Reframing Early Childhood Care and Education

The need to reframe social good issues is something the MPI team has written about before. When an issue becomes polarized, and the media comes to believe a ‘balanced’ story must include two opposing extremes as if both were equally valid, then it’s time to create a new frame (a mental shortcut or narrative) about the issue so people can ‘hear’ the story. There are few issues as much in need of reframing for the public as the concept of the Early Childhood Care and Education system as an essential social infrastructure.

The Current Frame

In the U.S., the predominant frame for early childhood care is one of the individual family unit. Unlike most other developed countries, it is still assumed a mother can stay at home to provide pre-school aged children the stimulating and nurturing environment necessary for their optimal development. In short, the current frame for early childhood care looks like this:

Each family, alone, is responsible for their child’s early care and education
Mothers can stay at home to care for their young children
Businesses and employers have no responsibility for young children in their employees’ lives
Communities and public schools have no responsibility until a child reaches ‘school age,’ which is generally kindergarten
Child care providers are independent private sector businesses operating in a free market, unlike police, fire fighters, or public school teachers. That is, if their costs increase, they can raise prices.

My Story

I’m a (very) part-time working mom with three young daughters. My decision to stay home with our children was something my husband and I both believe is extremely valuable. I definitely do not take this opportunity for granted. It is a real gift to be able to explore the pill bugs in our yard, ride the carousel at the Shelburne Museum five times in a row, and have a picnic lunch at the beach on sunny days.

Another factor in my decision to stay home while my daughters were young was childcare: more specifically the cost and quality. I discovered affordable, quality childcare seems to be an oxymoron in our country. The childcare industry in the United States is a market-based system. In its pure form, a market economy is an economy absent of government subsidies, incentives, or regulations. It promotes competition among business and rewards skills and hard work.

In many cases, this translates into high-quality childcare centers (where ratios are low and teachers have graduate-level degrees) being so expensive that most middle income nevertheless lower income, working families can’t afford them. Most working families will have to search for more affordable childcare options, which unfortunately are not high quality.

Reframing Early Childhood Care and Education: Why This Matters

There is extensive research regarding the importance of early childhood development. A Harvard University study is one of many explaining that early influences—whether positive or negative—are critical to the development of children’s brains and their lifelong health.

Healthy brain development, from birth to age five, provides the foundation for educational achievement, lifelong health, strong communities and economic stability. These “golden years” of brain development can provide either a sturdy or fragile foundation for children. A sturdy foundation could reduce school drop out rates, crime and poverty.

What We Can Do

Well, we need to do more. This is a societal issue, not an individual responsibility. Most or all of the education funds in our states go to kindergarten through high school. We are missing the boat on message framing and funding those critical earliest years.

Fortunately, the State of Vermont has developed the STARS program (STep Ahead Recognition System). This program recognizes childcares, preschools and afterschool programs that go above and beyond state regulations to improve quality. Additionally, there are state subsidies for accredited centers that have low-income families. It’s a solid start.

Madeleine Kunin, Vermont’s first women governor, points out in her book, The New Feminist Agenda, that other countries seem to have it figured out. Understandably, the money must come from somewhere. But it’s a trade off that other countries value: high taxes for high benefits. In Sweden, the maximum fee for all-day childcare is $170 a month. Compare that to the approximately $750 monthly rate for a quality child care center in Vermont.

Reframing early childhood development will be key in making any headway in updating our current system. Frameworks Institute identifies the most popular default frame as one that “downplays the full range of a child’s critical interactions, concentrating attention solely on the domain of the family and on observable, largely cognitive, development. “ This thought process eliminates the value and impact that quality early education and care will have on children.

Currently, the majority of children, age 0-5 years old, do not have the opportunity for engaging, interactive and stimulating care. We can do better. We must do better.