Common Causes

The Carnegie Corporation of New York has awarded several states and cities grants to help ease the "quiet crisis" facing the nation's youngest children.

The foundation sounded the alarm about the poor health and welfare of children from birth to age 3 in the 1994 report "Starting Points: Meeting the Needs of Our Youngest Children." The report made the case that the first three years of life are the most crucial to healthy development, yet are also those most overlooked by policymakers.

The foundation last month awarded $3.15 million in grants to help nine states and five cities implement reforms recommended in the report, including parenting programs, improved prenatal and pediatric health care, high-quality child care, and community...