We wanted to learn just how many children are in a situation where they are left out of pre-kindergarten because their families don't qualify for state pre-k but they also don't earn enough to afford an average, much less a quality, early education program on their own.

A second reason: Families with pre-k-age children tend to be younger, earn less than those with older children and have not had as much time to build up their savings.

Meanwhile, when it comes to the national conversation on the rising cost of living for middle-class families, the cost of early education and care is rarely mentioned. In light of the economic crisis and its impact on middle-class families, we hope telling their stories will ultimately help inform policy.

Pre-K Now used both national and state research on basic family budgets to develop an objective measure for the middle-class standard of living. Our figures take into account realistic estimates of what families need to earn to cover basics expenses such as housing, food, transportation, health care, child care and education.

Because we wanted to approximate a typical middle-class standard of living, we made certain adjustments. For instance, instead of using the thrifty food plan from the USDA, we used the moderate plan; our calculation also provided for eating some meals outside the home and a plan for savings.

Research shows that many middle-class children enter school behind their more advantaged peers. They also face similar educational challenges as low-income children, such as dropping out and special education needs – challenges that pre-k has been proven to alleviate. In fact, because of the size of the middle class, there are more children from this income group who drop out and who get placed in special education than poor children.

While states should ultimately fund their pre-k programs so that they serve all eligible children, starting with those who stand to benefit the most, this report demonstrates that pre-k also confers benefits on both middle-class children as well and their families.

• We found that because of a very low family-income eligibility level for pre-k, at least 30% of 3- and 4-year olds in Kansas, Delaware, Oregon and Washington are experiencing the "pre-k pinch."
• Conversely, Pennsylvania and Michigan have set a relatively high family-income eligibility level for pre-k - 300 percent of the federal poverty threshold, or $63,600 for a family of four. In Pennsylvania, this means that an estimated 5 % of the state's three and four year olds are in families experiencing the pinch. The income eligibility level for Michigan's pre-k program is the most reflective of the economic realities of the middle-class families in the state.
• Even in Pennsylvania and Michigan, which have relatively high income eligibility levels, the pre-k programs lack sufficient funds to serve all eligible children.
• Finally, 12 states currently don't have state pre-k programs. These states rely mostly on Head Start to provide early education programs for young children. Since Head Start is designed as an anti-poverty program, it has a low family income threshold for eligibility. Therefore, middle-class families in these states have even fewer options when it comes to early education.

• States should use state-specific cost-of-living data so that they can derive more precise estimates on the number of middle-class children and families experiencing the "pre-k pinch."
• States should increase their family income eligibility level accordingly and put in place a plan to gradually expand access while maintaining or increasing program quality.
• Ultimately, policymakers should pursue a strategy to phase in pre-k for all children.