Like the depiction of plagues in apocalyptic science fiction, neoliberalism continues to infect education at all levels. This infection causes educators to care not for the children, but to embrace the figure of the Child. Reproductive futurism, in the imagined redemptive figure of the Child has been regulating the structure of education not for…

Early intervention services are an important federally funded program for families with children under three years of age who may be diagnosed with or are at risk of developmental delay or disability. The program's impacts can be profound: Early intervention helps strengthen cognitive, motor, and language skills; reduces the likelihood of…

Homelessness is a traumatic experience with long-term consequences, particularly for infants and toddlers in their most critical stages of development. Yet homelessness among young children is hidden. Lack of shelter, fear of having children removed from parental custody, and restrictive eligibility criteria for housing programs mean that most…

Engaging, focusing, and persisting in the completion of tasks are among the skills needed for school success. Tracking whether a child is learning cognitive problem-solving skills is essential in knowing if they are acquiring skills important for development and school readiness; and if not, how they are responding to early intervention. Use of…

The Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grants program, sponsored by the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, aimed to improve children's access to high quality early care and education. RTT-ELC awarded more than $1 billion over three rounds of grants to help states develop and implement systems that rate…

While the importance of the period from birth to age three as the most promising and possibly consequential stage of human development has gained attention over the last quarter century, public investments in children's early learning opportunities have remained inadequate. The nation, as well as the state of New Jersey, invests the fewest public…

"Children's Budget 2020" is the 14th annual release of this signature Children's Budget publication. While the COVID-19 health and economic crises have highlighted how important it is to put children and families at the forefront of budget decisions, far too often lawmakers fail to prioritize children when allocating federal resources.…

The main goal of this social policy report is to propose a holistic approach for promoting developmental success among Latinx children and youth. This report highlights the need to 1) redefine success and 2) account for intersectional inequalities. First, the current demographic landscape of Latinx students is presented to showcase the variability…

"Children's Budget 2022" finds that the share of federal spending on children climbed to a historic 11.98% of the U.S. budget in FY 2022, producing remarkable declines in child poverty, hunger and the rate of children without health insurance. The report finds that the share of U.S. domestic and international spending on children rose…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2016 describes New Jersey's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies New Jersey will implement to address those challenges. The cross agency RTT-ELC team has continued to implement the eleven projects that the federal partners have…

Minnesota's vision for its Race to the Top -- Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) work was based in years of research showing the impact of high quality early childhood programs on children's school readiness and success in life. Minnesota's State plan was to increase access to high quality early learning development programs for children across…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2016 describes Vermont's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Vermont will implement to address those challenges. 2016 marked a year of substantial progress for Vermont's Early Learning Challenge (ELC) grant, particularly at the…

This report details the story of North Carolina's Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) Grant for the period of 2012-2016. It provides detailed reflections on the state's accomplishments over the grant period and shares the enhanced vision for the RTT-ELC in North Carolina. Specific details are provided about what has changed in the…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) final performance report for the year 2016 describes Rhode Island's vision for RTT-ELC, what has changed in Rhode Island and in early learning programs as a result of RTT-ELC, and the lessons learned in implementing a comprehensive reform agenda. The RTT-ELC grant offered Rhode Island the…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) final performance report for the year 2016 describes Delaware's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Delaware will implement to address those challenges. Delaware made significant progress throughout the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge in four identified…