Solutions to Achieve a More Equitable and Sustainable Early Care and Education System

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

High-quality early care and education is essential for children and families and is the foundation of a robust economy. In recognition of the benefits of high-quality early care and education, lawmakers have proposed major investments and changes that could significantly alter the early education system, in a positive or negative manner. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide robust funding to high-quality public and private providers that have the expertise, workforce, and capacity to offer the early care and education choices that families need. To be effective, it is essential that a solution include the requisite financial support to thoroughly address issues in our current system including quality, parent choice, equitable access, affordability, continuity of care, and improvements for the industry’s workforce.

A mixed-delivery model is the best and most effective way to realize the opportunity to appropriately maximize resources to support children, families, and the economy. A mixed-delivery system leverages existing infrastructure in licensed center- and family-based child care programs, public schools, and community-based organizations to maximize access to high-quality, affordable options for all children through age five. 

For decades, private providers have invested in the early education workforce, program curricula, facilities, and infrastructure needed to offer high-quality care at scale. Any effort to expand early care and education should be cost-effective and leverage existing expertise and prior investment—maximizing the number of children and families served. Mixed delivery also empowers parents with choice and access. Private providers typically operate on a full-day, year-round schedule, unlike many public-school counterparts that offer part-day, part-year care. A system that meets parents’ needs must include options for parents that cover all working hours. Private providers also offer care for infants and toddlers, in addition to Pre-K and older children. Parents have critical needs and preferences that must be met, such as single drop-off locations for multiple young children, single settings for their child from infancy until Kindergarten, options closer to their place of employment as opposed to their home, etc. Across all family situations, a mixed-delivery system is the only option that provides parents with the ability to choose the program that is best suited for their child and family.

There would be significant negative unintended consequences to both small and large providers from limited private participation or a public-only delivery system, which would damage the existing early care and education landscape. Today, services in the birth-to-age-two space are almost wholly delivered by private providers, as are most programs for three- and four-year-olds. Private providers offset the high costs of serving infants and toddlers, who require lower adult-to-child supervision ratios, by serving older children at higher ratios. Any shift in Pre-K children from private to public settings would either force private providers to raise prices for birth to age two, rendering these services unaffordable for many families, or require them to close their doors due to financial strain. A poorly crafted model could collapse the infant and toddler care market and reduce optionality across all ages, which would be detrimental to working families. This would also exacerbate serious access issues in the current landscape, including widespread child care deserts where many families already struggle to find appropriate, affordable settings for their children. 

An affordable, accessible high-quality early care and education system is achievable by efficiently and effectively leveraging existing infrastructure with enhanced funding. This paper outlines specific policy recommendations that promote high-quality early care and education options for all children and families. These recommendations are interconnected, as the issues are linked, and tackling one alone will not address the changes that are needed to ensure a high-quality, sustainable early care and education system. 

Click Here for the full draft - June 2021