The Daycare Myth: What We Get Wrong About Early Care and Education

by Dan Wuori

For a century, America’s early childhood policy has been premised on a myth. This falsehood—which dictates that child care and education are somehow separate and distinct—not only suboptimizes the most important window in all of human development but costs American taxpayers an untold fortune. It’s time to think differently. Written in plain yet provocative language by one of the field’s most respected bipartisan policy experts, The Daycare Myth makes the case for why the early years matter; why America’s longstanding early childhood policy approach sacrifices the needs of young children in favor of promoting adult employment; and why fixing the problem makes good sense, regardless of your place on the political spectrum. With straightforward guidance for policymakers, practitioners, and parents, this incredibly timely book is a wakeup call for a nation that aspires to nothing less than the wholesale transformation of America’s early childhood landscape.

Book

Invites readers to rethink their very understanding of the early years by outlining a bipartisan case for change.Addresses the needs of policymakers, practitioners, and parents individually with practical implications and action steps for each.Melds policy with what the current science of brain development tells us about the importance of children’s early years and the critical role they play in future success.Challenges longstanding assumptions, calls out ineffective approaches, and outlines a new path beneficial to children and families, employers, state and federal economies, and society as a whole.

Genres: Parenting, Family, Education, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

Published September 27, 2024

Reviews

[Dévonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has so many gems that’s important for anyone living in America to know and understand. Everything below are the thoughts and words of Dan Wuori, along with the references. I added in some of my thoughts to help it flow/summarize his key points.

TLDR: A 2023 report from the business group Ready Nation, for example, estimates that lack of high-quality infant and toddler programs for families results in an annual LOSS to the American economy of $122 billion (Bishop, 2023).

Some statistics that stood out (but please read the book for yourself as there are many other important takeaways):

81% of American parents are unable to access paid family leave, an astonishing 1 in 4 new mothers is forced to return to work less than 2 weeks after giving birth (Bipartisan Policy Center, 2020a).

The average yearly tuition within the nation’s early childhood education programs stands at $14,117 according to one recent analysis (Thier, 2022).

Over half of families with young children are paying more than 20% of their annual family incomes for these programs. This is because only 1 in 7 income-eligible families actually receive the subsidy support due to chronic underinvestment (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2021).

Minimally qualified staff are paid at or near their states’ minimum wages—59 cents LESS per hour THAN dog walkers, according to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022).

Earlier I mentioned the $122 billion annual LOSS to the American economy. Let’s break that down:

(1) An estimated $78 billion are borne by parents in the form of foregone wages and career setbacks (i.e., parents are often late/forced to call out and/or are bypassed for promotions and career training) and in the absence of options for their little ones, they are often forced to leave the workforce

(2) Employers lose an estimated $23 billion annually (see point 1 above) and are challenged to recruit and retain staff, incurring the costs of continual rehiring and retraining

(3) Taxpayers suffer because when parents and employers earn less, state economies lose out on revenue, which Ready Nation pegs this loss at $21 billion annually

So where do we get the money? We have the money already, but it is being spent on remedies and not upfront proactively. It is currently spent on educational remediation, social services, and interactions with the criminal justice system (all correlated with our suboptimization of children’s development). What does that mean? It means that if we invest early in early learning for children during their most important developmental milestones, we have a better chance at setting them up for healthy and successful lives!

This book also has a step-by-step guide for parents and caregivers trying to find the best place for their children to grow, learn, and play. For those who need and/or want their children to experience early learning programs, they should have access to high-quality and affordable options.

Once we all begin to recognize that the environments in which children learn are schools and the adults who facilitate their learning are teachers, we are one step closer to the change that our nation needs.

[Corey Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most well-written and important books about the current state of early childhood development and education. Dr. Wuori hits every piece of the current early childhood crisis and gives detailed action items for parents, early childhood professionals, and policy makers. This is a must read for anyone that wants to do better for children.

[Andy]

DNF. Yes, we should have effective early childhood education available for more children, but that will require evidence-based instruction and rigorous measurement of relevant outcomes. I think the author is too dismissive regarding the real-world status of how hard it is to implement that at scale. There's an appendix on "Interpreting Claims about Early Childhood Research" and it says to read critically, but implies that studies that would tend to undermine his conclusions should be ignored, without adequately explaining what the overall weight of the best available evidence is.

Alternatively:
Inside PreK Classrooms: A School Leader’s Guide to Effective Instruction
So Much More than the ABCs
Pivotal Research in Early Literacy: Foundational Studies and Current Practices
Significant Benefits: The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 27
The Myth of the First Three Years: A New Understanding of Early Brain Development and Lifelong Learning

[Shawn Cribari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read for anyone who cares about the future of our country. Early Childhood Development expert Dan Wuori cleverly weaves together the history of child care, the science of early childhood development, the challenges faced by working parents, and the struggles of child care providers. He pulls all of this together to make a compelling argument for an overhaul of public policy regarding child care and making a significant public investment in early childhood education.

Citing the work of Nobel Laureate Economist James Heckman, Wuori argues that we’re already paying for our early care and education non-system in remedial education, low high school graduation rates, high unemployment rates, an underperforming economy, and long-term health problems (yes – adults who were in good child care environments as infants and preschoolers suffer fewer health problems than their peers).

[William J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan Wuori has written an important call to action for everyone concerned about early childhood education.

He articulates the enormous costs America pays for not treating early childhood as the most important time for learning and offers ideas about how to move the needle.

Wuori asserts Three Simple Truths of Early Development: (1) Learning begins in utero and never stops. (2) The period from prenatal to age 3 is a uniquely consequential window of human development during which the fundamental architecture of the brain is “wired.” (3) Optimal brain development is dependent on stable, nurturing relationships with highly engaged adults.

This book is like a fresh cup of coffee in the morning that will get you thinking about fixing this broken system as fast as we can.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrifying analysis of early years care in the USA and full of useful policy and parent practices to remedy the situation.

Smack me if I use the term "daycare" ever again. It puts the focus on the wrong thing.

Three things Wuori needs us to know about babies, learning and child care:

1. Learning begins in utero never stops
2. Age 0-3 is when our brains' architecture is wired in ways that will help or hinder success in the future.
3. The strength of that wiring depends most on quality interactions with engaged adults.

So what we do with tiny humans matters a whole lot, and those 3 truths will drive decisions I make about my tiny human's education and early years.

[Brace1737 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan Wuori has made an excellent case for why the present day care system is failing both children and their parents. Ages 0 to three years are a critical time in a child's development but the present system does next to nothing to tap into the child's potential. Mix in overworked underpaid staff and the picture is bleak. MR. Wuori then presents an action plan that would benefit children, parents and taxpayers.
If you are a parent you should read this book. If you are an elected official you should drop what you are doing and sspent the next four hours reading this book.

[Sharon Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent proposal of a new view of Early Learning

The Daycare Myth pushes past the blanket of nurture and care to the aspects of a brave, new world where Early Learning Specialists are equipped and funded to provide a comprehensive learning environment where it counts most for early brain development. Overall restructuring of government priorities for early put funding and requirements in a place that creates the biggest income for all. Highly recommend this book for providers and lawmakers alike.

[Alison Rini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book - super quick read that balances A) a case for transforming “daycare” into early childhood education with B) specific policy steps that will and won’t move the needle.

Very insightful analysis and some surprising findings - for example public schools providing PreK can actually cause unintended problems in the market by driving out small businesses that provide infant care. Highly recommend for people interested in this topic as a parent, provider, or policy maker.

[Brandi Bergh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for all! The Daycare Myth perfectly outlines the broken 'child/daycare' system, breaking down the tremendous costs to all Americans. Wuori's outlines key steps to improve early education, ensuring high-quality care for all children while creating a positive return on investment for all!

[Zipi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for work and did a little book club with my coworker! It had some interesting points like how ECE is designed so parents can work, not to promote children’s development and how we view education as a public good but not ECE. But also some arguments needed more nuance or sometimes it felt like he was saying one thing but then kinda went back on his prior arguments/didn’t follow them through.

[Gello · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important book for policy makers. Also includes great questions for parents to ask of daycare/early childhood education centers when looking for placements for their children.

[Jessica Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my usual style read but shows the importance of early childhood educators and how they are more than glorified babysitters and should be paid as such

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

For every parent, professional, and policymaker! Early childhood is LEARNING nothing less. I am a teacher, helping to wire little brains. This book explains why and what to do next

[Sarah Field · Rating 3 out of 5]

Captures the elements of the ongoing childcare crisis in the U.S. While it was well researched, this probably should have been marketed for policy makers.