The Center for American Progress has just issued a report on Disparities in Housing, Health Care, Child Care, and Economic Security Affect Babies for Life written by Allie Schneider and Hailey Gibbs.
The report concludes: “While infants and toddlers are often left out of the policy discussion, a breadth of developmental research highlights that these early years may have the largest impact on long-term health, well-being, academic, and economic outcomes. Early investments in social programs that reduce disparities and improve family security across a range of social determinants also have been shown to have large returns on investment, decreasing later costs associated with the health care, criminal justice, and social services systems.”
The report employs the social determinants of health framework and advocates for policies addressing those social determinants, many of which are reflected in adverse community experiences. These policies include:
- Expanded home visiting programs;
- High quality child-care and support for child care workforce;
- Safe, affordable housing;
- Addressing racial and gender wealth gaps;
- Increased federal minimum wage;
- Making child tax credit permanent to bring millions of children out of poverty;
- Expanding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- Providing Continuous Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program eligibility;
- Reducing heat island effects and air pollution.
The report ends by urging “greater national attention on the littlest among us, as well as support from the federal level” in order “to ensure infants, toddlers, and families have the resources they need to thrive in life.”
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