A poll by the First Five Years Fund finds that 71 percent of voters are in favor of greater federal investments in early childhood education.

“An overwhelming majority of Americans from diverse political and demographic backgrounds support federal action on early childhood education,” said First Five Years Fund Executive Director Kris Perry. “They understand its return on investment. They demand that Congress fund programs that meet high-quality standards. And, they want to invest now.”

Furthermore, the poll finds that 64% of voters think legislators need to do more to ensure that children enter kindergarten with the skills to perform their best. More than two-thirds of voters want the Obama Administration to make early childhood education a top legislative priority.

“Voters are willing to spend now in order to reap later economic benefits from early childhood education,” said Jim Messina, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff. “It’s time for Congress to act now to ensure that early childhood education remains a legislative priority in the near term.”

Read more of the poll results and the support for early childhood education.