Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/is-education-separate-from-care/5016606/
In the United States there are two emerging state-level public policy trends, one toward universalizing pre-school services, and one toward systems for delivering early education and care. At this point, it is not clear whether the effect of the two trends will be to unite or divide the field of early education and care. The first creates a clear vision of pre-school as education, the second builds a system of early education and care. Some states are combining the two. Future government support of early education and care will be different, depending on how each state organizes its resources.The trend toward
“universal pre-kindergarten”
The vision of universal pre-kindergarten may or may not converge with the vision of an integrated care and education system. In some states, the expectation is that new education-funded programs will be primarily part-day and run by the schools, sometimes with the ability to sub-contract with other agencies. The source of funds is the State Department of Education. The goal is to equalize public education.
However, states that view early education as integrated with care have viewed the evolving system to be a mix of public and private auspices. Those states are likely to ...