EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION

Early Care and Education

Early Care and Education

Introduction

Attitudes and perceptions about early childhood care and education are often emotionally charged and tend to mirror the state of the family in American culture. Until recently, the types of programs serving young children were unofficially assigned status labels as well as stigmas. Preschool, for example, regularly received the highest status as it tended to serve a more affluent and mainstream population. Head Start tended to bear the stigma of being associated with poverty even though it had the highest degree of oversight, was backed by several longitudinal research studies, and had the most comprehensive programming.

Infant and Toddler Education

Research has demonstrated that the quality of interactions with both people and their surroundings affects brain development and formation of neural pathways in infants and toddlers. While more attention has been paid to preschool and early childhood education, this research indicates that it is vital to devote both time and resources to this stage of development (Bredekamp, 1997).

Early Head Start and Nonprofit Providers

The goal of Early Head Start is to provide basic child development services to disadvantaged pregnant women and families with children under the age of 3. Early Head Start focuses on health, cognitive, and language development for infants and toddlers in addition to socio-emotional well-being, and family development (OECD, 2006). A variety of organizations, including many Nonprofits, offer Early Head Start services through center-based programming and home visits. A randomized assignment evaluation of Early Head Start found mostly small positive effects at ages 2 and 3 years on cognitive and school-related outcomes such as improved cognitive development and language skills, increased child engagement with parents, and improved parental outcomes (Doherty, 2003).

Preschool

Community/Direct Service

Nonprofit organizations continue to play a significant role in the provision of preschool education. There are both Nonprofit and for-profit preschools in the United States, and a significant amount of research has been done on the similarities and differences between the two.

Model Early-Childhood Programs

Two of the most effective and comprehensively reviewed early childhood education programs were facilitated by Nonprofit organizations.

Museums and Libraries

Public libraries have a long history in America, as well as a significant place in the history of the Nonprofit sector. Libraries currently provide a variety of educational and literacy programs for infants, toddlers, and young children, including story hours and other school readiness experiences. According to a study by the National Center for Education Statistics, 86% of public libraries surveyed provide educational group programs for children in preschool and kindergarten and 40% present programs for infants and toddlers, a significant increase from earlier studies (Wortham, 2003).

Kindergarten

Community/Direct Service

The kindergarten movement began in the United States in the 1850s. From the beginning, kindergarten was viewed in a positive light as a supplementary education for children from all backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses. Prior to 1890, charities were heavily involved in providing kindergarten programs directly to children. Philanthropists generally provided funding to provide free; half-day kindergarten services to children of working-class parents, many of whom were ...