"It makes no sense to spend most of your money on the roof when the foundation is shoddy," Stephanie Blank, an advocate of early childhood education, told legislators last week in urging investment of more lottery dollars in preparing young children for school.

Blank, the wife of Home Depot founder Arthur Blank, is board chairman of the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation and the mother of young children. It was her experience as a mother that informed most of her testimony.

"I'd always heard the expression that kids are like sponges" she said, "but I was constantly amazed at how much Joshua ... was always learning."

Back in 1995, emerging research on brain development in toddlers and preschoolers led then-Gov. Zell Miller and Georgia to become pioneers in early child education, using lottery proceeds to pay for universal prekindergarten. (The state also funds its HOPE Scholarships through the lottery.)

However, the state has failed to build on that momentum. As Blank and others testified, Georgia needs to expand access to early childhood education, especially for low-income 3-year-olds whose parents lack the resources to expose them to rich learning environments.

State Reps. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur), Kathy Ashe (D-Atlanta) and Stephanie Benfield (D-Atlanta) introduced legislation this session to create a statewide program for 3-year-olds, but the Legislature is wary and unlikely to comply. "That seems so young," said state Rep. Bobby Reese (R-Sugar Hill).

At the very least, the General Assembly should embrace a proposal by state Rep. Jan Jones (R-Alpharetta) to launch a study committee to assess unmet needs in programs for 4-year-olds and to examine how best to use lottery reserves.

"I'm optimistic that the committee will give a serious look at targeting some pre-k lottery dollars to some selective 3-year-olds," said Oliver. "I would focus a 3-year-old program on low performing schools, low-income communities and areas where there are no early learning types of schools or even child care centers. "

According to research, poor children benefit most from programs that emphasize school readiness and language development. Such early intervention can close the gaps that prevent low-income children from being able to read at third grade.

Some lawmakers maintain that the state has no business intervening in the lives of 3-year-olds. But if the state doesn't reach out to these children at age 3, it will lose them at age 16 or 17, when they are more likely to drop out of high school.

As Blank testified, "For every dollar invested in early education, we will receive a return of anywhere from $4 to $7."