Starting Strong: Policy Implications for Early Childhood Education and Care in the U.S.

Abstract

While the challenges in the field are formidable, Ms. Neuman and Mr. Bennett are confident that policy makers, advocates, practitioners, and parents in the U.S. can learn from the successes and challenges of their OECD peers. But they can apply these lessons only if they choose to make the care and education of their youngest citizens a public responsibility. EARLY CHILDHOOD education and care has become an important political and social issue in many industrialized countries. The recent surge in attention to this area has fostered several major developments, including rapid expansion of early childhood services, increased focus on the quality of those services, greater attention to the coherence and integration of early childhood programs, and higher levels of public investment in the system as a whole. Given these important changes and developments, it is timely to take stock of what has been achieved and what remains to be accomplished. In this article we draw primarily on Starting Strong: Early Childhood Education and Care, a recently released report from the Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development (OECD) that analyzes policy and services in 12 countries.1 Here we briefly review the background, goals, and methodology of the comparative study, discuss seven major cross- national developments and issues, and raise some broad policy implications for the U.S. Three major contextual trends have shaped the recent development of policies for young children in OECD countries. First, research showing that high-quality early experiences promote children's short-term cognitive, social, and emotional development, as well as their long- term success in school and later in life, have sparked a good deal of policy interest.2 By investing in early childhood education and care (ECEC), countries are making the most of these early opportunities to promote children's development and learning, which may prevent more costly and less effective remediation later in life. At the same time, research showing the link between the quality of early childhood services and children's development3 has been incorporated into policy objectives to improve existing programs. In sum, policy makers are recognizing that high-quality early childhood programs - in partnership with parents and high-quality schooling - have the potential to maximize children's motivation for a lifetime of learning.4 Second, equity concerns have led policy makers to focus on how access to high-quality early childhood services can mediate some of the negative effects of low income on children and form part of a long-term strategy to break the cycle of disadvantage. Child poverty is a concern in many industrialized countries. While taxes and transfers can help redistribute income to families with young children, in a few countries more than 20% of children still live in relative poverty - that is, with household income below 50% of the national median.5 Moreover, governments have also begun to focus on providing early childhood services to families that, though they may not live in poverty, face barriers to full participation in the labor force and society. Such services can help build social cohesion among families at risk of marginalization. Third, many governments have acknowledged the need for affordable and reliable early care to help parents reconcile their work and family responsibilities. Women's desire for greater economic independence, their improved educational levels, and the demands from the economy for more labor have all contributed to increasing female participation in the labor force.6 While many countries have invested in early childhood services to help mothers and fathers balance work and family life, there is also a need for the labor market to be more flexible in accommodating the needs of both parents. Influenced by these important trends, policy makers have recognized that equitable access to early childhood services can strengthen the foundations of lifelong learning for all children and support the broad educational and social needs of families. …