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Article: All our children: social outlay for early childhood education is the best investment we can make in America's future.(EARLY EDUCATION)(Report)
- Article from:
- The American Prospect
- Article date:
- December 1, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 The American Prospect, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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ONE OF THE BEST-DOCUMENTED MODERN RESEARCH FINDINGS is that investment in young children pays big dividends. Brain science, social psychology, and decades of education research demonstrate that the life chances of at-risk children can be improved immensely if they have access to high-quality early education. This means not just pre-kindergarten, but a new set of policies aimed at helping parents of very young children, as well as child-care and after-school programs that are enriching rather than custodial.
Although it is now normal for mothers of very young children to be in the paid labor force, public policy has not kept up with changes in family life, and ...