No one makes a conscious decision to be a bad parent. Often people simply don't have the necessary resources or skills, encounter other obstacles, or make poor decisions along the way that result in an inability to parent effectively, more often than not perpetuating their disadvantage for another generation. Disadvantage allows poor social determinants to take hold. To break the cycle that is the root cause of current healthcare costs, we must find ways to fund programs that vaccinate disadvantaged children against poor social determinants. While we cannot mandate a certain degree of financial stability, competence, and commitment to ensure engaging in the art/science of child-rearing before issuing a license to conceive, we can build on the thinking behind models like Perry Preschool and Abecedarian Projects , as well as the concepts of Healthy Start and Regional Intervention Program (RIP) and their successes in trying to break the cycle of disadvantage and its role in the health of our nation. Public health should focus on a continuum of services starting during antenatal care with a needs assessment. Based on the assessment score for socioeconomic status, potential for intergenerational determinants, and other factors, at-risk families would be automatically enrolled in these types of programs. Healthy Start would be mandatory for all at-risk families, with progression through other services as ongoing screening dictates, using health IT alongside public health, welfare and education data to stratify families into specific risk categories social determinants for prevention and intervention services. . When little Johnny is taken to the doctor for his third ear infection in two months, the...... middle of paper......1/preschool-programs-how-effective-are-proposals- Government-fundedEducare: Create comprehensive early care and education centers. (2014) CLASP policy solutions that work for low-income people. Retrieved 02/22/2014 from http://www.clasp.org/babiesinchildcare/state/educare-creating-comprehensive-early-care-and-education-centersHeckman, J. J. (2012). Promotion of social mobility. (cover story). Boston Review, 14-34.Maher, E., Zulliger, K., Marcynszy, L., Wilson, D., Carroll, C. L., & Calpin, C. (2013). Supporting early childhood intervention in child welfare. (2013). Casey Family Programs. Retrieved 02/21/14 from http://www.casey.org/Resources/Publications/pdf/EarlyChildhoodIntervention.pdf Pay Now, Get Out of Poverty Later. (2007). Prevention action. Retrieved 02/21/2014 from http://www.preventionaction.org/what-works/pay-now-break-out-poverty-later