While the Biden administration’s proposed spending plan is being reduced from the initial—enormous—figure of $3.5 trillion, we could still be facing $1.75 trillion in new spending. After the massive spending increases we’ve already had in the various COVID “relief” bills, this is irresponsible. While some troublesome pieces, like “free” community college, are reportedly out of the plan, there are still many areas of concern—such as universal preschool.

First and foremost, there is absolutely no constitutional justification for the federal government to involve itself in preschool. Unfortunately, that fact isn’t likely to prevent lawmakers from passing legislation that includes universal preschool.

Beyond the constitutional question, there’s the matter of fiscal responsibility … or irresponsibility in this case. The various COVID-19 relief bills allocated billions of dollars toward preschool, but we don’t have good information about how much has been spent or if it’s been spent well. Before spending billions more, there needs to be a thorough accounting of what has already been spent.

Furthermore, states need to realize they’ll be on the hook for these new programs when the federal money runs out. The current language provides 100 percent federal funding through 2024, falling by 10 percent increments each year until it reaches 60 percent in 2028. Of course, states only receive the funding if their plans jump through the myriad hoops included in the federal legislation. Many states have already implemented their own programs, which is a much better approach because it allows states to meet the needs of their residents. We should let states continue to figure out their own programs without bribes from the feds.

Better yet, lawmakers should let families make their own decisions. If the feds (or states) get involved, programs should provide maximum flexibility and target assistance to families who actually need it. New research from Nobel economics laureate James Heckman—an ardent advocate for high‐quality preschool—reinforces the case for targeted rather than universal social service programs.

It’s hard to turn on the news these days without seeing stories of parents fighting about a whole host of issues in K-12 public schooling. This is a natural outcome when you impose a one‐size‐fits‐all system on a diverse group of people. Happily, K-12 education choice is blooming in response to parental frustration. It would be a shame to increase top‐down bureaucratic mandates and federal involvement in preschool right as freedom is on the rise in K-12 education.