Moderate - income families are typically ineligible for these publicly funded programs, but at the same time, such families struggle to afford the
high cost of
care in the private sector.19 This leaves parents facing a series of difficult choices, including prioritizing child
care expenses over other household necessities; settling for low -
quality child
care that fits their budget; patching together multiple informal
care options; or leaving the workforce altogether.20 To ensure that all children can realize the gains that come from
attending high -
quality early childhood programs, policy solutions need to focus on improving program supports and creating funding strategies that will increase access to
high -
quality programs for children from all backgrounds.
As research across neuroscience, developmental psychology, and economics demonstrates,
early social - emotional, physical, and cognitive skills beget later skill acquisition, setting the groundwork for success in school and the workplace.15 However, an analysis of nationally representative data shows that 65 percent of child
care centers do not serve children age 1 or younger and that 44 percent do not serve children under age 3 at all.16 Consequently, child
care centers only have the capacity to serve 10 percent of all children under age 1 and 25 percent of all children under age 3.17
High - quality child care during this critical period can support children's physical, cognitive, and social - emotional development.18 Attending a high - quality early childhood program such as preschool or Head Start is particularly important for children in poverty or from other disadvantaged backgrounds and can help reduce the large income - based disparities in achievement and developmen
High -
quality child
care during this critical period can support children's physical, cognitive, and social - emotional development.18
Attending a
high - quality early childhood program such as preschool or Head Start is particularly important for children in poverty or from other disadvantaged backgrounds and can help reduce the large income - based disparities in achievement and developmen
high -
quality early childhood program such as preschool or Head Start is particularly important for children in poverty or from other disadvantaged backgrounds and can help reduce the large income - based disparities in achievement and development.19
When programs close their doors, children who
attended them lose out on access to
high -
quality early learning opportunities, families aren't able to work without access to child
care, and staff are left looking for jobs.