I-Ting Quinn, a mother of two young children, pauses for photos as a shaft of light falls on her face in Concord, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. A year before Quinn's son was old enough for kindergarten, she and her husband had the option to enroll him in “transitional kindergarten” — a program offered for free by California elementary schools for some 4-year-olds. Instead, they kept their son, Ethan, in a private daycare center in Concord. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
I-Ting Quinn shares a laugh with her 4-year-old son, Ethan, after dinner in Concord, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. A year before Quinn's son was old enough for kindergarten, she and her husband had the option to enroll him in “transitional kindergarten” — a program offered for free by California elementary schools for some 4-year-olds. Instead, they kept Ethan in a private daycare center in Concord at a cost of $400 a week. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Ethan Quinn, 4, watches a YouTube video while eating dinner with help from his mother, I-Ting, in Concord, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. A year before Quinn's son was old enough for kindergarten, she and her husband had the option to enroll him in “transitional kindergarten” — a program offered for free by California elementary schools for some 4-year-olds. Instead, they kept Ethan in a private daycare center in Concord at a cost of $400 a week. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Scott Quinn and his 4-year-old son, Ethan, work on coloring books in a bed in Concord, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. Ethan's parents are among those who have opted for a private daycare instead of a free “transitional kindergarten.” Quinn said he has been discouraged to see Ethan — one of the oldest kids in his daycare class — pick up the behavior of kids who are several years younger than him. “In retrospect, it would have been better to send him to school to be around kids his age and older,” he said. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Ethan Quinn, 4, puts on his sweater while getting ready for his daycare center in Concord, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. Ethan's parents are among those who have opted for a private daycare instead of “transitional kindergarten” — a program offered for free by California elementary schools for some 4-year-olds. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Ethan Quinn, 4, stands on a stool to brush his teeth as his father, Scott, watches while getting ready for his daycare center in Concord, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Ethan Quinn, 4, plays in the living room of his home before going to his daycare center in Concord, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Four-year-old Ethan Quinn leaves home for his daycare center in Concord, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. Ethan's parents opted to keep him in a private daycare center instead of enrolling him in “transitional kindergarten” — a program offered for free by California elementary schools for some 4-year-olds. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Ethan Quinn, 4, stands on a rock while playing with his classmates outside his daycare center in Concord, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. Ethan's parents are among those who have opted for a private daycare instead of “transitional kindergarten” — a program offered for free by California elementary schools for some 4-year-olds, expressing the half-day program and options for afterschool child care were limited and didn't work for two parents juggling hectic work schedules. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)