Introduction Early childhood educational programs play a vital role in the development of children. They form the basis upon which children grow to understand the functioning of different structures in society. Early education for children is meant to shape the role of children in the society 1 . According to the early childhood care and education unit of the UNESCO, early childhood refers to the first eight years of a child. This is the period when the brain of the child is active in capturing what is in the environment. Therefore, early learning or education is introduced to the child at this moment. In the United States, early childhood education is emphasized. There are different models of early childhood education in which the role of children in the society is defined 2 . These include pre-school programs, school readiness, play based and custodial programs 3 . Early childhood education development at a glance United States has undergone a long history from the pre-colonial times to the post-colonial era and civil rights to the great depression and the second reconstruction of America. The era of civil rights had a lot of setbacks on child learning. Poverty in the segregated areas of the south hindered the establishment of early school programs for children 4 . Child labour was also common with children being seen as aides to their poor parents. However segregation continued into the industrial revolution times. Many changes took place in the American economy resulting in the need to invest in education. Industries needed skilled manpower which could only be gotten from schools. Therefore, investment in education gained momentum with the need to give children a better background in education; hence, the focus on establishment of pre-schools and other early childhood education programs. A lot of value was pegged on the early childhood education as the economy advanced 5 . Benefits of early childhood education programs The changing economy and demands they come with are influencing these programs thus causing a change in the role of children. The increase in the number of Americans that have realized the importance of early childhood education for children can be captured in the following statement: Since the mid 1960’s, enrolment rates of 3 and 4 year olds in early education programs have increased dramatically. In 1965, 3 and 4-year-olds attending a public preschool program numbered approximately 127, 00. By 2009, the enrolment in public preschool had risen to 2.7 million 6 . Many early childhood education programs have been initiated to support early childhood education in the US. These initiatives exist at different levels of government – federal, state as well as the local levels. Different states have taken the initiative of ensuring that the early childhood programs run smoothly through financing programs under their jurisdiction 7 . Programs of early childhood education are aimed at enhancing the academic skills of children. This includes improving the early literacy abilities of children and the language skills. As the children continue growing up, they are expected to master skills in maths and science. These are the skills that are central to developing the world. Also, the socio-emotional skills of children begin being attended to and shaped from t