Alexander Economic Views | November 30, 2023
Excerpt: "Given the considerable benefits to expanding early learning and the challenges in expanding licensed care, it is worth highlighting the merits of continuing to expand capacity through the public school system. This paper argues that there is considerable merit to expanding school-delivered early learning to full-day programs and to earlier ages. There are seven core benefits to expanding public school operated Pre-K:
Schools:
- are in every neighborhood, helping eliminate childcare deserts.
- deliver programs that can maximize inclusivity and diversity, boosting the impact of ELCC expansion.
- programs can provide a continuum of high-quality learning.
- attract and retain top-quality early childhood educators and lift market competition for ECEs, which can increase compensation in the sector broadly.
- have economies of scale due to being part of the public sector.
- have strong governance and political accountability for outcomes and data collection for program assessment is easier than surveys of licensed care providers.
- eliminate the risk of market-based supply disruptions and reduce the risk of politically triggered supply disruptions."
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