Preschool education plays a fundamental, comprehensive, and precursor role in improving the quality of the entire population. The role of the government in the development of preschool education in China has evolved through stages including “unified planning and management by the government” (1949-1979), “centralized leadership and hierarchical management by the government” (1979-1992), “government supervision, local responsibility, and hierarchical management” (1992-2009), and “government leadership and multi-subject responsibility” (2010-present). The government’s role as a legislator and manager has been incorporated into the system to promote the high-quality development of preschool education in the new era. The government’s role in different historical periods is linked to factors such as the economy, politics, culture, historical accumulations, the perception of relevant subjects, and the educational needs of various stakeholders. In the future, the government’s role in the development of preschool education should be further clarified in terms of the scope and boundaries of government leadership functions, emphasizing the responsibility and efforts of local governments, and accelerating the formulation of preschool education laws and policies. This aims to restore the attributes of preschool education as a public good, address market failures and multi-head management, and establish a flexible, diverse, friendly, and equitable preschool education ecosystem in collaboration with society and families.