Apr 29, 2013, 11:13 PM ETConference Presentation, Panel

The Preschool Mandate: How Do We Get It Right?

Research indicates that 700 neural synapses form per second in a child's brain by the third trimester, with the majority of language pathways established within the first 12 months of life.
Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman's research demonstrates that the highest return on investment for human capital occurs when investing in the youngest children, with diminishing returns as children age.
Data from the state of Maryland shows that children attending high-quality early learning centers (KinderCare) outperformed the state average in school readiness, language, mathematical thinking, and scientific literacy.
Children who received a "significant dose" of high-quality early learning (full-time attendance for over a year) demonstrated even higher performance metrics compared to part-time attendees.

President Obama's "Preschool for All" proposal calls for a federal-state partnership targeting children under 200% of the federal poverty level (approx. $44,000 for a family of three).
The proposal includes a total investment of approximately $75 billion over ten years to ensure every four-year-old has access to high-quality early childhood education.
The plan proposes $700 million in base funding to strengthen the Early Head Start program and expand services for children from birth to age three.
The initiative prioritizes zero-to-three children through grants and increased funding for voluntary home visiting programs.
Congressman Chaka Fatah characterized the proposal as a non-partisan issue, noting that many conservative-led states already have robust early learning programs.
The administration's budget request is framed within the constraints of the Budget Control Act, requiring offsetting cuts or reallocations to fund the $7 billion annual expenditure.

Cisco Systems operates two on-site centers capable of housing 900 children, utilizing these facilities as a core retention and recruitment strategy.
Cisco partners with external providers (CCLC) and uses video monitoring technology to allow parents to observe children, reducing anxiety and increasing employee productivity.
The Cleveland Clinic (43,000 employees) operates child development centers with extended hours (6 a.m. to 8 p.m.) to support shift workers and non-professional staff who cannot access traditional private options.
Stanford University manages six early learning programs, employing a mixed model of private non-profits, public-private partnerships, and direct administration to serve a diverse income demographic.
Corporations report that workplace child care centers significantly reduce sick days and increase productivity, often yielding a financial return on investment for the employer.
A "middle-class squeeze" is identified where families earning $20,000 to $50,000 annually are ineligible for subsidies like Head Start but cannot afford market rates (e.g., $1,800–$2,000/month for infant care).

Less than 10% of early childhood education centers in the United States currently hold national accreditation, a metric panelists describe as a significant barrier to universal quality.
Panelists debate the necessity of requiring bachelor's degrees for all teachers, agreeing on the need for higher standards while acknowledging the financial barriers this poses to the current workforce.
High staff turnover is identified as a primary quality challenge, driven by low salaries that fail to reflect the professional nature of early childhood education.
Some corporate models utilize bonus programs tied to quality standards and retention metrics to incentivize teacher engagement and professional growth.
Accreditation is reframed by some providers as a continuous improvement journey rather than a static certification, engaging staff and parents in quality enhancement.
Disagreement exists regarding the burden of accreditation; while some view it as a necessary safety net to prevent tragedy, others note the high resource cost for high-quality co-ops to achieve it.

Research confirms that parent engagement is a critical variable in child outcomes, with highly engaged parents reporting children who resist leaving early learning environments.
Employers are leveraging "captive audience" status to provide parenting seminars, health education, and literacy resources to improve home learning environments.
Panelists suggest a "Teach for America" style model could be expanded to the early childhood sector to address teacher shortages and inject energy into the workforce.
The consensus is that the current generation's ability to compete globally depends on fixing the "vocabulary gap" and school readiness deficits before kindergarten.
The initiative aims to shift the national narrative from viewing child care as "babysitting" to recognizing it as the most critical phase of educational architecture.
Public advocacy is urged to counter misinformation about the efficacy of early learning programs and to ensure policymakers maintain support for universal access.