Report | April 19, 2018

How High-Quality Child Care Can Improve Military Readiness in Georgia

High-quality child care helps prevent the problems that disqualify 73% of young Georgians from military service

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 Americans, and 73 percent of young Georgians, from qualifying for service.

There is scientific consensus that brain development from birth to age five sets the stage for children’s future success. Two-thirds of children under the age of five in the U.S., and 66 percent of Georgia children under the age of six–495,000 children–have parents or a single parent who works 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.

High-quality child care can support children’s success and military readiness

In this report, we cite research demonstrating that high-quality child care can support children’s success and military readiness, in three categories: education, fitness and behavior.

The federal government supports child care affordability through direct funding, as well as through the tax code. State and local governments support child care quality through efforts such as Georgia’s Quality Rated program.

Given the long-term benefits of high-quality child care to children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development, state and federal policymakers should continue to promote quality, access and affordability. Support for high-quality child care is an investment in our future national security.

Read More About

  1. Brain Development
  2. Child Care

States

  1. Georgia