In the era of the Great Recession federal and state governments have debated a stream of far-reaching budgets that will reshape spending and society for years.
These debates are far from over and this month six scholars argue that early childhood education and other children’s programs deserve a bigger role and more funding. The Urban Institute essays strive to reframe the budget debate by answering a critical question: “How can solutions to our national and state budget crises fit the facts about children in the United States?”
This question is even more relevant today as the congressional super committee tries to craft a bipartisan plan to balance the federal budget. Spending on children’s programs, including early education, is not simply a matter of helping families; it’s a building block of a strong economy.
No matter how the congressional “super committee,” our lawmakers, and the White House decide to put us back on a sustainable fiscal path through budget cuts and tax policy reforms, children — that is, the future of the country—must be given higher priority. Under current law, less than 8 percent of the federal budget would be spent on children at the end of this decade. That reveals our government’s value judgment on investing in the well-being of both the current adult population and the future workforce. -- “Budgeting for Tomorrow’s Workforce and Economy.” By Robert Reischauer. Urban Institute. 10/11.
The other five essays are:
• “Children Caught in the Budget Crossfire”
• “Translating Good Ideas into Budget Realities for Children”
• “The Children’s Budget — The Federal/State Bargain”
• “What Spending on Child Health Looks Like”
It’s time to rethink our federal budgeting for the next generation.
“Just as our fiscal policies need to be reformed right now, so does our commitment to our kids,” Reischauer wrote.