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June 18, 2024 Story by: Editor
Access to quality child care and early education significantly impacts children’s growth and development, yet many Black families face barriers due to financial constraints. Publicly funded initiatives like Head Start and the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) aim to broaden access, but disparities persist, particularly among low-income Black households.
A recent report by the Child Equity Project at Arizona State University and the Equity Research Action Coalition at UNC’s Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, “Reviewing Policy Effects on Black Children and Families: Advancing the National Black Child Agenda,” highlights these disparities. It underscores the National Black Child Agenda’s call to expand universal early care and education access.
Despite the benefits of quality child care, Black families encounter challenges. Head Start, a vital program for impoverished children, shows disproportionate enrollment of Black preschoolers, with only 54% of eligible children benefiting in 2019. Moreover, many Black families lack a nearby Head Start center.
CCDBG, allocating $10.3 billion in 2019, served 1.4 million children, yet 80% of eligible Black children did not receive subsidies due to funding limitations. State preschool programs, crucial for school readiness, also face inequities, with low enrollment of Black children in high-quality programs meeting national standards.
The report examines broader issues affecting Black children, including access to early intervention services and disparities in special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It also addresses economic disparities and the impact of early childhood education on homeless children.
To address these disparities, the report calls for equitable funding and policy reform. Ensuring that all eligible children, regardless of background, can access and benefit from early childhood programs like Head Start and CCDBG is essential for reducing educational and economic disparities among Black children. Source: CRC
