The Cost of Pre-K Education in KC

Tell me if this sounds familiar to you.

When it was time to enroll my daughter in an early learning program, I was ready. I was getting an early start. I was ready to do my research. I was going to make calls, do site visits, read reviews, the whole nine yards.

Then reality set in.

At the most popular pre-K centers there were wait lists – long ones! High-quality pre-K providers do an incredible job, but their numbers are limited. And when we finally found pre-K programs we liked, the price tag was shocking!

Very quickly I realized that, for Kansas City parents, we’re not doing everything we need to do to make sure every child has access to affordable, high-quality pre-K and all the benefits that come with it.

Here are the facts:

• High-quality, full day, year around pre-K instruction in Kansas City costs about $12,000 a year while the average annual household income is $47,000.

• 40% of zip codes in Kansas City don’t have access to high-quality pre-K.

• Only about 34% of Kansas City kids attend a high-quality pre-K program.

• Even if you can afford $12,000 a year to send your kid to high quality pre-K, it may not be available in your neighborhood.

And who do you think typically ends up handling child care duties when families can’t afford to send their children to an early learning program? Here is a hint – it’s usually the parent whose income is lower. Unfortunately ladies, that’s usually us.

That’s why I’m excited to be working beside Mayor Sly James to create more access to pre-K programs for our children and to make it more affordable for families.

The issue of pre-K is absolutely about giving our children the best start possible.

Kindergarten starts for most children after they turn 5 years old, yet 90% of a child’s brain development occurs before age 5. We need high-quality early learning programs for all of KC’s four-year olds, so that we are stimulating their development at a critical time.

Studies show that kids with high-quality early learning experience are less likely to be involved in juvenile crime. Their motor skills, self control, and conflict resolution skills are more advanced than their peers who don’t have the same pre-K experience. Early learning programs are also cheaper than the millions of dollars taxpayers spend on prisons that are filling up with high school dropouts – many who needed the help that early learning programs can provide.

But it’s also about empowering women.  The more we can help families send their four-year-olds to quality pre-K, the more the mom gets to seize her own destiny. Knowing she can afford to enroll her child in a quality pre-K program during the day can help women, particularly women of color, with economic independence by allowing them to engage in the workforce.

Check out this table that shows how our plan helps families with discounts off the $12,000 it takes to send a four-year-old to a high-quality pre-K center:

As you can see, family size and income are taken into consideration to ensure we’re reaching families currently shut out of the pre-K landscape. And that means this plan will help women who currently don’t have the choice many of us enjoy to determine their own futures.

2018 was considered to be the Year of the Woman, but in Kansas City, if we don’t address the challenges facing families looking to send their kids to high-quality pre-K, we’re leaving women unfairly behind.

On April 2, 2019, we have an opportunity for Kansas City women to support each other by voting yes on Question 1 to ensure pre-K access and affordability no longer holds us back from determining our own paths.

Will you join me in standing up for other Kansas City women?

To learn more about Mayor James’ pre-K plan, please visit: http://kcmayor.org/pre-k.

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Joni Wickham is chief of staff to Kansas City Mayor Sly James. As chief of staff, Joni leads the Mayor’s office and provides counsel to the Mayor on a wide range of topics. She’s an advocate for good government, empowering women in leadership and her husband’s band. Whether it’s advancing the mayor’s agenda, raising a 4-year-old daughter, or keeping tabs on a new pup she brought home from the city’s animal shelter – Joni’s plate is always full.