Sunrise Preschool in East LA is one of only a handful of free early education centers in the community. There's a waiting list 15 kids deep to get in.
Cruz Meneses, a preschool teacher, said this year there are parents who walk with their children more than 10 blocks because there aren't many preschools in the community.
The preschool shortage exists all across America, but it's particularly bad in California, according to a new report released Tuesday by the US Department of Education.
California has more 4 year olds than any other state — over half a million — but fewer of them are enrolled in publicly funded preschools than anywhere else in the nation.
It's a troubling statistic for educators.
"Investing in early education hasn't been a priority," said Dawn A. Kurtz, the vice president of programs for Los Angeles Universal Preschool.
The LA Universal Preschool uses state, local, and federal grant money to help pay for 10,000 children to get access to quality preschool in LA County.
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Kurtz says the science is clear, early education is an important indicator of future success.
"When we're talking about the importance of high-quality education, we’re talking about the future economy of our state and our nation," Kurtz said.
The National Institute for Early Education says 71 percent of 4 year olds in California are not enrolled in preschool, that compares with 59 percent not enrolled nationwide.
Latinos in the U.S. have the lowest preschool participation of any major ethnicity.
Only 40 percent Latino children are enrolled in preschool, compared with 50 percent of African American children, and 53 percent of white children. Only 41 percent of low income children are enrolled.
The Obama administration has asked for $500 million to fund early education next year — but local experts say much more is needed.
If state lawmakers can't come up with more money for early education in the next budget, LA stands to lose another 11,000 preschool slots by next year.
