Mission

The Partnership for America's Economic Success is a national coalition of executives, economists, policy experts, civic leaders and advocates mobilizing business leaders to improve tomorrow's economy through smart policy investments in young children today.

To learn more about the Partnership and our economic case for investment in early childhood programs please click to view our brochure (with endnotes).

The Need

Today’s American students are less prepared than their parents, or their international peers, to be the productive citizens, neighbors and taxpayers.

To overcome these challenges, we must focuson fixing the problem at the beginning of a child's life, where the returns to society and the child are the greatest. At just three years of age, children of poor parents use fewer than half the words spoken by their wealthier peers. By kindergarten entry, many low-income children are so far behind that they will repeat grades, struggle through school and never graduate. This has dire consequences for state and federal budgets, public safety and the nation’s economic competitiveness; children who lack a strong start disproportionately grow to be adults who are unhealthy, are unemployed or earn lower wages, pay fewer taxes and rely more on public services.

Investing in smart early childhood policies reaps returns today, tomorrow and for generations to come.

The Plan

In order to make the successful development of children the top economic priority of the nation, the Partnership has outlined a multi-year plan to research a wide variety of early childhood issues, communicate the findings, and mobilize business leaders and activists to make the case for early childhood investments.

Phase 1: Research

Over a three year period (2006-2008), the Partnership’s team of economic thinkers and early childhood program researchers examined a range of investments in young children, from before birth to age five. We found solid evidence of economic impacts across a wide variety of interventions and conditions – housing, nutrition, health care, parenting, family income and early learning.

Read more about our research.

Phase 2: Mobilization

On July 1, 2009 the Partnership began to mobilize the business community to improve tomorrow’s economy through smart policy investments in young children today. By supporting business netowrks that advocate for early learning policies with conferences, trainings and business leader summits, we are helping to develop a national network of business leaders fighting for our country's economic success.