This report discusses the services disadvantaged children need to prepare for school, the extent to which they receive these services from early childhood centers (defined as providing child development, parent, and health and nutrition services), and the reasons early childhood centers may not deliver all the services these children need. Chapter 1 describes the objectives, scope and methodology of the study and the funding of early childhood programs by federal and state governments. Chapter 2 discusses the full range of services needed to prepare children for school: developmentally appropriate, high quality services; parent services and health care and nutrition services. Chapter 3 presents two reasons why most disadvantaged children do not receive these services: they do not attend early childhood centers, and, if they do attend early childhood programs, the centers that they attend may provide only limited services. The limited number of places available in the centers, limited subsidies, and narrow program missions are discussed in chapter 4 as barriers which impede centers' efforts to provide services to disadvantaged children. The last chapter suggests changes required in the areas of funding and program missions so that the first national education goal, "by the year 2000, all children will enter school ready to learn" can be met. This report contains seven appendices including: description of selected federal programs that provide early childhood services; case studies of early childhood programs in four states; technical description of national data analyses; standards that apply to early childhood centers; and Department of Education comments. (BAC)