Virginia Promise Partnership
The Importance of Early Childhood Education
Healthy development in the first five years of life provides the building blocks essential to a child’s long-term success. Experiences and interactions during this critical time directly impact the learning, health, and behavior of individuals for the remainder of their lives.
High-quality child care programs serve as a critical tool for providing constructive interactions that promote learning and development to ensure children have the best possible foundation from which to grow. Those who participate in quality early childhood programs are more likely to finish high school, secure high-paying jobs, avoid incarceration, and lead happy, healthy lives.
The Problem
Despite compelling studies demonstrating the importance of early education, Virginia does not adequately invest in early childhood education. This lack of investment has left families and childcare providers across to the Commonwealth with:
High Costs
The average annual cost in Virginia for full-time center-based care is $14,063 for infants and $10,867 for four-year-olds, accounting for up to 47 percent of a single parent home’s income.
Lack of Access
An estimated 47 percent of Virginia’s residents live in child care deserts with limited access to quality early childhood education programs.
Lack of Coordination and Inefficient Use of Resources
Only 3.8 percent of children under the age of 6 who are eligible for child care subsidies in Virginia have access to subsidized services.
Inequity
Lack of access to quality child care programs disproportionately impacts children from low-income backgrounds as well as children who are Black or Hispanic, further expanding the school readiness gap.
Low Wages
Early childhood educators in Virginia receive an average annual salary of $20,425, well below the federal poverty line.
OUR BOLD GOAL
Our bold goal is to ensure all Virginia families have access to affordable quality child care by 2030, regardless of income. Improving access to quality programs will benefit Virginia’s infants and toddlers, working families, employers, and communities more broadly.
Children
who participate in quality early childhood programs are more likely to finish high school, secure high-paying jobs, avoid incarceration, and lead happy, healthy lives.
Families
with access to early childhood programs are able to remain in the workforce and benefit from increased earnings, savings, healthcare coverage, and other employment benefits.
Providers
with adequate resources and compensation benefit from gainful employment and lower turnover rates.
Businesses
whose employees have access to quality early childhood programs maintain a steadier and more consistent workforce as well as decreased recruiting costs.