Generous family leave time. Reduced tuition for child care programs. Fewer requirements to receive government support. These are some of the policies other countries have taken to ease the burden on parents or providers during the coronavirus pandemic, some of which come from nations that have long been supportive of children and their families, according to a new brief from the  National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE).

The brief highlights how several countries have taken especially bold steps to support child care and families, with some policies offering a stark comparison to America, where the nation’s already fragile child care system has struggled during the pandemic. Some experts estimate up to half of all child care centers in America could close their doors by the end of the pandemic due to decreases in enrollment and increased costs. Centers that have remained open are struggling to survive with smaller class sizes while often paying for extensive changes to their programs to keep kids and staff healthy.

While the United States provided some American workers with parental leave in the spring under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, experts say that policy left out many families that are especially in need of that benefit. And although the federal CARES Act provided $3.5 billion in emergency funds for child care and centers could apply for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, center directors have had trouble getting those funds and many advocates say more funding is desperately needed to keep centers afloat until the pandemic is over.

Here’s a look at what other countries have done to boost families and early ed systems this year. Several of these are featured in the NCEE brief.

Read the full article about early education around the world by Jackie Mader at The Hechinger Report.