Study Calls for Anti-Poverty Programs Focused on the Very Young

InfantToddler-report-coverThe latest estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau show that by 2043, Whites will no longer be a majority of the U.S. population. At the current time, persons of color are more than 50 percent of the population under the age of 2 and Whites are no longer a majority of the students in the nation’s public schools.

While the population demographics are shifting, there is a widening racial gap in most economic indicators. A new report from the Center for American Progress recommends that in order to best deal with issues of economic inequality, the United States should refocus social policy on programs for infants and toddlers to make sure they are given an equal chance for success in life.

The authors state that “today’s infants and toddlers provide a glimpse of what is on the horizon. In order to move toward closing the racial income and achievement gaps, policymakers must first close the school-readiness gap. This requires investing in the nation’s most valuable resource: America’s youngest citizens—our infants and toddlers.

Among the authors’ recommendations are:

  • Increase funding for infants and toddlers consistent with the cost of providing quality care and education.
  • Create single entry points for early childhood programs serving infants and toddlers.
  • Allow states to apply for federal infant and toddler funds through a single application with the goal of aligning services.
  • Invest in developing more evidence-based programs for diverse populations.
  • Enhance outreach efforts to all communities.

The report, Aligning and Investing in Infant and Toddler Programs, my be downloaded by clicking here.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

Black First-Year Student Enrollment Plummets at Harvard Law

This academic year, only 19 Black students enrolled in Harvard Law's first-year class. This is the lowest number of Black first-year law students at Harvard since 1965.

Recent Books of Interest to African American Scholars

The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. The books included are on a wide variety of subjects and present many different points of view.

While Diversity Among College-Educated Adults Increases, Diversity in the Teacher Workforce Lags Behind

A new study has found that while diversity has grown among America's college-educated adults , diversity in the country's teacher workforce is lagging behind.

Soyica Diggs Colbert Appointed Interim Provost at Georgetown University

A Georgetown faculty member for more than a decade, Dr. Colbert has been serving as the inaugural vice president for interdisciplinary studies and the Idol Family Professor in the department of Black studies and the department of performing arts.

Featured Jobs