Early Education and Child Care: Does the United States Measure Up? Hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. United States Senate, One Hundred Seventh Congress, First Session.

These hearings transcripts present testimony before a congressional committee comparing early childhood education and care in the United States with that of other industrialized countries, focusing on all arrangements for children under compulsory school age. The opening statement from the committee chair, Senator James Jeffords, notes the linkage between participation in preschool and numerous positive outcomes as well as the evidence that preschool participation benefits low-income children more than children from more economically advantaged families. Jefford's statement notes that: American children are not entering school ready to learn, especially children from inner cities; the child care workforce is undertrained and paid low wages; and some local and state governments have accepted a view of early education and care adopted in other industrialized nations and have devised a variety of ways to finance programs for 3- and 4-year-olds. Providing testimony regarding the early education and care systems of industrialized nations are representatives of the Institute for Child and Family Policy at Columbia University, the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, the Bristol (Vermont) Family Center, the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children, and the director of educational programs of the French-American Foundation. The testimony focused on the models of early childhood education and care programs in the United States and elsewhere, and discussed their eligibility, coverage, financing mechanisms, staffing and compensation, and outcomes and impacts. Prepared statements also included information on selected findings from a 15-nation study of early childhood care and education programs, the French day care system, and the experiences of one family center in Vermont. (KB)