Taub Center publishes international comparison of early childhood in Israel

The Taub Center has published the first in a series of studies on early childhood development and inequality in Israel, as part of an initiative supported by the Bernard van Leer Foundation along with Beracha Foundation and Yad Hanadiv. Early Childhood Education Frameworks in Israel in International Comparison: Participation Rates, Maternal Employment, Quality Indices, and Future Achievements is available in an English summary or in full in Hebrew.

The study explores how and why Israel differs from other OECD countries: for example, its fertility rate – at 3.1 children per woman – is almost double the OECD average; children aged under 1 are three times as likely to be in daycare in Israel compared to the OECD average, for reasons including higher employment rates among mothers; yet public investment on early childcare is among the lowest in the OECD. The study has attracted media interest, with an article in the Jerusalem Post.

The Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel is an independent, non-partisan socioeconomic research institute. The Foundation-funded initiative explores policy options to improve environmental conditions for Israeli children in ways that positively impact child development and reduce gaps between children from different socioeconomic backgrounds.