Article Link: http://www.exchangepress.com/article/you-gotta-fight-for-your-right-.-.-./5021284/
In the early childhood world ‘rights’ don’t often get mentioned. As program directors and also as advocates, we tend to talk about technical issues like funding, eligibility, program standards and other requirements, usually in the context of allocating scarce resources. In keeping with this issue’s focus on ‘rights,’ this Policy Matters column looks at the right to early childhood education and how our policies diverge from that goal.Is ECE a Right?
If you say yes, good for you! But, in America today, the answer is, in just about every case, no. Access to early childhood education programs is limited by design and by funding almost everywhere.
At the federal level, you often hear about ‘entitlements’ �" programs like Social Security and Medicaid, the benefits of which an indefinite number of individuals have a legal right to once they’ve met established eligibility criteria. Just a couple of years ago, a town hall attendee told his congressman to “keep your government hands off my Medicare,” revealing both his confusion (Medicare is a government program) and his sense of entitlement.
Imagine a “Keep your hands off my child care assistance” banner. How about the demand, “Head Start is every child’s right!”? But most kids don’t even have ...