Brandi Renis
Inequity in Early Childhood has been studied for quite some time and even lead to the creation of what we now know as Head Start programs. These programs aim to provide high-quality child care experiences for children in poverty with the goal of preparing children for elementary school and beyond. There are studies that show the differences in the lives of children who have had access versus those who did not.
Children, without high-quality childcare experiences, are more likely to get pregnant earlier, go to prison more often and have more difficulty academically throughout their lives. The privilege of mostly the wealthy being able to access high-quality care in children’s foundational years of development supports the cycle of inequity. Children in wealthy families will have stronger brain development, social experiences, access to better learning environments and high-quality teachers whereas many children who do not have access are more likely to continue the cycle of generational poverty. This leads to the differences in socioeconomic status being maintained over generations.
https://givingcompass.org/article/inequality-starts-early-disparities-in-early-childhood-development
