Advocating for Quality Early Learning For All

 Is it better for preschool children to be at home with parents, or is quality early learning a better option—and why?

Parents and caregivers are a child’s first and most important teachers. However, most parents are not equipped to teach their preschoolers all they need to truly learn, and high-quality early learning programs provide children with structured opportunities to develop social and emotional skills that are difficult to replicate in isolation.¹

In quality early learning settings, children learn to:

• Understand and name their emotions¹
• Play, share, and cooperate with other children²
• Resolve conflicts in healthy, age-appropriate ways²
• Build confidence, independence, and self-esteem¹

Children benefit most when families and quality early learning work together, supporting both emotional well-being and learning readiness. ¹ ²

2. Why should we implement quality early learning for ALL children as part of our education system?

From birth to age five, children develop the emotional and social skills that shape how they learn, behave, and relate to others for the rest of their lives.¹

When quality early learning is part of our education system, children are more likely to:

• Develop emotional regulation and self-control¹
• Build positive relationships with peers and adults²
• Feel confident and capable in group learning environments²
• Enter kindergarten ready both socially and academically³

Research shows that long-term success is driven as much by social-emotional development—such as motivation, self-control, and cooperation—as by early academic skills.³ ⁴

3. Why can’t philanthropists simply fund subsidies instead of advocating for public investment?

Philanthropy is important, but it cannot provide the consistent, long-term environments children need to develop healthy social and emotional skills.¹ ⁴

Research shows that children benefit most when early learning environments are:

• Stable and predictable¹
• High-quality and developmentally appropriate²
• Available consistently across early childhood years⁴

Public investment allows early learning to operate as essential infrastructure—ensuring that all children, not just a limited few, have access to environments that support emotional development, relationships, and long-term well-being.¹ ⁴

4. What are the biggest problems in America’s early learning system—and how can we fix them?

Current challenges include:

• High-quality preschool is unaffordable for many working families²
• Access depends on income, location, or eligibility rules²
• Children often lack opportunities to develop social skills in inclusive settings¹
• Early learning environments are inconsistent in supporting emotional development¹ ⁴

How we can fix them:

• Treat early learning as a public good, not a private luxury ⁵
• Ensure programs intentionally support empathy, cooperation, and emotional regulation¹ ²
• Invest in well-trained educators who support social and emotional growth²
• Create inclusive early learning environments where children from different backgrounds learn and play together¹

Research is clear that when children grow and learn together early in life, they are more likely to develop empathy, reduce bias, and build stronger relationships—benefits that last well beyond the classroom.¹ ²

References

1. National Scientific Council on the Developing Child.
   The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood. Harvard University.
2. Learning Policy Institute.
   Untangling the Evidence on Preschool Effectiveness.
3. HighScope Educational Research Foundation.
   The HighScope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 40.
4. Campbell, F. A., et al. (2012).
   Adult Outcomes as a Function of an Early Childhood Educational Program: The Abecedarian Project Follow-Up. Developmental Psychology.
5. Heckman, J. J. (2006).
   Skill Formation and the Economics of Investing in Disadvantaged Children. Science.