Early Care and Education in the Golden State: Publicly Funded Programs Serving California's Preschool-Age Children

To evaluate the adequacy and efficiency of preschool education, the RAND Corporation has undertaken the California Preschool Study to improve understanding of achievement gaps in the early elementary grades, the adequacy of preschool education currently given, and what efficiencies or additional resources might be brought to bear in early care and education (ECE). This volume provides a comprehensive assessment of publicly funded ECE programs for preschool-age children--for California as a whole, and for four case-study counties: Los Angles, Merced, San Diego, and San Mateo. California's system of publicly subsidized ECE programs for preschool-age children has evolved over time into a complex array of mostly targeted programs supported through multiple funding streams. The authors find that there is a sizable gap between the number of three- and four-year-old children eligible for such programs and the number that can be served given current program funding. In addition, the quality of ECE programs for preschool-age children is uncertain, and the sometimes low standards are compounded by a reimbursement structure for subsidized care that gives little incentive for providing higher quality programs. Finally, potential inefficiencies in the system may limit the benefits from the dollars spent. The following are appended: (1) Additional Analyses of Enrollment Patterns; (2) Los Angeles County Case Study; (3) Merced County Case Study; (4) San Diego County Case Study; and (5) San Mateo County Case Study. (Contains 7 figures, 48 tables, and 82 footnotes.) [The research described in this report was conducted by RAND Labor and Population. Additional funding was provided by the Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP).]