In this Book
- Cradle to Kindergarten: A New Plan to Combat Inequality
- 2017
- Book
- Published by: Russell Sage Foundation
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The U.S. government invests less in children under the age of five than do most other developed nations. Most working families must seek private childcare, which means that children from low-income households, who would benefit most from high-quality early education, are the least likely to attend them. Existing policies, such as pre-kindergarten in some states are only partial solutions. To address these deficiencies, the authors propose to overhaul the early care system, beginning with a federal paid parental leave policy that provides both mothers and fathers with time and financial support after the birth of a child. They also advocate increased public benefits, including an expansion of the child care tax credit, and a new child care assurance program that subsidizes the cost of early care for low- and moderate-income families. They also propose that universal, high-quality early education in the states should start by age three, and a reform of the Head Start program that would include more intensive services for families living in areas of concentrated poverty and experiencing multiple adversities from the earliest point in these most disadvantaged children’s lives. They conclude with an implementation plan and contend that these reforms are attainable within a ten-year timeline.
Reducing educational and economic inequalities requires that all children have robust opportunities to learn, fully develop their capacities, and have a fair shot at success. Cradle to Kindergarten presents a blueprint for fulfilling this promise by expanding access to educational and financial resources at a critical stage of child development.
Table of Contents
- Title Page, Copyright Page
- pp. i-vi
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- List of Illustrations
- pp. ix-xii
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- About the Authors
- pp. xiii-xiv
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- Acknowledgments
- pp. xv-xvi
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- 1. Introduction
- pp. 1-18
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- 2. Paid Parental Leave
- pp. 19-40
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- 4. Universal Preschool
- pp. 71-100
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- 5. A New Head Start
- pp. 101-126
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- 6. Conclusion: No More Tinkering at the Edges
- pp. 127-150
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- References
- pp. 189-220
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