The National Institute for Early Education Research’s (NIEER) The State of Preschool 2020 features 10 quality benchmarks that are viewed as the minimum standards for effective preschool education. The report finds that growth in state-funded preschool slowed even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Benchmark progress varied across the states, resulting in increased inequality in children’s access to high-quality preschool. The pandemic obstructed learning and development opportunities for young children and imposed impediments to the well-being and professional development of the early care and education (ECE) workforce. Policy and practice recommendations are included for consideration in efforts to strengthen and expand high-quality ECE.

NIEER also released an accompanying Special Report: The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on Preschool. It reviews data on policy and practice changes to address program closures and declining child enrollment and to implement remote learning. Most state-funded preschool programs reported utilizing the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the designated Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds to offset the state financial pressures caused by the pandemic. The report recommends that states leverage federal funds to prioritize quality and access issues as they develop plans to responsibly return to in-person, high-quality preschool.