![]() 16 Publicly funded programs-such as Head Start, Early Head Start, child care, and state pre-K programs-are primarily targeted at low-income families, but limited funding for these programs severely hinders access. 15 The average price of center-based care in the United States accounts for nearly 30 percent of the median family income, and only 10 percent of child care programs are considered high quality. 14ĭespite evidence of the positive impact of high-quality early childhood education for all children, it remains out of reach for most low- and moderate-income families. 13 High-quality early learning programs staffed by warm and responsive adults can help mitigate these effects, offering a safe and predictable learning environment that fosters children’s development. 12 Children living in poverty are more likely to be subject to stressful home environments-which can have lifelong impacts on learning, cognition, and self-regulation-while parents living in poverty have limited resources to provide for their families and high barriers to accessing affordable, high-quality child care. 11 Differences in children’s cognitive abilities by income are evident at only nine months old and significantly widen by the time children are two years old. 10 In addition, the impact is greatest for children from low-income families. ![]() 9 The positive effects are larger, and more likely to be sustained, when programs are high quality. In the long term, those participating children are more likely to be employed and less likely to be dependent on government assistance. 8 In the short- to medium-term, children enrolled in high-quality early learning programs are less likely to need special education services during their K-12 years are less likely to commit juvenile offenses and more likely to graduate from high school. The positive effects of high-quality early childhood programs on specific, short- and long-term outcomes for children, families, and communities, have been quantified by numerous research studies. Waiting until children enter preschool or kindergarten to introduce these vital interventions is simply too late. 7 Furthermore, this crucial development must be supported from infancy, when brain development is at its peak. 6 With an estimated 6 million young children enrolled in child care, it is clear that early learning programs, and the people who work in them, have a critical role to play in child development-a role that complements parents. These attachments support children as they develop a sense of self and begin to understand their emotions, and they lay the foundation for establishing successful relationships at later ages. 5 Warm and responsive interactions can create a nurturing and stable environment that enables the development of secure attachments between children and their caregivers-both those within and beyond their families. 4 The experiences and interactions children have in these early years significantly affects brain development and helps to establish the foundation for future learning. Why does quality matter?Ī large body of research has demonstrated the critical importance of the first three years of a child’s life. These indicators and supports provide a roadmap for policymakers as they develop solutions to the current child care crisis and can also serve as a guide for parents seeking to make the best and most informed choices for their child. To that end, this issue brief highlights three core indicators of high-quality early childhood programs, and identifies six structural supports that are necessary to achieve and maintain high quality. 3 However, there remains a critical need to better understand the components of high-quality programs to ensure policy solutions adequately support and promote access to quality for all families. This child care crisis has received increased attention in recent years, from policymakers, political candidates, and voters. Many families live in child care “deserts,” and even when programs are available, quality is not well-regulated or supported by local, state, or federal policies, putting it out of reach for most families. Waitlists are long and employers are inflexible, high-quality programs are expensive, and parents often lack the necessary tools to evaluate program quality. ![]() 1 However, parents face significant barriers when searching for high-quality care. Furthermore, research continues to affirm the short- and long-term benefits for children who participate in high-quality early learning programs. Increasingly, children are growing up in families where all available parents are working-out of necessity as well as choice. The need for high-quality early childhood education has never been greater.
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