Clark-Fox Policy Institute briefs Capitol Hill on early care and education

On February 6^th, the Clark-Fox Policy Institute, in collaboration with the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW), the W.T. Grant Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Casey Family Programs, convened a vital congressional briefing on Capitol Hill on the transformative potential of early childhood education to reduce and prevent child maltreatment. The event brought together a panel of experts to explore innovative solutions and impactful policies for enhancing child safety.

Mary McKay, Executive Vice Provost at Washington University in St. Louis and President Emeritus of AASWSW, opened the briefing. McKay said of the research agenda, “We need to come together to create new solutions so that kids and families can be well.” She highlighted the work of the American Academy for Social Work and Social Welfare to advance the 21st Century Research Agenda, which combines research gaps and innovative solutions in child maltreatment services.

The discussion also tackled the national childcare crisis, workforce shortages, and the need for greater investment in programs like Head Start and Early Head Start. Trish Kohl, Brown School professor and Research Director of the Hermann Center for Child and Family Development, highlighted the prevalence of child maltreatment among children under five and stressed the protective role that early care and education can play. “I want to see a much smaller child welfare system and many fewer kids in foster care, and how we do this is through increased investment in community supports,” Kohl said.

Ellicia Lanier, CFPI Scholar-in-Residence and Executive Director of Urban Sprouts Child Development Center, reinforced this point by sharing how her early childhood center provides holistic support to families in poverty. Founded after her own employer refused to accept a childcare subsidy for her daughter, Urban Sprouts now has a waitlist of over 600 children for just 200 spots. “We provide diapers, we comb hair, we brush teeth, we do laundry—once a month, we even provide dental exams in our conference rooms,” Lanier explained. “There is this notion that families aren’t giving children what they need, but many of them simply lack the resources. Programs like ours and others across the nation are thinking critically about what we need to do to make families well.”

Gary Parker, Associate Dean for External Affairs at the Brown School and Director of the Clark-Fox Policy Institute, facilitated the discussion, guiding panelists in identifying policy strategies to expand access to high-quality early care and education. Expanding Head Start and Early Head Start, increasing childcare subsidies, raising educator pay, and integrating mental health specialists into childcare centers were all recognized as essential steps toward improving family and child well-being. However, Parker also acknowledged the policy challenges at play. “We need to be exploring every avenue. At the federal level, we must resist budget cuts and constantly tell the story about the value of early childhood,” he said. “At the same time, there are untapped opportunities at the state and local levels that require community organizing.”

With more than 600 children on Urban Sprouts’ waiting list alone, the speakers called on policymakers to prioritize early care and education funding and enact reforms that remove barriers to access. As Congress deliberates budget allocations, the panel urged lawmakers to recognize early childhood education as both a moral and economic imperative.

“We need to be exploring every avenue. At the federal level, we must resist budget cuts and constantly tell the story about the value of early childhood. At the same time, there are untapped opportunities at the state and local levels that require community organizing.”

Gary Parker, Director of the Clark-Fox Policy Institute

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