Education reform has become a major priority in this country. Almost every candidate that ran for public office in last fall's election offered proposals to strengthen academic performance and demand greater accountability from public schools. However, too many policy makers - and parents as well - still fail to realize that much of the foundation for success in school must be laid well before a child walks into a classroom for the first time.

An explosion of research in neurobiology and the behavioral and social sciences over the past several decades has led to major advances in our understanding of the many factors that influence early learning. One of the most important is the fundamental need of infants and toddlers to form close relationships with loving and consistently available adults. Indeed, research indicates that children who have a strong attachment to at least one parent or reliable caregiver are more effective problem solvers, exhibit greater emotional awareness and behavioral control, and have an easier time developing supportive relationships with others as they grow up. In contrast, children who don't have a strong bond with a nurturing adult often suffer long-lasting developmental problems.

Given what is at stake, it seems obvious that we should all do what is necessary to help parents spend more time with their young children. Yet record numbers of mothers with infants and toddlers are working longer hours - frequently outside the typical 9-to-5 time frame and often out of economic necessity. Nevertheless, despite the nation's economic prosperity, preschoolers today are more likely to be living in poverty than they were 25 years ago. And in the face of increasing demand, shortages persist and the prevalence of inferior quality remains unacceptably high in early care and education.

It's time for both the government and the private sector to adopt policies that give parents greater financial security and more time to build close relationships with their young children - and provide access to affordable, good quality child care and education when they must go to work. Federal policy makers should expand eligibility for the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to all working parents - including the 40 percent of private sector employees who presently are not covered. Since FMLA benefits provide no wage replacement, policy makers at all levels also should explore ways to provide paid leave for low-income parents who cannot sustain a temporary loss of earnings. And to further support the development of strong, early bonds between parents and children, the amount of time that welfare recipients with infants are excused from meeting work requirements should be extended at least beyond the child's first birthday.

Comparable resources should be allocated to promote young children's emotional well-being as are currently being devoted to their intellectual development. In fact, social and emotional health are just as important as academic readiness skills to a child's future success in school. Scientific evidence shows that even very young children are capable of experiencing deep anguish and grief in response to trauma, loss, or personal rejection. Yet major efforts often are needed to distinguish youngsters with serious emotional disorders from those who are simply immature or experiencing short-term difficulties. Few early childhood care and education programs have the capacity to deal with such challenges, and many resort to quick fixes, such as the extensive use of Ritalin and other drugs, to treat disruptive behavior.

Finally, serious problems such as substance abuse, maternal depression, and family violence threaten the emotional well-being of far too many of our nation's young children. Yet mental health policies and services for such youngsters and their parents are grossly inadequate. How is it possible that we have learned so much about the damaging impact of abuse or neglect on the emotional health of young children, and yet we still tolerate the absence of early childhood developmental expertise in our child protective services systems? Incentives should be offered to professionals with mental health training to work in these settings.

The rhetoric of education reform talks about per-pupil expenditures and the testing of students and teachers. Research tells us that loving and reliable early relationships are the active ingredients for healthy development. Policy makers ask why some youngsters have trouble learning to read. Scientists ask why so many adults have trouble understanding that the emotional and social well-being of children are essential to their readiness for school.