Early Care and Education for Children in Low-Income Families: Patterns of Use, Quality, and Potential Policy Implications

From the Urban Institute, this paper reviews the use and quality of care and education that children in low-income families receive. Authors focus on these issues and provide suggestions for better supporting the development of children in low-income families before they enter the public school system. Current public policies are focused on supporting parental work, child development, and the quality of market-based settings, and many policies do not focus on all three of these issues, which are important.