A history of policies and programmes for the education of three-to-five-year-olds in the USA. This book also traces efforts to make pre-school education a part of the American public school system and shows why these efforts have been rejected, despite evidence of pre-school benefit.

Few issues have aroused more heated public debate than that of day care for children of working parents. Who should be responsible for providing child careâ€"government, employers, schools, communities? What types of care are best? This volume explores the critical need for a more coherent policy on child care and offers recommendations for the actions needed to develop such a policy. Who Cares for America's Children? looks at the barriers to developing a national child care policy, evaluates the factors in child care that are most important to children's development, and examines ways of protecting children's physical well-being and fostering their development in child care settings. It also describes the "patchwork quilt" of child care services currently in use in America and the diversity of support programs available, such as referral services. Child care providers (whether government, employers, commercial for-profit, or not-for-profit), child care specialists, policymakers, researchers, and concerned parents will find this comprehensive volume an invaluable resource on child care in America.

Focusing on the application of research in the social sciences to public policymaking in the U.S., this test explores national health policy, inner-city schools, and parent's and children's rights. By constructing a model of policy analysis and using day care centers to demonstrate how it can be applied, the editors raise serious and specific questions about policies affecting the care and education of young children.

As part of a re-examination of our societal values and obligations, this book focuses on illuminating the various meanings and issues of entitlement in relation to the basic needs of children in our society. Drawing on the perspectives of philosophy, law, education, sociology, child development, economics, and public health, the authors discuss the implications of their vision of entitlement for the well-being of America’s children. The book also points out specific family and cultural contexts for the provision of entitlements for young children. And, finally, it turns our attention to the moral commitments needed to effect changes in policies and programs. In this way, the book provides valuable information for all who are trying to improve the nurture and education of America’s children.

“I’ve totally washed away the dream of having one more child.” “I had never intended to be a stay-at-home-parent, but the cost of child care turned me into one.” “We had to pull our toddler out of his program because we couldn’t afford to have two kids in high-quality care.” These are not the voices of those down on their luck, but the voices of America’s middle class. The lack of affordable, available, high-quality childcare is a boulder on the backs of all but the most affluent. Millions of hard-working families are left gasping for air while the next generation misses out on a strong start. To date, we’ve been fighting this five-alarm fire with the policy equivalent of beach toy water buckets. It’s time for a bold investment in America’s families and America’s future. There’s only one viable solution: Childcare should be free.