More Children Are Missing Kindergarten. Without Policymakers’ Support, Their Futures Could Be in Jeopardy.

Parents of kindergarten-age children have had to weigh the health risks of in-person schooling (if it’s an option in their district) or assist with online learning amid other responsibilities. And as a result, more parents are choosing a third option: hold their 5-year-olds back. New data show 17 percent of parents are waiting to enroll their children in kindergarten during the pandemic, nearly triple the amount who waited to enroll in 2010 (the most recent year of data available). These increases have occurred across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines, whereas historically, white and high-income families have been more likely to wait to enroll their children in kindergarten. #education #covid-19