The Pre-K Gap

Also in Neatoday, I read an article titled The Pre-K Gap - Our lack of quality schools for small children has big consequences.  A quote from the article; "Developed countries differ markedly in the way they care for and educate young children, and in the extent of government support.  These national policies have a significant impact on children's later success in school."
In this article I read some interesting facts based on data  from Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMMS), like increased government spending for preschool pays off in higher fourth grade test scores in math and science (who would have thought?).  In another study it was found that as preschool participation moves toward being universal, middle school test scores go up and inequality in test scores goes down.
The article states that high quality early care and education can improve children's long-term cognitive development and school success, but that here in the good ol' U. S. of A. one year in a part-time program (referring to Head Start), staffed by inadequately paid teachers with widely varying qualifications has little permanent impact on children's learning.  I want to know why we had to do a "study" to find this out, I could have told them!
Here in America we do not do any of the fabulous things for our little ones, that so many other countries do.  We don't provide universal preschool beginning at age 3 and support quality childcare for children under three as France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands do.  We don't provide an unconditional right to full-day, full-year childcare from the end of paid parental leave through entry to elementary schools, as they do in Finland.  We talk a lot here in America about this subject but we do very little, because nothing has changed.  According to the article; the federal Head Start program was a wonderful idea in 1965, but it needs to be revamped.  The teachers are underpaid, and there aren't enough really good ones (maybe because they are paid so little to do so much). 
If our political leaders want our students to achieve like students in other developed countries are achieving, why don't they take a look at how these countries are taking care of and educating their children?  And instead of cutting funds to schools and programs that take care of our children, why don't they get that quality costs, it just does.
Rosemary