Caring for Infants and Toddlers

In 1994, Carnegie Corporation of New Yo r k released a re p o rt called S t a rting Points: Meeting the Needs of Our Youngest Childre n ,2 which pre s e n t e d re s e a rch evidence on a “quiet crisis” confro n t i n g c h i l d ren under age three in the United States. The re p o rt concluded that “an epidemic of inadvertent neglect” characterized the nation’s response to childre n ’s fundamental needs, and it launched a challenge to America’s pivotal sectors to take action to advance four key goals: p reparation for responsible parenthood, improved preventive health care, quality child care, and stronger community planning and supports for young families. The re p o rt received front-page coverage in many newspapers, and its findings contributed to the legislation that established the Early Head Start (EHS) pro g r a m . (See the article by Fenichel and Mann in this journ a l issue.) Soon after, the 1994 congressional elections shifted additional responsibility and authority for social policy toward the states, and welfare re f o rm legislation was enacted. Cognizant of these policy trends, Carn e g i e Corporation developed the Starting Points Initiative, which used both national and site-specific strategies to: