Arizona has one of the lowest rates of preschool enrollment of any state, but a $20 million a year grant from the U.S. Department of Education could help change that.   

Patsy Rethore-Larson is with Homeward Bound, which provides preschool services for homeless families and those facing homelessness. She said a grant supporting early learning could be a game-changer if funding remains over the long term.
         
"With this grant, we can provide higher-quality experiences for these kids right now, and hopefully other programs will be able to take advantage of this funding to get better training, get better teachers, get better materials," Rethore-Larson said.

Rethore-Larson said there is mounting evidence linking quality early childhood education to long-term school and career success. 

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count Data Book, Arizona is ranked 48th in the country of children ages 3 and 4 not attending preschool.