If you follow politics and education (the two are so often intertwined) you may know President Joe Biden’s budget request calls for a guarantee of high-quality child care, at a cost of no more than $10 a day for the vast majority of families – a dream come true for many parents.

Reality check: Robust federal child care funding legislation has repeatedly been killed by legislators, as this fascinating piece inside a free, foundation-funded early childhood from The Hechinger Report’s Jackie Mader notes. It’s a story that gives us a glimpse of what free or heavily subsidized high-quality child care could mean in America, and we’d love to know what you think. Sign up for our newsletter devoted to early childhood news for more.

We also take you inside another enormous challenge: the fight for San Francisco’s public schools in the face of declining enrollment.
 

Free child care exists in America — if you cross paths with the right philanthropist 

PROOF POINTS: Learning science might help kids read better

English learners stopped coming to class during the pandemic. One group is tackling the problem by helping their parents 

OPINION: It’s OK to play: How ‘play theory’ can revitalize U.S. education

Sick parents? Caring for siblings? Colleges experiment with asking applicants how home life affects them

Are more 5-year-olds coming to kindergarten in diapers?

The Hechinger Report thanks its sponsors. Become one.