scholarly journals Pathways to a more peaceful and sustainable world: The transformative power of children in families

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Pia R. Britto ◽  
Suna Hanöz-Penney ◽  
Liliana Angelica Ponguta ◽  
Diane Sunar ◽  
Ghassan Issa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Child Development ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Early Childhood Development ◽  
The United States ◽  
Childhood Development ◽  
Policy Advocacy ◽  
Children And Families ◽  
Transformative Power

Abstract This article provides an overview of selected ongoing international efforts that have been inspired by Edward Zigler's vision to improve programs and policies for young children and families in the United States. The efforts presented are in close alignment with three strategies articulated by Edward Zigler: (a) conduct research that will inform policy advocacy; (b) design, implement, and revise quality early childhood development (ECD) programs; and (c) invest in building the next generation of scholars and advocates in child development. The intergenerational legacy left by Edward Zigler has had an impact on young children not only in the United States, but also across the globe. More needs to be done. We need to work together with a full commitment to ensure the optimal development of each child.

How We Fail Our Children Part I—The Caretaking Young Children Need

2020 ◽  
pp. 92-118
Author(s):  
Maxine Eichner
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Family Policy ◽  
Early Childhood Development ◽  
Free Market ◽  
The United States ◽  
Work Hours ◽  
Childhood Development ◽  
High Quality

A question for any thriving society is how to ensure that children have the things they need to do their best. Two different approaches, pro-family policy and free-market family policy, claim to satisfy children’s needs well. Countries with pro-family policy go out of their way to make it easy for parents to spend time with their children when kids most need it, as well as to provide them high-quality caretaking while parents work, and generous material support. In contrast, under free-market family policy, the United States expects parents to negotiate these conditions on their own, privately arranging for time off from work, reasonable work hours, caregiving while they work, and enough cash to support their kids. This chapter uses recent research on early childhood development to construct a list of the caretaking conditions that help young children thrive. It then considers the extent to which children receive these conditions under free-market family policy versus pro-family policy. Ultimately, it turns out that by far the biggest casualties of free-market family policy are our children.

Inquiry in Action: Reflections on the Implementation of Best Practices in Child- and Family-Focused University–Community Partnerships

2020 ◽  
Vol 201 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-53
Author(s):  
Mary E. Walsh ◽  
Shauna M. Adams ◽  
Susan Ferguson ◽  
Mary O. Hearst ◽  
Jo-Viviane Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Early Childhood Development ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Partnerships ◽  
Childhood Development ◽  
University Community

University–community partnerships (UCPs) are increasingly utilized to address issues in education. In this article, we present reflections on best practices for child- and family-focused UCPs. These reflections emerged before, during, and after a convening that brought together representatives from five UCPs in the United States that emphasized early childhood development and received funding from the same philanthropic source. The convening elicited perspectives on best practices for UCPs and identified community- and university-related contextual factors that affected implementation of these best practices. The findings from this study will contribute to the enhancement of future UCPs in education.

Zigler's conceptualization of diversity: Implications for the early childhood development workforce

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Cynthia García Coll ◽  
Kia L. Ferrer
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Early Childhood Development ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Determinant ◽  
Childhood Development ◽  
Color Experience ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Early Childhood Settings

Abstract The United States is entering a pivotal period in history, led by extraordinary shifts in the demographic makeup of children who are in need of medical, educational, and developmental services. For the first time in this country's history, the majority of children are being born to non-white populations. Simultaneously, racism (personal, institutional, and systemic) is now being recognized as a powerful social determinant of children's mental and physical health by the time they enter kindergarten. It is crucial to evaluate how early childhood development (ECD) settings are prepared to authentically engage racially diverse children. In this paper, we critically analyze the narratives of the architect of Head Start, Dr. Edward Zigler, and investigate his evolving contributions to early childhood programming. We propose that Zigler's conceptualization of culture and its impact on children's development, although advanced for his time, had historical limitations that have perpetuated the personal, institutional, and systemic racism that children of color experience in early childhood settings. This paper concludes with suggestions to include topics covering implicit bias, white privilege, and the impact of slavery, colonization, and oppression as core principles in professional training. Only then will we be able to eliminate racism across early childhood settings in the United States.

scholarly journals Early Childhood Human Capital and Development

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 145-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd Schoellman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Standard Model ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Early Childhood Development ◽  
The United States ◽  
Childhood Development ◽  
Income Differences ◽  
Cross Country

A growing literature stresses the importance of early childhood human capital. I ask whether variation in early childhood investments can help explain cross-country income differences. I provide new empirical evidence: the adult outcomes of refugees are independent of age at arrival to the United States up to age six, despite dramatic improvements in income and environment upon arrival. A standard model is consistent with this finding if parents but not country are important for early childhood development. This finding limits the mechanisms for generating cross-country early childhood human capital differences. I also provide suggestive evidence on parental inputs. (JEL I24, I26, I32, J13, J15, J24, J31)

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