Investing in the Birth-to-Three Workforce: A New Vision to Strengthen the Foundation for All Learning

By 24 months, many toddlers living in poverty already show behavioral and cognitive delays which mirror achievement gaps as children move through our K-12 system. A new report titled “Investing in the Birth-to-Three Workforce: A New Vision to Strengthen the Foundation for All Learning” asserts that every child—regardless of race, income, or opportunity—should have consistent access to high-quality learning experiences from birth and provides a roadmap for policy reform at scale, including the development of residency programs and improved compensation for the infant/toddler workforce. “If we care about equity, we have to build a system that nurtures healthy brain development during the first three years of life,” said Shael Polakow-Suransky, President, Bank Street College of Education.