A recent Arkansas Department of Education analysis found highly rated early childhood programs serve many of the state's children. Yet 81,000 eligible children still lack access to publicly funded early learning experiences, particularly in rural areas, and enter kindergarten "not ready to learn." The LEARNS Act focuses on five key areas of improvement: Literacy, Empowerment, Accountability, Readiness, Networking, and School Safety. Early childhood education programs that boast educated teachers, smaller class sizes, or lower child-staff ratios, such as those accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, have been proven to amplify the benefits for participating children. Today's students will become the next generation of business and community leaders. Without an educated, prepared workforce, as the author states, we cannot recruit and retain new industries or continue competing globally. Ensuring access to affordable, quality early learning programs for families across the state is key to this goal.