This report explores the extent to which we underinvest in children’s education and care across age groups, geographies, and funding sources. Overall, CELFE found that in 2022 – a high-watermark year for public investment in early care and education – for every public dollar spent on the education and care of a school-aged child, only 21 cents were spent on a preschooler, while 11 cents were spent on an infant or toddler.

In the latest version of The Shortchanged Project, we mapped and analyzed the total expenditures for ECE across all 50 states in FY22. By reviewing state program expenditure reporting, we identified more than $6.7 billion in state spending that was not already accounted for in national reporting. Then we compared public per capita spending in age groups – birth to 3, 3 to kindergarten-entry, and school-aged children – to illustrate the proximity or distance between investments in ECE and school-aged education and care, nationally and across states. Notable differences in state investments by age group allowed us to analyze, compare, and rank states’ financial commitment to early learning

To learn more, read the full report.