Policy Priorities
Effective ECE policy starts with focused goals and clear principles.
This hub connects you to the main elements of our approach to ECE policy:
We focus on two key policy goals that deliver maximum impact for children, families, and state economies, grounded in our five core principles for effective ECE policy.
Our five core principles reflect our foundational beliefs about what makes ECE a worthwhile investment of public dollars. They anchor our approach to ECE policy and drive every recommendation on this site.
Finally, our policy framework connects the two key policy goals to the strategic approaches and specific policies that states can use to accomplish them.
Where to focus now — two goals that deliver results:
Empower lower-income parents to access quality ECE
Give parents purchasing power and real choices in a mixed‑delivery market.
Build a strong early care and education workforce
Stabilize and grow capable ECE staff so programs serve more families reliably.
The bedrock principles driving every recommendation on this site:
Target support where it's needed most.
Focus public investment on families who can't access quality care on their own.Put families first.
Empower parents — not top-down policies — to choose what’s best for their child.Strengthen markets, don’t replace them.
Expand access and quality by making ECE markets work for all families.Empower communities to lead.
Support community-driven approaches from employers, nonprofits, and faith-based groups.Focus on cost-effective results, not spending.
Track results to ensure public dollars achieve what matters most.
How we organize our policy guidance:
Our framework for organizing policy guidance connects big-picture goals to concrete strategies and specific policy actions, all grounded in our five core principles. This approach ensures that every decision advances core objectives..
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