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Reports & Research The Impact of Expanding Public Preschool on Child Poverty in California High-quality child care and preschool programs have numerous benefits—such as promoting the early development of children’s social, emotional, and academic skills, and supporting work among parents or other caregivers. Yet child care can also be a significant expense. Many Californians would like to see more children enrolled in preschool, but without policy changes to help families with the costs, the additional financial burden would substantially increase child poverty in the state. Subsidized child care is a key part of the social safety net that in effect boosts the resources available to low-income families by reducing a significant expense they might otherwise bear. At present, most subsidized child care and preschool programs in California require that families have incomes below specified levels—and often families must meet work requirements as well. But current program funding is not adequate to serve all eligible children. This report examines the effects on child poverty of expanding access to state-funded preschool for qualifying three- and four-year-olds. We consider several different kinds of expansions, including those that target low-income families and/or working families. We find:
Our findings suggest that when it comes to reducing child poverty, a program without parental work requirements has the potential for the largest impact. However, policymakers may have other objectives in mind when considering expansions to public child care and preschool. For example, if reducing disparities in early learning is a primary goal, a universal program without income requirements might be more promising. As policymakers consider expanding access to early care and education, clarifying their goals is a necessary first step in weighing the trade-offs between different kinds of expansions and determining the best path forward to improve families’ economic well-being and promote the future success of California’s children Read the full report at the link below: Source: PPIC A Total School Solutions publication. |