Children First

What Society Must Do--and is Not Doing--for Children Today

Look inside
Leach offers an urgent and powerful argument for the creation of economic and social supports for children in our society, and presents specific steps by which we as individuals and as a society can fashion a new economic priority for our children. Children First is above all a call to action. It boldly spells out:

what specific policies our society must adopt in order to discriminate in favor of children and the adults who care for them
how measures like paid parental leave and universal preschool education will actually end up saving money
why "family friendly" workplaces and communities turn out to be good for employers and ordinary taxpayers

The resulting volume is likely to revolutionize the status of children and parents both--reminding us that the former are our heirs and that the latter do their job best when it is a practical, pleasurable choice.

"A sweeping and impassioned critique...We should be paying attention: She may be speaking the words our children cannot say."--Philadelphia Inquirer
© Alex Gregory
PENELOPE LEACH is a research psychologist and one of the world’s leading experts in child development and upbringing. She has two children and six grandchildren and is a lifelong advocate for parents and children. Her books include Your Baby & Child; Babyhood; Children First; Childcare Today, When Parents Part and Transforming Infant Wellbeing. She is a fellow of the British Psychological Society, a founding member and trustee of AiMH UK—the UK branch of the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH)—and has held honorary positions in professional organizations and charities working for families on both sides of the Atlantic. View titles by Penelope Leach

About

Leach offers an urgent and powerful argument for the creation of economic and social supports for children in our society, and presents specific steps by which we as individuals and as a society can fashion a new economic priority for our children. Children First is above all a call to action. It boldly spells out:

what specific policies our society must adopt in order to discriminate in favor of children and the adults who care for them
how measures like paid parental leave and universal preschool education will actually end up saving money
why "family friendly" workplaces and communities turn out to be good for employers and ordinary taxpayers

The resulting volume is likely to revolutionize the status of children and parents both--reminding us that the former are our heirs and that the latter do their job best when it is a practical, pleasurable choice.

"A sweeping and impassioned critique...We should be paying attention: She may be speaking the words our children cannot say."--Philadelphia Inquirer

Author

© Alex Gregory
PENELOPE LEACH is a research psychologist and one of the world’s leading experts in child development and upbringing. She has two children and six grandchildren and is a lifelong advocate for parents and children. Her books include Your Baby & Child; Babyhood; Children First; Childcare Today, When Parents Part and Transforming Infant Wellbeing. She is a fellow of the British Psychological Society, a founding member and trustee of AiMH UK—the UK branch of the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH)—and has held honorary positions in professional organizations and charities working for families on both sides of the Atlantic. View titles by Penelope Leach

Three Penguin Random House Authors Win Pulitzer Prizes

On Monday, May 5, three Penguin Random House authors were honored with a Pulitzer Prize. Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes are the most prestigious awards in American letters. To date, PRH has 143 Pulitzer Prize winners, including William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Josh Steinbeck, Ron Chernow, Anne Applebaum, Colson Whitehead, and many more. Take a look at our 2025 Pulitzer Prize

Read more

Books for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

In June we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. Pride Month is a time to both celebrate the accomplishments of those in the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the ongoing struggles faced by many across the world who wish to live

Read more