The Tragedy of Child Care in America
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About This Book
Why the United States has failed to establish a comprehensive high-quality child care program is the question at the center of this book. Edward Zigler has been intimately involved in this issue since the 1970s, and here he presents a firsthand history of the policy making and politics surrounding this important debate. Good-quality child care supports cognitive, social, and emotional development, school readiness, and academic achievement. This book examines the history of child care policy sin
Our Review
This incisive examination of America's systemic failure to create a national child care program offers a vital historical perspective from one of the field's most influential figures. Zigler, a key architect of Head Start, traces the political battles and policy decisions from the 1970s onward, revealing how early education and cognitive development have been consistently deprioritized despite overwhelming evidence of their importance. The book meticulously documents how the lack of affordable, high-quality care undermines school readiness and academic achievement for generations of children, framing this not as an individual family problem but as a profound national crisis.
What makes this account particularly compelling is Zigler's insider status, providing readers with a front-row seat to the political maneuvering that has repeatedly stalled progress on universal child care legislation. Young adults entering the workforce, parents navigating impossible choices, and anyone concerned about educational equity will find this historical context essential for understanding our current childcare landscape. The book ultimately serves as both a sobering indictment of past failures and a crucial roadmap for what must change to support children's social and emotional development at a national level.
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