The District of Columbia is a pioneering leader in early childhood. In 1972, the District became one of the first jurisdictions to offer pre-k in public school settings. Since the 1970s, early childhood leaders have been successfully fighting to expand access to programs. Today, an exceptionally high number of children and families have access to some form of pre-k. Pre-K for All DC is fighting to ensure all children have access to high-quality programs.

Key Milestones

1972

The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Pre-K Program is created to serve four-year-old children in the District. The program is available only in public schools and funding is provided through the school-funding formula on a per-pupil basis.

1979

The Mayor's Advisory Committee on Early Childhood Development is established to: hold public hearings; increase public awareness of programs; review and comment on legislation, regulations, policies, and programs; recommend methods of upgrading services; and improve communications between providers, the public, and the government.

2002

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation provides a multi-year, multi-million dollar grant, through the Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) initiative, to the National Black Child Development Institute. The grant is intended to assist the District in uniting resources to better prepare children for school. Over a five-year period, SPARK DC will seek both "ready children" and "ready schools" to smooth the transition to school and align pre-k and elementary school settings. The program becomes a new organizing point for a renewed movement toward school readiness for all children.

2003

A group of over 200 early education and K-12 organizations come together to form the Universal School Readiness Stakeholder Group. Working with SPARK DC, the Stakeholders Group works to increase public knowledge, support, and action to ensure all children enter kindergarten ready to learn through high-quality early education programs.

2004

Early education advocates under the banner of the Stakeholders Group and SPARK DC submit the "Roadmap to Universal School Readiness in the District of Columbia." The document serves as a blueprint for funding and implementation of pre-k for all children and becomes the early education platform for the 2005 legislative session.

2005

DCPS grants $4.6 million to the Department of Human Services to provide high-quality pre-k programs in community-based settings. These funds, under the title Pre-K Incentive Program, now serve nearly 400 children in 16 centers across the city. Eighty percent of teachers in the Pre-K Incentive Program have a bachelor's degree, and all classrooms meet NAEYC quality standards.

2006

The Pre-K for All DC campaign is launched in June. SPARK DC, the Universal School Readiness Stakeholder Group, and the Early Care and Education Administration in the Department of Human Resources are the principle partners.