{"id":34717,"date":"2025-06-12T15:54:03","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T19:54:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firstfocus.org\/?post_type=news&p=34717"},"modified":"2025-06-13T09:16:33","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T13:16:33","slug":"experts-argue-for-more-public-investment-in-child-care-universal-pre-k","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/firstfocus.org\/news\/experts-argue-for-more-public-investment-in-child-care-universal-pre-k\/","title":{"rendered":"Experts argue for more public investment in child care, universal pre-K"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Capitol Hill briefing highlights conclusive research<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Early education provides an economic engine for children, families and the country, experts said today on Capitol Hill, and it cannot succeed without public investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChild care is one of the things that makes all other work possible,\u201d Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) told Early Gains, Lifelong Returns<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, a briefing hosted by First Focus on Children. \u201cThere\u2019s no market solution\u2026There has to be investment and to me that\u2019s a good investment. We\u2019re still fighting for that funding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The budget released this month by President Trump effectively cuts many early education programs, such as Head Start, and eliminates many other programs outright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we get kids off to a good start in life, it\u2019s better for kids, it\u2019s better for communities, it\u2019s better for the economy and it\u2019s better for the country,\u201d Bonamici said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The evidence is more than anecdotal. A strong body of research going back to the 1960s<\/a><\/strong> has found that these interventions reduced crime, improved educational attainment, boosted cognitive development, increased employment, and improved health. The benefits for taxpayers were just as impressive, with $2.50 of savings for every $1 invested due to less need for support later in life.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure there is a policy area that has been more thoroughly vetted and more convincingly proven to be worth the money we spend than these programs,\u201d First Focus on Children economist Chris Becker said. \u201cThe evidence base here is overwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many current studies, such as the School Experiences and Early Development (SEED) program in Tulsa, Okla., are adding to that body of work. Georgetown University professor Anna Johnson leads the longitudinal study that began in 2016 with children before they attended the city\u2019s universal pre-K program. Researchers have found that students attending Tulsa\u2019s universal pre-K exhibit better language and math skills through elementary school, and better executive function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s something about pre-K that\u2019s teaching kids how to pay attention, persist when things get hard, and keep succeeding,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Families and communities benefit as well as children, said Dr. Susan Savage, research director of the Child Care Resource Center, a non-profit organization serving Northern Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. In the center\u2019s service area, Savage said, government-supported child care makes it possible for more than 55,000 parents to work, creating a total of $1.3 billion in family earnings that gets invested in the local community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese families are making on average $25,000 a year,\u201d Savage said. \u201cThey\u2019re not going to the Bahamas. They\u2019re going to the gas station, the grocery store and Walmart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cascading impact of subsidized child care, Savage added, helps families pay rent, get jobs that give them access to health care, and even escape homelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Trump Administration\u2019s FY 2026 budget proposal would eliminate several preschool development block grants and a program that helps college students with children afford child care. It would also \u201cflat-fund\u201d the Child Care and Development Block Grant and the Head Start program, leaving investment at FY 2025 levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFlat funding, especially in this current economy, is essentially a cut,\u201d said Casey Peeks, senior director, Early Childhood Policy at the Center for American Progress. \u201cYou will see less families receiving subsidies, Head Start teachers unable to get wage increases, and you\u2019ll see Head Start programs close classrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLong-term,\u201d she added, \u201cwe want universal, free, birth-through-5 early childhood education. It\u2019s important to call it ‘education’. This is setting kids up for success. If we have a free and universal K-12 system, we should also have free, universal pre-K.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information, read Research Confirms that Early Learning Investments Increase Benefits to Children, Lower Costs to Taxpayers<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Capitol Hill briefing highlights conclusive research Early education provides an economic engine for children, families and the country, experts said today on Capitol Hill, and it cannot succeed without public investment. \u201cChild care is one of the things that makes all other work possible,\u201d Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) told Early Gains, Lifelong Returns, a briefing … <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[581,1609,2168],"issue":[1507,1511],"newsroom-type":[1575],"staff":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nExperts argue for more public investment in child care, universal pre-K | First Focus on Children<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Capitol Hill briefing highlights conclusive research Early education provides an economic engine for children, families and the country, experts said\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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