A history of underinvestment in child care results in low wages and lack of other support for providers which can make copayments complex and unaffordable for families. We need increased and sustained public investment.
Technological innovation has always been a central determining factor of job quality. It is essential that strong public policy prevents technology from insidiously claiming control over a worker’s body, time, and autonomy.
Education has been long established as a fundamental right for all in the United States. Yet immigrant children and children in immigrant families face challenges such as barriers to enrollment, language access issues, and fears related to immigration enforcement.
Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs provide care and support for farmworker families to help meet their unique needs. Every farmworker family should have access to these programs, but they are drastically underfunded and, as a result, only reach a small portion of eligible families.
Youth mental health needs existed before the pandemic; indeed, while these needs were clearly growing for years there has long been a mismatch between the level of need and the services available.
A family’s income during the prenatal and early years of a child’s life plays a significant role in her health, well-being, and cognitive development, all of which shape her future outcomes. Evidence abounds on the positive impact that income support programs—especially cash transfers—have on children.
In July 2023, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) addressed the issue of low community participation in rulemaking with a memorandum encouraging federal agencies to look for “meaningful and equitable” opportunities for public input.