An Early Childhood History Lesson: Learning from Past to Build a Better Road Ahead

The typed transcription of this session can be found HERE

Full Description: The United States has a long, evolving history of investments in early childhood initiatives, dating back to the mid-1800s , including federal-level investment in key early childhood grant programs that continue to provide essential services for children and their families today. These programs include the Title V MCH Block Grant, the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) program, the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV), and the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) Block Grant. While each of these investments have made notable progress in their emphasis on centering health and racial equity, the historical roots of these investments have contributed to the persistent inequities across early childhood outcomes today. This session will summarize key points throughout U.S. public health history related to early childhood, highlight progress in centering equity through the current-day federal investments, and explore a vision for further progress in the pursuit of equity via federal investments over the next decade.
This session will be led by federal project officers and staff from technical assistance centers for the Title V, MIECHV, ECCS, and CCDF programs and will begin with a brief overview of the four programs. Speakers will then highlight key moments in the history of early childhood investments, including the establishment of the first Indian boarding schools in 18601, the establishment of the Children’s Bureau in 1912, and the passing of the Sheppard-Towner Act in 1921. Presenters will share these historic events with a focus on how racial inequities were structurally embedded within them, including the intentional efforts to erase Indigenous cultural practices, the influence of eugenics on the activities of the Children’s Bureau and how the Sheppard-Towner Act created an active and sustained effort to eliminate midwifery practices in favor of hospital births to the detriment of Black mothers, Black birthing people, and their children . The session will proceed with a discussion on the evolution of how modern-day investments are understanding, addressing, and undoing the legacy of racism present in the U.S.’s history of child health programming. To conclude the workshop, presenters will lead an interactive discussion with the audience to envision continued and meaningful progress in the ways they administer federally-funded early childhood programs to undo racial and health inequities and the need for collaboration and common vision around these efforts.
This session relates to the conference theme as it provides an opportunity for attendees to learn about the historic roots of the programs they are charged with implementing today. The session will also create space for attendees to reflect on how to move forward with program implementation with an understanding of the historical legacies that have created inequities in early childhood outcomes that persist today.

Abbreviated Description: The U.S. government has a long history of early childhood initiatives, including investment in programs that still exist today. These programs include the Title V MCH Block Grant, the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems program, the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, and the Child Care Development Fund Block Grant. While each of these investments have made progress in their emphasis on centering health & racial equity, the historical roots of these investments have contributed to inequities across early childhood outcomes today. This session will summarize key points throughout U.S. public health history related to early childhood, highlight progress in centering equity through modern investments, and explore a vision for further progress over the next decade.