During the last three decades the gap between the educational attainments of children raised in rich and poor families has widened dramatically. At the same time, the economic benefits of higher education have risen. In 1979, the average college graduate made 38 percent more than the average high school graduate. The comparable figure today is more than 75 percent.
According to the most recent census report, about one-quarter of children under the age of 6 live in poverty. Research shows that early childhood poverty has negative effects on brain development. At the age of 3, children in poverty have smaller vocabularies than their peers and a harder time organizing information and planning ahead.
Children in poor families are also less likely to have access to early-childhood education programs, that have a proven record of raising future educational attainment levels. Sadly, many states are slashing such programs, despite the fact that funds dedicated to them earn an annual real rate of return of 10 percent or higher.
