The Fifth Freedom: Guaranteeing an Opportunity-Rich Childhood for All

The book argues that the current system is expensive and ineffective, and proposes a smarter social safety net that will catch kids heading in the wrong direction before they are harmed, and society will pay for those upstream investments and reap the benefits of healthier and more productive generations to come.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 196 pages
Publication date: 24 November 2022
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

The current system in the United States is failing millions of Americans, leading to expensive consequences for everyone else. There is a need for a better, fairer, and more cost-effective way of helping people achieve success. This book argues for better, more targeted spending that could guarantee an opportunity-rich childhood for all. The "guardrails" of the title are the aspects of a well-functioning neighborhood that help children become thriving adults, such as good schools, well-funded libraries, safe streets and public spaces, quality health care, churches and other spiritual homes, and transportation and other public services. Airbags are timely interventions at the individual level that help avert lasting damage from bad events. The United States can afford both better guardrails and airbags for kids to help them become healthy and productive adults who will be effective parents for the next generation. This book advocates a smarter social safety net that will catch kids heading in the wrong direction before they are harmed, and society will pay for those upstream investments and reap the benefits of healthier and more productive generations to come.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780815739630