Although removing or excluding children from early learning settings, such as child care programs and preschools, is more common than many people realize, it’s difficult to cite specific data on how often this occurs, said panelist Kate Zinsser, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Illinois Chicago.
That’s because there’s no coordinated data system for early education. Also, removals in the early education setting are often informal, with a child’s family encouraged to voluntarily withdraw from the program or a child sent home repeatedly in the middle of the day, making it difficult for working parents to find new on-the-spot child care arrangements, Zinsser said.
