Putting Our Kids First: The Need for Systemic Changes in American Child Care

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified issues with the American child care system, chiefly that children are not our central focus. This is evident by the vast disparities in child care cost, access, and quality, leading to systemic inequities with detrimental consequences for child development and beyond. While we have an abundance of research to support evidence-based interventions that promote children’s development, these interventions have not been a national priority. However, child care became a clear national priority when schools across the nation transitioned to distance learning in early 2020. Caregivers who continued to work on-site or on the front lines were suddenly confronted with urgent child care needs, often at substantial unbudgeted expense. Caregivers who transitioned to work exclusively from home had to manage their own employment while caring for their children. But was the loss of child care exclusively at the detriment of caregivers and their employment? No, and more critically, it became increasingly apparent that the lack of child care and on-site schooling was a significant loss for many children who depended on these systems for reasons outside of basic supervision needs. The pandemic upheaval presents an opportunity to prioritize child development and well-being as the foundation of our child care system and rebuild a correspondingly supportive infrastructure. This article explores the historical roots of the US child care system, including the disparities engrained within it, demonstrates the importance of child care in development, and imagines a new child care system that prioritizes children.