National Poll: 

The First Five Years Fund released poll results showing strong support for early learning. Conducted by the bipartisan research team of Public Opinion Strategies and Hart Research, the national telephone survey of 800 registered voters found that 70 percent of Americans favored providing all low- and moderate-income 4-year-olds with voluntary access to high-quality preschool programs as well as making available more early education and child care programs for infants and toddlers and home visiting and parent education programs for families.

Support for a plan similar to the President’s early learning proposal increased to 77 percent when respondents were told explicitly that the proposal would not add to the deficit, including 72 percent support from Republicans, 71 percent from Independents and 88 percent from Democrats. A majority of voters (51 percent) strongly support such a proposal.

Wisconsin Poll: 

A Wisconsin public opinion poll also found majority support for early education in a 2011 survey by conservative think tank, the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute. That poll found that 60% of Wisconsinites surveyed agree that early childhood education is an investment in Wisconsin’s economic future.

Here are the results of question 29 in the Wisconsin poll:

29. Some people feel that state funding for early childhood education programs should be supported because it is an investment in Wisconsin’s economic future. Others feel that state funding for early childhood education programs is not a high priority when state budget dollars are scarce. Which comes closer to the way you feel?

60% Early childhood education is an investment in Wisconsin’s economic future
34% Early childhood education is not a high priority when state funding is tight
6% Don’t know/Refused
To see the entire poll, go to: http://wpri.org/polls/Oct2011/Toplines.pdf

Dave Edie