A recent study by University of Southern California professor Ann Owens shows that families with children are driving economic segregation in the U.S. This is happening in large part because they flock to neighborhoods with the best schools, leaving less wealthy parents in sub-standard school districts. 

Owens says that “the increase in residential income segregation occurred entirely among families with children, for whom income segregation rose by about 20 percent.”

What’s the solution? According to Owens, possible solutions include more low-income housing and breaking the residential and school district link.

But what if we could start to break the inequality even earlier in the process? The fact is that all children deserve a fair start in life. The only way to give them that start is by shifting resources early on and focusing on equalizing the conditions in which they are born. Let’s start at the source.