A growing body of evidence shows that investments in high-quality, affordable, and accessible childcare and learning are a key element of a healthy, growing U.S. economy. Research tells us that the ages zero to three are a critically important time for developing the wide range of skills necessary for future success. Equitable Growth is growing the evidence base for the demand side of the early education equation—what do families need and want for their children and themselves and what are the obstacles to access across the economic distribution—and the supply side of the equation—what does quality childcare look like, and how do we expand access to quality early care and learning jobs in a way that creates meaningful economic security for care workers?
Featured work
Can remote work attenuate mothers’ mobility constraints in the U.S. labor force?
February 12, 2026
February 12, 2026
Factsheet: What we know about the federal employer-provided child care credit and how can it be better used by businesses
April 22, 2025
April 22, 2025
What is social infrastructure, and how does it support economic growth in the United States?
January 26, 2023
January 26, 2023
Factsheet: What the research says about the economics of early care and education
September 15, 2021
September 15, 2021
Explore Content in Childcare & Early Education219
Economist Currie’s research on early childhood care and education highlights the need for a national childcare policy
April 2, 2019
April 2, 2019
Paid family and medical leave in the United States: A data agenda for practitioners
March 7, 2019
March 7, 2019
Paid Family and Medical Leave in the United States: A Data Agenda
March 7, 2019
March 7, 2019
Investments in early childhood education improve outcomes for program participants—and perhaps other children too
December 4, 2018
December 4, 2018
Short and medium run impacts of preschool education: Evidence from state pre-k programs
December 4, 2018
December 4, 2018
Paid Family and Medical Leave in the United States: A Research Agenda
October 22, 2018
October 22, 2018
Universal childcare’s benefits might cover much of its costs
August 13, 2018
August 13, 2018
Why current definitions of family income are misleading, and why this matters for measures of inequality
July 12, 2017
July 12, 2017
Equity, efficiency and education spending in the United States
June 27, 2017
June 27, 2017
Reducing inequality through dynamic complementarity: Evidence from Head Start and public school spending
June 27, 2017
June 27, 2017
Better understanding the importance of diversity in U.S. preschool programs
May 10, 2017
May 10, 2017
Does targeted or universal pre-Kindergarten better serve low-income kids?
March 13, 2017
March 13, 2017
Explore the Equitable Growth network of experts around the country and get answers to today's most pressing questions!