State-funded preschools served over one million children last year, but public pre-K was unavailable for most 3- and 4-year-olds, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research.

The Institute released their annual survey Wednesday, ranking all 50 states on the percentage of children served and spending per child. It also examined the number of quality benchmarks each state meets for the 2006-2007 school year.

Enrollment, quality and state spending per child increased, NIEER said. But 12 states offered no state-funded preschool education and others faltered in their commitment to the quality of their early education programs.

The report showed that nationally less than half of all 4-year-olds were enrolled in government-supported preschool education programs and one quarter received no preschool. For 3-year-olds the situation was worse, with only 15 percent enrolled in public programs and 50 percent receiving no early education.

W. Steven Barnett, director of NIEER, believes the children left out are disproportionate from middle-income families that can't afford private schools.

"States must decide whether education of young children will continue to be a welfare program for the poor or an essential investment in all Americans," Barnett said.