The ABCs of Early Childhood Care and Education

Children who fail to start school ready to learn will find it difficult to travel the path of prosperity. Not only are they more likely to fail academically, but they’re more likely to become disruptive in class, drift into delinquency, and end up with a life in crime and/or dependent on public welfare. Compounding the problem is the lack of a comprehensive “system” of early education and care to act as a safety net — unlike the safety net we provide to seniors through Social Security, or the safety net we provide to the disabled and indigent through Medicaid. For young people born into tough circumstances, the odds are often tragically stacked against them.

This analysis in the Greater Philadelphia Regional Review is only a start for understanding this issue in Pennsylvania. Nationally, new research into the economic case for early education and care is being commissioned by the respected Committee for Economic Development, in partnership with Philadelphia’s own Pew Charitable Trusts. Closer to home, PEL will continue to explore this issue, through its usual combination of research, communications and events. All of this would not be possible without our partner, The William Penn Foundation. We thank them for their support, and we look forward to more opportunities in the coming months to think about, and act on, the future of our children.