Children who are born into poverty often struggle to escape it. Researchers have studied this generational snare for years, concluding that underfunded schools and overworked or absent guardians exacerbate the cycle.
But a recent study from the University of Chicago finds that quality daycare can make a big difference: Low-income mothers with access to good programmes raise children who grow up to earn more money.
In other words, quality childcare, which includes educational activities and healthy meals, appears to better prepare children for school and the labour force. "Supplying the support for low-income families will lead to a larger social return," said co-author and economist Jorge Luis Garcia.
The cost of childcare in the United States can rival the mortgage payment, ranging from about US$5000 on average annually in Alabama to a whopping US$22,000 in the District of Columbia.
It can also be hard to find. An analysis of eight states last year from the Centre for American Progress, a left-leaning think-tank, found more than half of young children in rural zip codes inhabit a "child-care desert," or communities where small children outnumber day-care spots by at least 3 to 1.