For a century, America's early childhood policy has been premised on a myth. This falsehood-which dictates that child care and education are somehow separate and distinct-not only suboptimizes the most important window into all human development, but costs American taxpayers an untold fortune. It's time to think differently. Written in plain yet provocative language by one of the field's most respected bipartisan policy experts, The Daycare Myth makes the case for why the early years matter; why America's longstanding early childhood policy approach sacrifices the needs of young children in favor of promoting adult employment; and why fixing the problem makes good sense, regardless of your place on the political spectrum. With straightforward guidance for policymakers, practitioners, and parents, this incredibly timely book is a wake-up call for a nation that aspires to nothing less than the wholesale transformation of America's early childhood landscape. Book Features: Invites readers to rethink their very understanding of the early years by outlining a bipartisan case for change. Addresses the needs of policymakers, practitioners, and parents individually with practical implications and action steps for each. Melds policy with what the current science of brain development tells us about the importance of children's early years and the critical role they play in future success. Challenges longstanding assumptions, calls out ineffective approaches, and outlines a new path beneficial to children and families, employers, state and federal economies, and society as a whole.
Dan Wuori is founder and president of Early Childhood Policy Solutions LLC. He serves as a strategic advisor on early childhood at The Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation and was the founding director of early learning at The Hunt Institute in Cary, North Carolina. He is a former kindergarten teacher, school district administrator, and state agency administrator.
Contents Foreword by Dana Suskind ?ix Acknowledgments ?xi 1. ?Daycare Doesn't Exist ?1 A Crisis of Understanding ?4 The Bipartisan Blueprint for Change ?13 2. ?Something for Everyone: The Bipartisan Case for Early Childhood Investment ?19 The Long-Term Economic Case for Investment in Young Children ?20 The Short-Term Economic Case for Investment in Young Children ?26 The Bipartisan Blueprint for Change ?36 3. ?America's Failing Child Care Market ?41 Child Care as a Broken Economic Market ?42 The Bipartisan Blueprint for Change ?59 4. ?How Not to Solve the Child Care Crisis: Imperfect Solutions and Policy Pitfalls ?67 Public Policy Pitfalls ?68 The Bipartisan Blueprint for Change ?82 5. ?A Wholesale Transformation of America's Early Childhood Landscape ?87 The Current Early Childhood Policy Pyramid ?88 The New Early Childhood Policy Pyramid ?91 Promising Practices in the States ?96 Appendix A: Interpreting Claims About Early Childhood Research ?103 Appendix B: Reaching Out to Your Elected Leaders: A How-To for Parents and Professionals ?105 References ?113 Index ?121 About the Author ?125
