Each Child. Every Community.

"Early childhood education has a tremendous impact on the national economic security and the viability of the American dream." These are the words of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - not typically known for speaking on behalf of children's...

The poverty rate for Latino children in North Carolina has skyrocketed in the past decade--going from 28.3% in 2000 to 42.8% in 2009! North Carolina is one of three states highlighted in a new report, A Challenge to Our Nation:...

Each week during the month of October, First Focus will release a selection of papers from its new series entitled, Big Ideas: Game-Changers for Children. In an effort to generate new and innovative ideas to improve child well-being in the...

Since 1974, no age group has had a higher percentage of people living in poverty than children. New data released by the U.S. Census Bureau revealed increased child poverty rates in 46 states and the District of Columbia. Further, when...

A Roadmap to Need, a new report by the NC Center for Afterschool Programs, uses a variety of indicators to rank North Carolina counties in a "wellness index."  Specifically, the report looks at graduation rate, short-term suspension rate, adults...

According to a study released this week by the North Carolina Budget and Tax Center, state spending has the potential to fall to its lowest level in nearly 40 years. The study shows that a “cuts-only” approach—or even a...

Smart Start featured in U.S. Chamber of Commerce report! From the U.S. Chamber of Commerce website: "Ready, Set, Go! Why Business Should Support Early Childhood Education,” sheds light on the tremendous impact that early childhood education has on the national economic security and the...

The Washington Post just completed a week-long series on early childhood issues. Dylan Matthews, a student at Harvard and a researcher at The Washington Post, interviews some of the leading national early childhood policy experts, including: Danielle Ewen, director of child...

Excerpted from the The Society for Human Resource Management's publication Meeting the Workforce Needs of the Future Means Meeting the Developmental Needs of Young Children Today. Today’s infants and toddlers are tomorrow’s business leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers, health care...

Early Learning Left Out: Building an Early Childhood System to Secure America’s Future, 3rd Edition answers a simple but critically important question: Are we investing enough in the learning and development of our youngest children? The conclusions indicate that the...