This is a revised version of a 1990 document which identifies a direction for Iowa early childhood education through the year 2000. The document defines Iowa's shared vision for young children as: to ensure quality early childhood opportunities for all Iowa's young children. This vision is shared through the Iowa Department of Education's efforts to develop a coordinated service delivery system which involves parents, the community, school districts, and government agencies. The shared vision for these programs includes components such as child and family well-being, and school and community readiness. Issues connected to these components include the rising number of women in the workforce and the inappropriate use of standardized tests. Some principles which must guide early childhood programs contending with these and other concerns are: (1) parental involvement is essential to a student's school success; (2) quality early childhood programs require well-trained staff; (3) children learn best when they are healthy and feel safe; and (4) families, broadly defined, are the child's first educational environment. Two additional sections describe the community, regional, state, and federal components which help pursue this vision, and the state and federal funding for these programs. (JW)