton voters—want Congress and the administration to work together to improve the quality of child care and preschool, and make it more affordable for parents. “ Investing in quality early childhood education from birth through age five has emerged as a unifying issue among American voters of every political persuasion,” according to the First Five Years Fund’s 2017 national bipartisan poll.

There is strong support for essential investments in quality early childhood education from birth through age five. Here are some of the findings.

The polls show that Americans know that high-quality early childhood programs pay off.

74% of the electorate says that quality early childhood education sets children up for academic success in elementary school, and 69% of voters say high-quality early childhood programs lead to a larger pool of highly skilled workers in the long term. Perhaps that’s why 86% say that child care should include early learning to prepare children for success in school and life.

Go to http://ffyf.org/2017-poll/ for infographics and videos.

In our current atmosphere of divisive political battles, it is clear that there is bipartisan support for affordable quality early care and education.

Dave Edie
Early Education Policy Analyst