Local business, education, and economic leaders are stepping up efforts to expand early childhood education access in Owensboro, calling it essential infrastructure for families and the workforce. That push aligns with a statewide initiative backed by Gov. Andy Beshear, who stopped by the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce on Friday to rally support for his “Pre-K for All” plan.
Alongside Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman and a few local speakers, Beshear called the proposal a critical step to boost workforce participation, support working families, and ensure Kentucky’s youngest learners enter kindergarten ready to succeed.
Beshear noted that 18 states, including Alabama and Georgia, already offer pre-K access for all 4-year-olds.
“They have gotten it done, and so can we,” he said.
The Governor’s plan would expand early childhood education options statewide, tackling what supporters say is a pressing need. Beshear said state data shows that more than half of Kentucky children — nearly 54% — are not prepared for kindergarten when they arrive for their first day.
Business and economic leaders in Owensboro said the benefits reach far beyond the classroom.
Claude Bacon, president and CEO of the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation, said record economic growth means the region must invest in its people to maintain momentum.
“Pre-K access helps parents stay in the workforce, sets children up for long-term success and strengthens our community as a place to work, raise a family and build a future,” Bacon said.
Candance Castlen Brake, president and CEO of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, said local leaders have long recognized child care as vital infrastructure, not a luxury.
“Our chamber knows that child care is an economic infrastructure piece. It is not a frill. It is infrastructure, just like a highway is,” Brake said.
Small business owner Clay Ford, a fourth-generation partner at E.M. Ford Insurance, said investing in early education helps companies attract and retain top talent.
“The only reason we’ve been able to be in business for 100 years is because we have fantastic people on our team,” Ford said. “Pre-K for All will make our Kentucky opportunity more attractive, our employees’ lives less stressful, and instill confidence in their children for a lifetime of success in school and beyond.”
Coleman said the program would close gaps that trap too many children based on where they live. She said that prison populations are forecast using 3rd-grade literacy rates, and that readiness for kindergarten is the biggest predictor of future reading skills.
“Would you rather your tax dollars be spent building preschools or building prisons?” Coleman asked the crowd. “The time for pre-K in Kentucky is now.”
According to the Governor’s office, Pre-K for All would also:
- Eliminate “child-care deserts” in 79 of Kentucky’s 120 counties.
- Save families an average of $54,000 over time in child-care costs.
- Grow the state’s workforce by up to 70,000 people, based on U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
- Generate $10 in economic impact for every $1 invested in pre-K.
Beshear has signed an executive order creating the Team Kentucky Pre-K for All Advisory Committee, which includes bipartisan leaders from across the state.
He urged supporters to continue talking about the initiative in churches, schools, and community groups and to learn more at preKforall.ky.gov.
“This is a step we must take to boost our economy, strengthen our workforce, better educate our kids, and put more money in the pockets of hard-working Kentucky families,” Beshear said.
By John Kirkpatrick The Owensboro Times