The Foundations for School Readiness: Fostering Developmental Competence in the Earliest Years early childhood programs recognize the importance of preparing children for success in school and later in life. Head Start has long been a leader in this effort and in defining the goal of social competence. Considering recent media attention on the importance of the early years of life, policymakers, researchers, parents, and child advocates have an increased interest in what it takes to fully prepare children to succeed in school. In addition, the rising number of working parents has increased the demand for high-quality child care for very young children. See The Foundations for School Readiness: Fostering Developmental Competence in the Earliest Years [PDF, 14MB]