US: How Public Preschool Can Help, and How to Make Sure It Doesn’t Hurt (Opinion) (May require subscription) (Includes video)
New York Times – November 08, 2021
Congress is nearing a vote on a plan to spend $370 billion over six years on early childhood care and education in the United States. Government-supported child care can have lifelong benefits for young children and their families, but it depends how the policies are designed. The proposal, part of the safety net spending bill, would make financial assistance for child care near-universal, and pre-K for all children ages 3 and 4 free. Democrats hope it is popular enough to be extended after six years. Similar ideas have been tried in cities like Boston and New York City, and states like Oklahoma and Georgia. Most rich countries spend significantly more than the United States on helping families with child care, and it’s common for the option of public school to begin at age 3. Research on these programs offers evidence about what works and what doesn’t.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/08/upshot/preschool-child-care-biden.html