Universal prekindergarten could gain a toehold in the state with the recent approval of a $4.6 million pilot program, but debate about whether to create a broader infrastructure for a statewide program was still continuing yesterday between the Legislature and the governor's office.

The pilot program has already passed the House and the Senate, but the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care does not know yet how many communities the pilot will involve or what form it will take. The department will probably present options to its board in October and could have the program up and running in January, said Amy A. Kershaw, associate commissioner for coordination and outreach.

The Legislature also approved House Bill 4755 to help create the infrastructure for universal prekindergarten without requesting funding, but Gov. Mitt Romney amended that section of the bill away. He wrote in a July 21 letter to the Legislature that the state should wait for the results of the pilot program before moving toward universal prekindergarten, which the Executive Office for Administration and Finance estimated could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

This week, the Legislature passed the bill again without the governor's amendments, so the measure is again awaiting his consideration, according to Margaret A. Blood, campaign director of Early Education for All, which hopes to implement universal pre-K using existing pre-K providers.

State Sen. Robert A. Antonioni, D-Leominster, said he is optimistic the governor will sign the bill, of which universal pre-K is only part.

"It doesn't put any funding requirements in place yet," said Mr. Antonioni, who is Senate chairman of the Joint Committee on Education. "I'd be surprised if he doesn't sign it."

William J. Eddy of Worcester, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Early Education and School-Age Providers, said, "It's a question of political will and appropriate resources. It's about prioritization of funding ... We're at the proverbial fork in the road."

Other early-childhood initiatives to come out of this year's budget include new money for early-childhood mental and emotional health programs and reform of the child care licensing system. The new licensing system will probably have a draft available for public comment in the fall, Ms. Kershaw said.

Mr. Eddy said he was happy to see a small raise in rates for subsidized care and an almost $5 million increase for child care programs for the state's neediest children, such as victims of abuse and neglect.

"The most stable aspect of these children's lives is the 10 hours they spend in a child care program," he said. The line item should also put an end to waiting lists for such care, he said.

Other early-childhood initiatives that will be funded next year include a $3 million scholarship program for early educators and $2 million in full-day kindergarten grants, Ms. Blood said.