Teachers College Press The Daycare Myth: What We Get Wrong About Early Care and Education (and What We Should Do About It)

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 in all of 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 wakeup 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.