KENDRICK, Idaho – A coalition is launching an effort to bring preschool to more Idaho kids, and kindergarten teachers say it could level the playing field for their students.

The Gem State is one of only five states that doesn't invest in preschool, and Angie Tweit, who teaches kindergarten in Kendrick, said preschool opportunities are rare in rural towns such as hers. After years of waiting, Tweit had an epiphany in 2016 and realized she would have to step up to get preschool in her community, so she started an early-learning collaborative.

"It just dawned on me, 'I can't wait any longer.' I mean, the students are coming in and they only have one shot at that," she said. "So, another class would go through and no preschool, and it felt like we were starting off day-one 'kindergarten intervention.' "

Tweit said the most helpful group in this effort has been parents. Her district offers preschool at no charge and, in return, parents volunteer once a month in the classroom. She said the collaborative is supported by a patchwork of funding from businesses, education foundations, the district and a federal Community Learning Center grant.

The Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children is to launch its "Preschool the Idaho Way" project today in Boise. According to Idaho AEYC, every dollar invested in quality early-learning programs could save taxpayers $7 to $13 in costs of children repeating grades and special-education services.

Kuna kindergarten teacher Alyssa Townsend said she is convinced that investing in preschool would ensure long-term success for more students. She said kids come to her class without many of the basics - including academic, social and fine motor skills.

"If kids come to us at five years old still at a three-year-old ability level – which we get very, very often – they're trying to catch up those last two years," she said, "and they can't do three years worth of growth within the year that we have them."

Affordability and cost remain big barriers. Tweit said the idea isn't mandating that every parent put their child in preschool - but rather giving every kid a chance at the benefits of an early-learning program.

"We just don't want to have the 'haves' and the 'have-nots.' As a kindergarten teacher, I see children who come who have received early-childhood education, and then there are the children who come who have not," she said, "and we just want to make sure that everyone has access to quality preschool programs."

Information on the Preschool the Idaho Way launch is online at eventbrite.com.


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Buy-in on Montana's first state-funded early literacy program has been lower than expected in its first year of operation and a school administrator group plans to offer training to help increase the numbers.

State lawmakers in this year's session added math literacy to a 2023 reading literacy program for K-3 students, which is voluntary for both students and schools.

Rob Watson, executive director of the group School Administrators of Montana, said the most successful early literacy programs are aligned with their associated upper grade levels.

"Everything down to how the curriculum aligns, how the assessments align, how you identify which kids need extra help," Watson outlined. "The strategies have to be aligned in grades pre-K all the way through 3."

Watson applied for a grant to help train elementary school principals about alignment, which he thinks could increase use of the programs. Participation varies widely by region, which he noted is likely related to the availability of accredited teachers. According to his research, nearly 70% of districts in north central Montana have launched the program, compared to only 5% in northeast Montana.

Watson pointed out fewer than half of Montana's school-age kids are reading at or above their grade level, according to Zero to Five Montana.

"That's a big predictor for a lot of different things later on in life with regard to progression in middle school and high school, dropout rates, graduation rates," Watson outlined. "All that stuff is connected to students' ability to read."

He estimated fewer than 2,000 4-year-olds participated last year, of about 11,000 kids that age.


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CORRECTION: The name of the spokesperson from the Center for Law and Social Policy is Suzanne Wikle. She had been incorrectly identified as Suzanne Michael. (2:57 p.m. MDT, May 6, 2025)

Potential Medicaid cuts could have a negative impact on early childhood education professionals in Arkansas.

A report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families shows 31% of the state's child-care workers are covered by Medicaid.

Nicole Carey, education policy director with Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, said having health-care coverage impacts the overall well-being of the educator.

"Which then plays into their relationship with the kids they're serving, and their longevity in the profession," said Carey. "And it has this ripple effect if they lose their health coverage, then maybe they aren't getting the services they need, and then they can't be as present at work."

Arkansas has expanded Medicaid coverage. It's one of 13 states nationwide that covers more than one-third of the child-care workforce through Medicaid.

Congress is considering cuts to Medicaid and other federal programs, which some say will eliminate federal waste.

The report shows many child-care centers are operated by small businesses owners who cannot afford to offer their employees health coverage.

Carey said Medicaid is needed to provide coverage to these essential workers.

"It will be your hourly workers, which could be the people in the classroom," said Carey, "it could be nutrition, it could be front desk."

Suzanne Wikle, associate director for state health policy and advocacy with the Center for Law and Social Policy, said most proposals for streamlining Medicaid includes shifting costs to the states, which means many Americans could lose health coverage.

"State budgets cannot just absorb that," said Wikle. "So, states will have to raise additional revenue through other ways, or cut, or do both, most likely, and because most states have to balance their budgets, these decisions will come quickly, and they will be very, very difficult."



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Child care is expensive and in high demand but groups in Montana are taking creative approaches to help.

Child care services in Montana currently meet about half the state's need, and full-time child care can cost more than college tuition, according to Montana Advocates for Children. Experts said solutions are unique to communities.

Jennifer Pfau, executive director of the Central Montana Childcare Alliance, helped launch the group in 2022, which offers startup grants and support for businesses, schools, churches and others to start child care centers. She said the pandemic made visible the "workforce behind the workforce."

"It's shifting the focus to helping people realize that child care is essential community infrastructure," Pfau explained. "And then working together to help address the needs in your community."

The group has helped open 15 new child care centers and expand capacity by nearly 200 slots with American Rescue Plan Act funding, which Pfau noted has since run out. She called finding more "challenging."

As school enrollment decreases, some empty classrooms are being remodeled for child care. That worked for Pfau and for the group Missoula Child Care Advantage, which also created a business membership, offering in-network child care for employees of local businesses and schools.

Sally Henkel, Missoula Child Care Advantage coordinator for the United Way of Missoula County, said fees go toward a "shared services model" to stabilize the child care sector by reducing administrative costs.

"Once that can be alleviated, the hope is that providers can really reinvest that time and energy into mentoring staff, maybe paying them a little bit better," Henkel outlined. "And also offer higher quality child care and have a little bit less burnout as well."

At the Montana Capitol, House Bill 360, scheduled for a hearing in the Human Services Committee this week, would establish a child care workforce recruitment and retention support payment program.


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