Related Campaigns
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Cradle to Prison Pipeline® Campaign
The Cradle to Prison Pipeline campaign is a national and community crusade to engage families, youth, community leaders and institutions and those in power in every sector in the development of healthy, educated children. The Campaign advances policies that put children on track to productive adulthood and opposes those that criminalize children at younger and younger ages.
Action Alert
Secure the Future - Invest in Every Child
In the richest nation on earth, 9 million children are without health coverage and more than 13 million live in poverty. We must demand that our leaders commit to helping children as a condition of our vote.
Stories
Mitchell Family
After Hurricane Katrina, Rene, Akil, and Aliyah found stability in the CDF Freedom Schools program. Read more
Stories
Calvinika Johnson
Calvinika was often teased and used to strike out in anger by fighting at school, but she is doing better at controlling her behavior and she attributes much of the improvement to her involvement with the CDF Freedom Schools program. Read more
Related Staff
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Dr. Cathy GraceDirector of Early Childhood Development Policy |
Early Childhood Education & Care
Investments in early childhood are vital to the success of our nation's youth. Extensive research has shown that early childhood programs significantly increase a child's chances of avoiding the prison pipeline. Furthermore, these programs have well-documented economic and societal value. Studies have shown that investments in quality early education can produce a rate of return to society significantly higher than returns to most stock market investments or traditional economic development projects.
Despite these encouraging reports, only 3 percent of eligible infants and young children (0-3) are enrolled in the federal Early Head Start program, and only about half to two-thirds of children eligible for Head Start are enrolled. CDF fully understands the need for consistent, quality education and care beginning at birth. Our nation simply can’t afford not to significantly increase investments in early childhood development and care, or to keep leaving so many poor babies and toddlers behind.
Priorities for Children in Education Reform
With the President's announcement of a renewed focus on education reform with the release of the FY 2011 budget, the Children's Defense Fund is eager to ensure that the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) adequately addresses the needs of our nation's most vulnerable children. On January 29th, the U.S. Department of Education convened a gathering of early learning experts and advocates to gather input as the Obama administration prepares to reauthorize ESEA. Dr. Cathy Grace, Director of Early Childhood Development, spoke at the gathering on behalf of the Children's Defense Fund. Dr. Grace asserted that reform must ensure adequate and equitable funding for young and disadvantaged children.
The current formula used to allocate education funding for low-income and disadvantaged children (known as Title I funding) favors wealthy states and large school districts. As a result, many smaller school districts that serve high concentrations of poor students are being shortchanged. The Center for American Progress just released a report, titled "Bitter Pill, Better Formula," which explains the inequitable funding formula, and proposes a new, more fair approach to providing adequate resources to our nation's most vulnerable students. To read Dr. Grace's remarks on priorities for children in education reform, click here.
Early Childhood Development Legislative Update
The Access to Nutritious Meals for Young Children’s Act of 2009, introduced in November in the Senate, has now been introduced in the House by Representative Paul D. Tonko (D-NY). The legislation would make it easier for young children to receive nutritious meals in child care centers, family child care home programs, Head Start and Early Head Start programs. To learn more about this bill and other important pieces of early childhood legislation, visit our Early Childhood Development Legislative Update.
CDF Director of Early Childhood Development Joins Senators in Announcing Bill to Help Children in Disasters
Last month Dr. Cathy Grace, Director of Early Childhood Development at the Children's Defense Fund, joined Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) at a press conference to announce the introduction of the Child Safety, Care, and Education Continuity Act of 2010. Learn more about this vital legislation, which addresses the needs of children in the event of a catastrophic disaster, and watch video of the press conference.
Making Connections: Real Child Health Reform for Young Children
Are you curious about how the health reform proposals might affect early childhood development and how you can help? See Real Child Health Reform for Young Children.
Investing in Early Childhood to Reduce Child Poverty
Every 32 seconds, a child is born poor in America. Poverty can disrupt children's development and negatively impact their educational advancement, their ability to lead productive lives and become responsible citizens. And yet millions of young children feel the effects of poverty every day. Find out more about the effects of poverty on young children and how you can lend your voice for America's most vulnerable.
Making Connections: Health Coverage, Early Childhood Dental Care and Education
Each year, children miss over 51 million hours of school due to preventable dental-related illness. Learn about the importance of health coverage and early childhood dental care for the development of our nation's children with this story about one-year-olds Michele and Jacob.
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