Statewide Poll of Latino Voters Finds Strong Support for Candidates Who Back Preschool

OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- California Latino voters of all demographic and political affiliations strongly support preschool, and nearly 7 in 10 say they are more likely to support candidates who want to increase funding to make high-quality preschool and early learning more accessible and affordable, according to a new statewide bipartisan poll conducted by Hart Research Associates and The Tarrance Group on behalf of Preschool California and Univision, Inc.

Latino voters, who account for 1 in 5 of all registered California voters, will play a critical role in this November's election. How California's policymakers address access to high-quality preschool and early education for Latino children, who account for half of all children under age 5 and by 2025 will make up more than half of the new labor force, will shape the future of our state.

"This poll demonstrates education is a top priority for Latino families in California as a pathway to opportunity, and early learning lays the foundation for that," said Catherine Atkin, president of Preschool California, a nonprofit advocacy organization working to ensure access to high-quality early learning for all of California's children, starting with those who need it most. "Preschool and early learning are winning issues for candidates among Latino voters."

The public opinion survey found that 85% of Latino voters think children who attend preschool have an advantage over children who do not attend. At the same time, two thirds think the state is doing too little to ensure all children have access to affordable high-quality preschool. Indeed, previous research shows only 14% of Latino children are enrolled in high-quality preschools that prepare them for success in school, according to the RAND Corporation.

According to the poll, the main reasons Latino children are not in preschool are: lack of affordable programs (58%), part-day programs do not fit the schedules of working parents (52%) and parents lack information about programs available (40%).

Support for preschool is strong among Latino voters across the board, despite California's economic and budgetary challenges, with 75% agreeing strongly that despite such concerns, the state should continue to support access to high-quality preschool.

"We found broad, bipartisan support among Latino voters for candidates who want to increase funding for quality preschool and early learning," said Geoffrey Garin, president of Peter D. Hart Research Associates. "Latino voters identify pro-preschool candidates as people who will lead California to a better future, are focused on the right priorities and share their values."

More than three-quarters of Latino voters (78%) think candidates who want to increase funding for preschool and early learning will lead California to a better future. And 74% also think candidates who support preschool and early learning are focused on the right priorities.

"The poll clearly demonstrates it is a mistake for politicians – both Republicans and Democrats – to ignore the priorities of Latino voters, the fastest growing segment of the California electorate," said Dave Sackett, partner at The Tarrance Group.

The statewide survey was conducted in July by Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart Research Associates and Republican pollster The Tarrance Group on behalf of Univision, Inc. and Preschool California. Interviews were conducted in both Spanish and English. The margin of error was +/-3.4%.

For more information on the poll, visit http://www.preschoolcalifornia.org/LatinoVoterPoll.

Preschool California is a nonprofit advocacy organization working to increase access to high-quality preschool for all of California's children, starting with those who need it most. http://www.preschoolcalifornia.org.

SOURCE Preschool California