Growing Up in America: Are We Giving Our Children a Fair Chance?

THE FXBG ADVANCE FRIDAY 8/7/26 AFTERNOON READ

By Phil Huber, ADVANCE COLUMNIST

Jerry Wang/Unsplash

It would cost nearly $1.7 billion to expand access to subsidized childcare in Virginia and pay early childhood educators more, according to a new study. The new research comes as the commonwealth recently took steps to fund—and clear—the waitlist for one popular program. But experts and advocates say that the waitlist is only one indicator of demand for subsidized childcare. State officials recently presented data showing that the average cost of childcare for birth to kindergarten in Virginia costs more than a four-year degree at many of the state’s public colleges and universities.

—Megan Pauly, VPW

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What is it like to grow up in America today? It is like trying to build a life while the ground keeps shifting beneath your feet. Young Americans are expected to make adult decisions earlier than ever, yet too many of the systems that should help them are falling short. We speak endlessly about opportunity while too often making opportunity harder to reach.

If we truly want to understand what young Americans need, we should begin at the beginning.

Life starts before birth, and so should our concern. Americans disagree deeply about abortion, and that debate is unlikely to end anytime soon. But regardless of where we stand, one question belongs in every legislative chamber and every campaign: if we believe life is precious, shouldn’t we care just as deeply about what happens after birth?

Healthy pregnancies, quality prenatal care, safe deliveries, maternal health, and stable families are not side issues. They are the foundation upon which every child’s future is built.

That is why programs such as Early Head Start and Head Start matter. They support pregnant women, infants, toddlers, and young children while helping families with health care, nutrition, and early learning. They remind us of a simple truth: if we want stronger adults tomorrow, we must invest in healthier beginnings today. Programs that strengthen children during their earliest years are not acts of charity. They are investments in the nation’s future.

As children grow, their opportunities often become increasingly unequal. Some grow up in stable homes with good schools, safe neighborhoods, and adults who have time to guide them. Others face financial stress, struggling schools, neighborhood violence, or constant uncertainty. Research consistently shows that children thrive when families, schools, communities, and public institutions work together to support them. The circumstances surrounding childhood matter because they shape the adults those children eventually become.

The teenage years bring a challenge previous generations never experienced: growing up inside a digital world.

Smartphones and social media connect young people with friends, information, and opportunities. They also amplify anxiety, shorten attention spans, reward outrage, and make every mistake feel permanent. This is not a failure of today’s teenagers. It is the predictable result of billion-dollar companies designing products to capture as much attention as possible.

That is why reasonable limits in schools deserve serious consideration. Research shows that restricting cell phones during the school day reduces distraction and encourages students to focus on learning and interacting with one another. Schools are not declaring war on technology. They are protecting something equally important: the ability to pay attention, think deeply, and simply be present.

At eighteen, the law declares a young American an adult. They can vote, sign contracts, serve in the military, and make decisions carrying lifelong consequences. Civic responsibility begins whether they feel fully prepared or not.

That responsibility extends far beyond presidential elections. School boards influence classrooms. City councils shape neighborhoods. State legislatures determine education funding, health care, transportation, and workforce development. Congress and the President establish national priorities that touch every community. Every level of government influences a young person’s future.

The lesson is straightforward: vote in every election because every election shapes someone’s future.

For many young adults, the years between eighteen and twenty-five become less about school and more about financial survival. Housing costs have climbed, wages often struggle to keep pace, and higher education can seem financially out of reach. Many young Americans begin adulthood wondering whether they will ever catch up.

That is why public investment remains so important.

New Mexico offers one example through its tuition-free public college program, which helps eligible residents attend community colleges, universities, and career training programs without paying tuition or fees. A student can learn a skilled trade, earn a technical certificate, or complete a degree while avoiding crushing debt.

That is not simply assistance for one individual. It is a state investing in its own future. Every welder, nurse, electrician, technician, teacher, or small-business owner strengthens the economy, pays taxes, supports a family, and contributes to the community. Investment in young people is not charity. It is nation-building.

Brain development also continues well into young adulthood, reminding us that learning, judgment, and emotional growth do not stop when someone receives a high school diploma or turns eighteen. Growing up is a process, not a birthday.

Too often politicians describe children as “our future.” The phrase sounds inspiring but means little unless it is followed by action.

A nation that truly values children supports healthy births, early childhood education, strong public schools, sensible digital boundaries, affordable training and higher education, safe communities, and meaningful opportunities to build productive lives. It also expects elected officials to invest in these priorities regardless of party.

Citizens have responsibilities as well. We should challenge our own political party when it falls short. If it refuses to change, we have every right to support candidates who better reflect our values. Loyalty belongs first to our children and our country, not to political labels.

We cannot promise every child an easy life. We can promise something better: a fair opportunity to succeed.

That opportunity begins before birth and continues through childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Every stage matters because every stage shapes the next. The future of the republic is not waiting somewhere down the road. It is already taking shape in the lives of today’s children.

The question is not whether we can afford to invest in them.

The real question is whether we can afford not to.

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Phil Huber is a retired Army Reserve colonel, federal civil servant and consultant who writes on civic education. He lives in Fredericksburg.