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Facts and Figures

“Early Learning in the United States”: 2018 Fact Sheets

Paul Cohn·November 1, 2018·3 min read

The Center for American Progress released its 2018 fact sheets profiling needs and costs for early learning in the United States.

“Knowledge Accumulates”: The History of the American Rescue Plan’s Child Provisions and What it Means for Cutting Child Poverty

Mark Swartz·March 26, 2021·4 min read

The American Rescue Plan signed by President Joe Biden on March 12 contains a number of potentially game-changing policies for...

5 Takeaways from Jack Shonkoff’s EdRedesign Keynote

Welcome to Our New Column Covering Live Events

Mark Swartz·May 27, 2020·2 min read

On May 19, Dr. Jack P. Shonkoff delivered the Education Redesign Lab (EdRedesign) spring keynote address via YouTube. Among his many distinctions, Dr. Shonkoff—Director of Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child and Professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard Graduate School of Education—was awarded the 2019 LEGO Prize for revolutionizing the field of early child development. Here are our notes from his remarks.

5 Takeaways from the “2020 Texas Fatherhood Fridays” Summit

Improving Childhood Outcomes in Texas by Supporting Dads

Mark Swartz·July 22, 2020·3 min read

On Friday, July 10, the Child and Family Research Partnership (CFRP) at the University of Texas at Austin presented a virtual event focused on Fatherhood in Texas. The annual summit was reimagined this year as a series of online presentations titled 2020 Texas Fatherhood Fridays. UT Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Prevention and Early Intervention Division sponsored the series.

A parent’s guide to surviving COVID-19: 8 strategies to keep children healthy and happy

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff·March 18, 2020·2 min read

For many of us, COVID-19 has completely changed how we work. Remote work might have its advantages for some, but when the kids are out of school and libraries and museums are closed, juggling two roles at once can be a challenge. What is a parent to do? As two developmental psychologists dedicated to understanding how children learn and play, these questions are filling our inbox.

Are We Getting Dumber? The Imperative of Investing in Early Childhood

Isabelle C. Hau·January 18, 2022·3 min read

During the pandemic, life expectancy has trended down. Equally troubling, and far less discussed, is a recent decline in average...

A group of Central American migrants is questioned about their children's health after surrendering to U.S. Border Patrol Agents south of the U.S.-Mexico border fence in El Paso, Texas, U.S., March 6, 2019. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Beyond the Headlines: Separation and Detention of Immigrant Children

Mark Swartz·August 12, 2019·4 min read

The 24/7 news cycle tends to push certain crises at us for a day or two before other breaking stories come along to replace them. Of course, the human beings caught up in these tragedies don’t have the luxury of moving on. In the case of the forced separation of immigrant children from their families, young victims continue to face severe adversity.