Beshear’s ‘Pre-K for All’ initiative gains strong support from parents, educators

FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — The state’s “Pre-K for All” advisory council has held the first of several town halls. These meetings give Kentuckians a chance to weigh in as Governor Andy Beshear pushes to expand preschool access for four-year-olds across the state.

“It gave my son his first words,” said Mark Watkins about his child’s preschool experience. “That helped him. It was a blessing. And there’s a lot of kids like that out there that could use this all over the state.”

It’s testimonies from parents like Watkins that this advisory committee is taking into consideration.

Wednesday night, dozens of parents, educators, and state leaders gathered in Frankfort to give feedback on Governor Beshear’s “Pre-K for All” initiative. 

Some parents expressed their support, noting that childcare can be both inaccessible and expensive.

“The emotional weight of wanting what’s best for your child while facing limited options due to income is something far too many families understand,” said Katima Smith Willis.

Local educators noted that far too many Kentucky children come to kindergarten unprepared. State statistics showed that during the 2023 academic year, 53.8% of Kentucky’s children were unprepared when they showed up for their first day of kindergarten.

“Why on earth wouldn’t we, as Kentuckians, want to give our students a head start so that when they do get into kindergarten, they’re well ahead of the game?” asked Franklin County Superintendent Mark Kopp.

By broadening the state’s educational opportunities, Tracy Hopper, the Franklin County jailer, said it could also help break the cycle of incarceration.

“The higher the education, the higher the employment rate and the lower the incarceration rate is,” said Hopper.

Beshear said “Pre-K for All” will help put money back in the pockets of parents and could grow the commonwealth’s workforce by 70,000 people. Local leaders said this could help build a stronger economy.

“When parents work, they spend their money locally on housing, food services, and generating tax revenue,” said Franklin County Judge-Executive Michael Mueller.

Despite the overall support, some raised questions about accessibility. Several called for full-day options, noting that eligibility means little without availability.

“If we do not have strategies for scaling up this workforce, as we’re scaling up the demand and opportunity to become a part of an early childhood ecosystem, then we will not achieve the full potential that we can in Kentucky,” said Mandy Marler with the Childcare Council of Kentucky.

More town halls are planned across the commonwealth, including stops in northern Kentucky, Bowling Green, Morehead, and at the Kentucky State Fair.

Click here to register or learn more about the initiative.