NCCP | National Early Childhood Policy Profile

NCCP | National Early Childhood Policy Profile

State policies that promote health, education, and strong
families can help the early development and school readiness of
America’s youngest citizens. These state policies are
especially important to low-income families whose young children
lack access to the kinds of supports and opportunities that their
more affluent peers receive. It takes at least twice the official
federal poverty level (FPL), or $34,340 for a family of three in
2007, for families to provide the basic necessities that their
young children need to thrive.1 Nationally, 10 million children
under the age of 6 live in families earning twice the federal
poverty level or less.2 The National Center for
Children in Poverty’s Improving the Odds for Young Children
project shines a spotlight on state variation in the policy
commitment to low-income young children and families.

http://nccp.org/publications/pub_735.html