The key to improving social mobility may be greater investment in community programs for youth, according to a report released by the Brookings Institution. Investing in the Next Generation: A Bottom-Up Approach to Creating Better Outcomes for Children and Youth finds that the poorest 30 percent of American children only have a 30 percent chance of achieving middle class status. The authors estimate that services for low-income youth such as affordable pre-K, social emotional learning programs, and school readiness initiatives may reduce the achievement gap between poor students and their wealthier peers by 70 percent. With the Trump administration’s proposed $10 billion cut to after-school and financial aid programs, efforts to improve economic mobility may have to come from city, county and community initiatives, the report notes.
