Early childhood education and care are essential for children to learn and their parents to work. A family's economic security is foundational to children’s overall well-being. States with policies that offer strong support to young children and their families are more likely to see declining numbers of children in low-income households and low racial disparity among those children. This is essential because research also shows that rapid brain development occurs during the early childhood years. 

We need educators, parents, partners, and allies to raise a powerful, collective voice to demand that our nation's policies catch up with the science about the importance of brain development and the benefits of investing in high-quality early learning built with educators who are skilled, supported, and compensated for the complex and demanding jobs they perform.