A Family Navigator can help you choose the best option for your family.
No matter which setting you choose, it is okay to ask questions and trust your instincts. If you want help comparing options, a Family Navigator can help.
Early Learning Matters
Early childhood education isn’t just child care. It’s a foundation for life.
When children have safe care, steady routines, and nurturing adults, they build strong skills for school and life.
By age five, a child’s brain has grown to about 90% of its adult size.1 That’s why the first five years matter so much.
Infants and Toddlers
Get the structure, safety, and support for your child when you need it.
In the first years, children learn through safe care, nurturing relationships, and simple routines. When babies and toddlers feel secure, they explore more and learn faster.
- Benefit 1: Babies build trust through warm relationships. When caregivers respond quickly and kindly, babies feel safe and learn to connect with others.
- Benefit 2: Toddlers learn best when their days are predictable. Schedules and calm transitions help young children manage big feelings and build confidence.
- Benefit 3: Early care builds language from the start. Talking, singing, and reading throughout the day helps babies and toddlers learn words and communicate.
A young child’s brain forms more than 1 million new connections every second.2 Early experiences and routines help build these connections.
Preschoolers
Early learning builds the skills kids need for school and for life.
Preschool is when children learn how to learn. They practice listening, sharing, and solving problems. They also build early reading, math, and pre-writing skills through play, stories, and hands-on learning.
- Benefit 1: Preschool boosts early reading skills. Studies consistently find that preschool boosts early literacy at kindergarten entry.3
- Benefit 2: Preschool increases early math skills. Many preschool studies find gains in early math, like counting and problem-solving.4
- Benefit 3: Preschool builds confidence and focus. In a study of 2,832 kindergarteners, preschool attendance was linked to higher attentiveness and lower timidness.5
In Kentucky, about 70% of children coming from early childhood education programs were kindergarten-ready, compared to only 36% of children without structured learning programs.6
Kindergarten and Beyond
A strong start in early learning helps children stay on track in school.
Kindergarten is a big change. Children need to follow routines, learn in a group, and handle big feelings. Starting behind raises the risk of struggling later in school, especially in reading and math.
- Benefit 1: Preschool reduces the need for special education later. In North Carolina, children who attended preschool were 48% less likely to be placed in special education by 5th grade.7
- Benefit 2: Preschool lowers the likelihood that a child will be held back. The same study found children who attended early learning programs were 69% less likely to ever repeat a grade by 5th grade.8
- Benefit 3: Preschool has a lasting impact. In one study, children who attended preschool were 4 times more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree or higher by age 30.9
In Jefferson County, 61% of children who enter JCPS kindergarten are not ready.10 That means many children need extra support from the start.
Understanding Early Childhood Education
What is the difference between daycare and preschool?
Programs use different words, but children need the same things: safe care and steady learning. The term “daycare” is outdated. What families are really looking for is care and learning together.
Children start in younger classrooms with nurturing care and early learning, then move into older classrooms with a structured curriculum, such as books, counting, art, and group activities. Frequently referred to as preschool, quality programs combine early childhood education and child care.
Other options include preschool programs in churches, community programs, and some public or private schools. Many families can choose part-time or full-time, depending on what they need.
There is no one best choice for every family. A Family Navigator can help you compare options and decide what fits your child, your schedule, and your budget.
How is child care provided by a family or a friend different from a licensed or registered care setting?
Both can be warm and safe. The main difference is oversight and structure. Licensed or registered care is intentionally designed as a learning environment, with routines, materials, and activities that support children’s growth.
Family care may be a good fit if you need: flexible hours, a familiar caregiver, or care that closely matches your family’s culture and language.
Licensed or registered care may be a good fit if you want: clear safety standards, trained staff, and a setting designed for early learning with a structured daily routine.
References
1 First Things First, Brain Development.
2 Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. Brain Architecture: An ongoing process that begins before birth.
3, 4, 7, 8 Learning Policy Institute, Untangling the Evidence on Preschool Effectiveness, 2019.
5 Gormley WT Jr, Phillips DA, Newmark K, Welti K, Adelstein S. Social-emotional effects of early childhood education programs in Tulsa, 2011.
6 Kentucky Teacher (Kentucky Department of Education). Readiness results highlight need for quality early learning, 2016.
9 Campbell FA, Pungello EP, Burchinal M, Kainz K, Pan Y, Wasik BH, Barbarin OA, Sparling JJ, Ramey CT. Adult Outcomes as a Function of an Early Childhood Educational Program: An Abecedarian Project Follow-Up (2012).
10 JCPS Cascade Data Portal (BRIGANCE K-ready), 2025–2026.