By Edward Lynn
DES MOINES, Iowa — Even as Iowa leads the nation from smack dab in the middle of the top ten states for preschool access, early childhood education here in Iowa is under threat by proposed federal budget cuts that would impact the entire country.
Iowa continues to lead the Midwest and ranks fifth nationally in preschool access for four-year-old children, according to the newly released State of Preschool Yearbook from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). The state’s ranking for access among three-year-olds also improved slightly, from 22nd to 21st place.
The 2023-24 yearbook shows Iowa enrolled 67 percent of its four-year-olds and six percent of its three-year-olds in state-funded preschool programs, significantly above the national averages of 37 percent and eight percent, respectively.
“We are pleased to see Iowa recognized for our continued efforts to provide access to high-quality preschool programs for our youngest learners,” said Kimberly Villotti, chief of the Bureau of Early Childhood Education at the Iowa Department of Education. “Through our collaborative partnerships and a statewide commitment to inclusive programming, we continue to serve a large number of four-year-olds and look for additional enrollment opportunities for three-year-olds.”
The report highlighted the strength of Iowa’s two state-funded programs: the Shared Visions Preschool Program and the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for Four-Year-Old Children. Combined, these programs enrolled 28,189 students, with nearly $97 million in total state spending — up one percent from the prior year. The average spending per child reached $3,735.
Iowa has managed to sustain access to preschool in large part due to its state-funded efforts. Established in 2007, the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program offers free access to quality preschool for all children who are four years old by September 15. Shared Visions, operating in 29 counties, targets children ages three to five who are considered at-risk, supporting both school readiness and long-term educational outcomes.
While Iowa’s performance at the state level remains strong, the national report arrives against a backdrop of uncertainty following recent federal funding developments. In early 2025, the Trump administration proposed eliminating all federal funding for Head Start, a program that provides early education and support services to low-income families. Although the proposal was ultimately reversed after public backlash, it created significant disruption and concern for providers across the country.
Further complicating matters, a January 2025 executive order froze disbursements for numerous federal grants, including Head Start, as part of a broader administrative spending review. Although courts later blocked the order, the temporary halt delayed services in many communities and highlighted the instability of relying on federal funding. If the Trump administration succeeds in cutting funding for Head Start, families would lose access to affordable child care, and much more.
As a result, experts here in the Hawkeye state and around the nation are speaking out.
“Families need the opportunity and the availability to go to work, and what’s the biggest barrier for families with young children? Childcare,” Christi Regan, Director of Head Start programs at HACAP in eastern Iowa, told KGAN. Head Start does more than just watch and teach young children, Regan pointed out, saying “We do a variety of screenings that involve developmental, vision, hearing, dental… all of those have huge impacts on a child’s ability to grow and learn.”
Stephanie Schmit, Director of Child Care and Early Education at the Center for Law and Social Policy, warned about the broader implications of cutting Head Start funds, that threaten to impact even those without young children, through a sort of domino effect. “Eliminating Head Start will have effects far beyond the families it serves. For many Head Start families, losing these services may mean having to leave school or the workforce, creating economic instability for their entire community,” she told the Jacksonville Journal-Courier.
And Yasmina Vinci, Executive Director of the National Head Start Association, expressed relief over Head Start’s inclusion in the Trump Administration’s latest budget proposal, but also expressed concern. “While Head Start is grateful that it was not explicitly eliminated in this skinny budget proposal, we are concerned about the significant cuts that threaten access to health services, education, and support for hundreds of thousands of families,” Vinci told the Associated Press.
In an effort to help those concerned for the future of the Head Start program and early childhood education in America, the National Head Start Association (NHSA) has launched a tool to help citizens contact lawmakers, at https://nhsa.org/take-action/.
More information about Iowa’s preschool programs is available at educate.iowa.gov under Early Childhood Education.
