UC Berkeley Report Finds Enrollment in California's Public Preschool Programs Hasn't Recovered From Pandemic

Since 2021, the federal and state governments have boosted spending on child care and early education by more than $5 billion to help California’s youngest kids recover from COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns.

However, many families have not responded with the same level of enthusiasm, according to an analysis of state data (PDF) published Wednesday by researchers at the UC Berkeley School of Education.

While enrollment in transitional kindergarten has significantly grown in the last three years as the state admits more 4-year-olds into the new grade, demand for other programs that serve this age group, such as Head Start and the California State Preschool Program, has been relatively flat, according to the new findings.

The data show that overall enrollment in public preschool has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to Bruce Fuller, who led the analysis.

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