NCCP | State Early Childhood Policies

NCCP | State Early Childhood Policies

Early childhood is a time of great opportunity. For young
children, it is a time when they will learn to walk and talk and
build the foundations for future development. For policymakers, it
is a time to improve the odds that young children receive the
health care, positive early learning experiences, and nurturing
parenting that will support their healthy development and school
readiness. For more than 10 years, the National Center for Children
in Poverty (NCCP) has reported on state-level policy efforts to
promote the well-being of young children and their families,
particularly lowincome children, with Map and Track: State
Initiatives for Young Children and Families. NCCP continues this
tradition with
Improving the Odds for
Young Children, a multi-faceted project that provides a unique
picture of the policy choices states make to promote healthy
development and school readiness.

http://nccp.org/publications/pub_725.html

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