2019’s States with the Best & Worst Early Education Systems
From Wallet Hub, Aug 13, 2019
While good elementary schools, high schools and colleges are important factors for parents to consider when choosing where to settle down, the availability of quality pre-K education is just as crucial.
A study by the National Institute for Early Education Research showed that students enrolled in full-day pre-K programs do better on math and literacy tests than their peers who attend only partial day preschool. In addition, those who attend pre-K programs have been shown to have less risk of future crime than those who do not. Plus, pre-K programs may generate billions of dollars for the economy over a few decades, due to lessening the need for social services and creating more productive citizens.
To help parents find the states with the best early education systems, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 12 key metrics, including share of school districts that offer a state pre-K program, number of pre-K quality benchmarks met and total reported spending per child enrolled in pre-K.
read … Full Report
Hawaii
- 33 -- Overall Rank
- 41.74 -- Total Score
- 21 -- ‘Access’ Rank
- 43 -- ‘Quality’ Rank
- 37 -- ‘Resources & Economic Support’ Rank
- 49 -- Share of 3 and 4 year olds enrolled in Pre K, PreK SPED, and Head Start (3rd-lowest)
- 1 – Highest Income Requirement for State PreK Eligibility
- 50 (Highest) – Monthly Child Care Co-payment fees as a percentage of family income
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Hawaii Child Care Costs More than College Tuition
HNN: … The average cost for infant care in Hawaii is more than $1,100 a month ― or nearly $14,000 a year ― according to a recent report from the Economic Policy Institute.
That’s the 12th highest average in the nation, and more than resident undergraduate tuition at UH (which will set you back $11,304 at UH-Manoa for the upcoming school year).
And it doesn’t get much better for toddlers.
The report said child care for a 4-year-old averages about $9,000 a year or $745 a month. If you have an infant and a toddler, the bill for child care would top $22,000 a year.
The report notes that with the state’s median family income at $85,000 a year, the average family would have to spend more than 26% of its income to keep a toddler and infant in child care at the same time.
A minimum wage worker, meanwhile, would need to work full time for 34 weeks just to pay for child care for one infant.
To see the full report, click here ….
read … In Hawaii, infant care is pricier than college