California Sees Record Enrollment of 4-Year-Olds in Publicly Funded Preschool Programs
California has achieved a significant milestone in early childhood education, with 62% of 4-year-olds enrolled in publicly funded preschool programs during the 2024-25 school year. This marks a substantial increase from 42% in the 2019-20 school year, as reported by the Learning Policy Institute. The expansion is largely attributed to the state's transitional kindergarten (TK) program, which alone enrolled 55% of 4-year-olds, equating to approximately 177,000 children. Despite this progress, challenges remain, as nearly 40% of eligible children are still not enrolled, and the rate of eligible children signing up has decreased. Barriers such as lack of awareness and other enrollment challenges persist, even as California guarantees a TK spot for every 4-year-old. 
