Early Childhood Education

Research shows that providing a high quality education for children before they turn five yields significant long-term benefits. Moreover, children who receive high-quality early education have higher academic achievement in both reading and math from primary grades through adulthood and are more likely to attend a four-year college. As cited by the Executive Office of the President (2014), one of the highest returns of any public investment is early learning, averaging $8.60 for every dollar spent.

NIEA supports the need for high-quality preschool programs which focus on families and early childhood education. Key programs within the field of early learning include: Head Start, Early Head Start, Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program, and the newly authorized preschool development grant that will be jointly administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Education (ED).

NIEA’s work in early learning is done collaboratively with our partner organization, the National Indian Head Start Directors Association (NIHSDA).