High-quality early care and education supports children’s learning and development, enables parents to participate in the workforce, and benefits the broader economy. Yet families across the country face significant barriers to accessing affordable, high-quality care, including rising costs, provider shortages, uneven program quality, and challenges recruiting and retaining qualified early educators. Federal programs provide important support but currently reach only a fraction of eligible children and families.
In testimony before the U.S. House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, LPI Director of Early Learning Policy Hanna Melnick examines promising state approaches to expanding access and improving quality, including efforts in New Mexico, Vermont, Alabama, Virginia, and North Carolina. Drawing on these state experiences and research, the testimony identifies a critical federal role in helping successful approaches reach more children and families through increased investments in childcare and preschool, stronger supports for program quality, and improved compensation for early educators.
