High-quality early learning builds the academic and social-emotional foundation that children need to thrive in kindergarten and beyond. Today many of the Kentucky children who most need this solid foundation do not have the opportunity due to cost and/or lack of high-quality programs in their area. More children benefiting from high-quality environments from birth to preschool will prepare more students for strong learning in kindergarten through third grade, leading to more students proficient in reading and mathematics by the end of third grade. Kentucky’s young children and their families benefit from high-quality early learning that keeps every child on a path toward proficiency in reading and mathematics by the end of the third grade. Research demonstrates that learning begins early and high-quality early learning impacts long-term outcomes for students. Cognitive skill development begins early and rapidly. The Toddler Brain by Laura A. Jana, M.D. indicates that 85-90% of brain development occurs before the age of 5. Research also shows children who participate in high-quality preschool programs are 40 percent less likely to drop out of school and 50 percent less likely to be placed in special education. I encourage you to strongly consider increasing investment in early childhood education so that the entire educational systems improves.