As the current K-12 generation approaches societal maturity they will encounter issues that are changing almost as fast as they are identified. Fast on the heels of the elementary population are the pre-kindergarten children who will be facing an ever-changing global society. Business and educational leaders have called for universal preschool education that will meet the developmental needs of pre-K children. These developmental needs are identified through research that supports the advantages of early childhood education and intervention. The primary goal is to close achievement gaps as they invest in the future. As world competitors in the global marketplace make investments in early education, and domestic social and economical conditions dictate the need for childcare, the call for implementing pre-K universal programs is being heard. State funded preschool programs have expanded over the last decade. By the 2001-2002 school year, 40 states had preschool programs. The social benefits of high-quality early learning programs and the long-term effects of early intervention on achievement are continually supported by research. Preschool has been shown to increases early reading and math skills in kindergarten and studies found that children who attended quality preschools demonstrated lower incidents of social problems. A national survey of American families revealed 82% of three and four year olds with employed mothers are in non-parental care, and 43% use child care centers for this care. With so many children already enrolled in environments outside of home, attention must be given to the merits of pre-K education. It is important to note that the research explaining the benefits of early education, qualifies the findings with the descriptive phrase "high quality." As states come on-line with pre-K programs they are requiring certified, degreed teachers and standard approved curricula. These requirements are elevating the importance and professionalism of the early childhood learning environment. (Contains 18 endnotes.)