A new report released by the U.S. Department of Education offers a wealth of information on the education and care of young children in the United States.
Here is a small sample of the information included in the report:
* Some 68 percent of African American children under the age of 6 are cared for by people other than their parents each week. For White children the figure is 62 percent. For African American children, 46 percent are taken care of by relatives other than parents, compared to 37 percent of White children.
* For Black children under the age of 6 who are cared for by relatives other than parents, 71 percent are cared for by a grandparent. For Whites the figure is 85 percent. Black children are twice as likely as White children to be card for a by an aunt or uncle.
* For children under the age of six who are placed in a preschool or other daycare center, 25 percent of White children are placed in a facility in a church or other place of worship. For Black children the figure is 7 percent.
* Some 20 percent of Black children under the age of six who are cared for in a facility outside of the home, are in a care center in a public school. For Whites the percentage is 14 percent.
The full report, Early Childhood Program Participation, Results from the National Household Education Surveys Program of 2016, may be downloaded by clicking here.