Research & Resources

The achievement gap, which is often discussed in the context of K–12 education, begins well before kindergarten. Too many children enter school without the basic social, emotional and intellectual skills they need to be successful as students and in the workforce.

Children who enter kindergarten well prepared are more likely to do well, graduate from high school and go on to college. Investing in early childhood education is an investment in the future workforce.

National business organizations that support early childhood education include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable. 

Policy makers can explore research and best practices for expanding access to and financing for early childhood education from the National Governors Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The Virginia Chamber of Commerce includes early childhood education as part of its Blueprint Virginia 2025: A Business Plan for the Commonwealth, p. 10.

The following articles and reports explain the business and economic case for investing in early childhood education.

 

Excellent Early Childhood Programs Are Within Reach For States (U.S. News & World Report, April 7, 2022): https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2022-04-07/opinion-its-time-to-revamp-early-childhood-programs

Pressure Mounts On Congress To Address Early Education (U.S. News & World Report, April 7, 2022): https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2022-03-22/pressure-mounts-on-congress-to-address-early-education

COVID Brought Attention To Early Childhood Education. Here’s How Investors Are Responding (ED Surge, March 22, 2022): https://www.edsurge.com/news/2022-03-22-covid-brought-attention-to-early-childhood-education-here-s-how-investors-are-responding

Virginia expanding access to Child Care Subsidy Program (ABC 8 News, January 21, 2022): https://www.wric.com/news/virginia-news/virginia-expanding-access-to-child-care-subsidy-program

How can we improve early childhood education? Use public dollars to pay teachers more. (Brookings, January 5, 2022): https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2022/01/05/how-can-we-improve-early-childhood-education-use-public-dollars-to-pay-teachers-more/

Part of the ‘great resignation’ is actually just mothers forced to leave their jobs (The Guardian, November 19, 2021):https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/nov/19/great-resignation-mothers-forced-to-lea

Ready Nation. Tomorrow’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Workforce Starts with Early Education. ReadyNation.

Ready Nation. The Vital Link: Early Childhood Investment is the First Step to High School Graduation. ReadyNation.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.Workforce of Today, Workforce of Tomorrow 2017.