On Monday, the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students (GEEARS) (an FFYF partner) released results of a poll showing that a large majority of Georgia voters say early childhood education is a priority for the state and for the nation.
Consistent with national polling released earlier this year, majorities of Georgia Democrats, Independents and Republicans support investments in early childhood education programs.
The Georgia poll surveyed voters in the state last month and was conducted by the bipartisan team of North Star Opinion Research and The Schapiro Group. Key findings include:
- 87 percent of voters agree that it is important to make early education and child care more affordable for working families;
- 74 percent of Georgia voters support greater federal investment in early childhood education and 51 percent believe passage of a federal plan to expand access to high-quality programs should be an absolute priority this year;
- 87 percent of Georgians support using a portion of the state’s lottery funds to provide voluntary pre-K for 4-year-olds;
- Over two-thirds of Georgia voters (68 percent) believe the state should prioritize funding for needs such as education. Just 28 percent prefer holding the line on taxes and spending. Support for education over keeping down taxes was true regardless of party affiliation.
The message is clear: Georgia voters want their elected leaders to do what’s right for kids in their state and make new investments in quality early childhood education programs.