How High-Quality Early Care and Education Can Help Kids Compete in Life

In contrast to our nation’s first-place finish atop the medal count at the 2016 Olympics, America’s 15-year-olds finished 25th in science and 40th in math out of the 72 countries taking the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD] exam in 2015.

This factsheet cites studies that show how high-quality care and education can change the odds of success for children. Obstacles to academic success appear early in life: 60 percent of the achievement gap in reading and 70 percent of the achievement gap in math between low-income and higher-income children in high school is already present on the first day of kindergarten. Many of these children never catch up, and, as a result, they are more likely to become high-school dropouts.

The athletes of Champions for America’s Future want to see all children achieve their full potential and become champions in life. The good news is that we know high-quality early care and education can dramatically improve the chances of success for children who are disadvantaged by teaching them pre-math, pre-reading, and important social-emotional skills.

Making high-quality early care and education available to disadvantaged children is essential for America’s future generations to succeed and help our nation prosper. That’s why Congress must continue to prioritize investments in Head Start, the Child Care and Development Block Grant and Preschool Development Grants.