Florida ranks the second highest among states providing access to state funded early childhood education to children in the nation. The state has approximately 9,165 children under the age of three enrolled in Early Head Start and 6 percent of 3-year-olds served by Head Start. In addition, 78 percent of 4-year-olds are enrolled in state-funded pre-K. In an effort to improve these circumstances, Gov. Rick Scott traveled across the state this year promoting his plan to allocate $1.1 billion in funding for early childhood education and child care. Because Florida meets very few quality standards when it comes to pre-K, lawmakers and advocates also used this year’s legislative session to push for greater safety and teaching standards. Additionally, the average annual cost of center-based infant care in the state is $8,299.