Early care and education for children in low-income families

Early care and education has become a reality for many young children in America as increasing proportions of families have working parents. At the same time, a growing body of research shows the importance of the early years for children’s future development, with some findings indicating that high-quality early care and education can be particularly important for the development of children in low-income families. In addition, the United States is investing billions in public funds to support early care and education with a particular emphasis on children in low-income families.

The convergence of these realities suggests that this is an opportune time to assess what we know about the patterns of usage and the quality of care that children in low-income families receive. This paper focuses on these issues, with the goal of informing the policy discussion about supporting the development of children in low-income families before they enter school.