Despite being the only state where a child’s right to a “high-quality” pre-K education is constitutionally protected, Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Program remains one of the lowest-funded in the country. The recent budget increase, only raising funding by $1 per hour per child, fails to address inflation and rising costs. Critics, including Timothy Davis of Park Avenue Daycare and Steven Barnett of the National Institute of Early Childhood Education Research, argue that the program’s quality is compromised by low teacher wages, minimal funding, and the lack of degree requirements for teachers.
