Child Care and National Security: How Greater Access to High-Quality Child Care in Missouri Can Help Improve Military Readiness
High-quality child care helps prevent the problems that disqualify 71 percent of young people in Missouri from military service
Related
Our national security depends on qualified young adults who are ready, willing, and able to serve in the U.S. military. However, educational deficits, health issues, and behavior problems currently prevent 71 percent of all young people in Missouri from qualifying for service.
There is scientific consensus that brain development from birth to age five sets the stage for children’s future success. Seventy percent of children under the age of six in Missouri have parents or a single parent working outside the home, and many of these children are not in high-quality child care. Without improvements to the child care system, our nation risks an even smaller recruiting pool in the future.
70 percent of young children in Missouri have parents or a single parent who works outside the home, and many of these children are not in high-quality child care
In this report, we describe how high-quality child care can support Missouri children’s success and our nation’s military readiness.
Read the Report
Read More About
States