Families and policies matter: how to enhance the well-being of children in poverty
Professor Jeanne Brooks-Gunn
Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor in Child Development and Education, Columbia University
Contact Email:   brooks-gunncolumbia.edu

Disparities in the well-being of children from different social class and ethnic backgrounds have been documented in most societies. Why do these disparities exist? And what can be done to reduce them? The focus of this presentation will be on young children for several reasons. One is that disparities in vocabulary, cognitive, and regulation are seen early, often by age 3. These disparities exist between children who are poor and affluent, who have parents with high and low education, and who are ethnic minorities and majorities. Another is that the gaps in school readiness continue throughout the childhood and adolescent years. Yet another is that the programs and policies that have been shown to reduce these gaps are often ones that originate in the early years of life.

This presentation will focus on the socioeconomic, prenatal, early health, parenting, and child care conditions that contribute to these early gaps. An estimate of how much of the gap can be ‘explained’ by each of these five conditions will be presented. Then, programs and policies focusing on each of these conditions will be considered, with a focus on how effective each has been in influencing child language, early reading and math skills, and behavior problems in the early school years. Based on this review, recommendations will be given for the most effective mix of early programs and policies that are likely to reduce these gaps in school readiness.

Paper Download Information (if available):

Brooks_Gunn.pdf

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