Community-based preschool program (CBPP) was intended tornprovide care and educational services to rural preschool agernchildren who were entirely devoid of the opportunity. Thernprogram was expected to address the stressful familial andrnextra-familial environment in which the children live throughrncollective community action (community-based approach). Thisrnrecent educational innovation to rural areas, however, failedrnto achieve its objective after consuming considerable size ofrnthe meagre resource available.rnThis study was therefore conducted to investigate intornproblems (factors) that account for the failurite of thernprogram by giving due emphasis to those related to therninnovation process followed. They are (1) whether or notrnpreliminary needs assessment has been made for innovating thernprogram; (2) community's awareness of the significance. of thernprogram; (3) problems related to administrative coordinationrnand resource input in implementing the programs and (4)rnwhether or not follow up (evaluation) has been made for thernprogram.rnQuestionnaires, interviews and observation checklist werernemployed for the purpose of data collection. Relevantrndocuments have also been consulted to substantiate therninformation gathered through these instruments. The excoordinatorsrnof the program at various levels (National, Zonalrnand District)" teachers, the ex-committees for preschoolrnaffairs and the randomly selected community members from ruralrnvillages were used as the subjects of the study. Suchrnstatistical means as percentage system, mean values, weightedrnranking, and the t-test have been employed for analysing therndata gathered.rnAfter a therough investigations have been made on thernassumptions raised the findings obtained made clear (1) lackrnof appropriate needs assessment for innovating the program tornrural areas; (2) community's lack of awareness about thernsignificance of the program; (3) prevalence of administrativernproblems (e.g. absence of important administrative mechanismsrnfor operating the program; lack of bottom-top-bottomrncoordination of activities; inability of different parties whornwere expected to promote the implementation of the program torncarry out their tasks; inappropriate and inadequate human,rnmaterial and financial resource inputs; and (4) lack ofrnsystematic follow up during the implementation of the program.rnFinally, as a measure towards the revival of this failurernprogram and also its diffusion to other rural areas of therncountry, some recommendations have been forwarded among whichrn(a) priority attention be given to educate the rural communityrnthrough possible means (e.g. adult education; mass media,rnetc.) before or parallel to the provision of preschoolrnprogram, (b) encouragement of community participation in thernevolution and growth of the program; (c) encouragement ofrnprivate investors and organizations to take part in meetingrnthe social and educational needs of preschoolrnage rural children; (d) to practice such an educationalrninnovation (as CBPP) on limited scale in some rural villages;rnare the main