We identified four primary approaches to early childhood education based on our conceptual framework for how early interventions contribute to child outcomes - that is, through child development inputs, parenting capacity, or both. Most of the Early Childhood Programs Studied Used One of Four Approaches Most Programs Take a Single Approach, but Some Use Combinations What are the costs and benefits of effective programs and returns to government or society?Īnswers to these questions, based on the larger body of evaluations now available, provide richer information about the research base for investing early and provide greater confidence in findings related to early childhood program effectiveness and economic returns.įigure 1.What outcomes did these programs improve in the short or long term?.What program approaches to providing services for families and children from the prenatal period to school entry have been rigorously evaluated?.Drawing on this evidence base, the study addressed the following questions: This latest study is the most comprehensive and up-to-date, examining far more programs with scientifically sound evaluation evidence than previous reports: 115 programs in total, 25 of which also had accompanying formal economic evaluations (i.e., a cost analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, or benefit–cost analysis ). This research builds on earlier RAND studies spanning nearly two decades, including Early Childhood Interventions: Proven Results, Future Promise. The Latest Study Expands and Updates the Series This brief discusses those findings and other highlights from Investing Early: Taking Stock of Outcomes and Economic Returns from Early Childhood Programs. The findings should increase the confidence on the part of policymakers, funders, program implementers, and other stakeholders that effective early childhood programs can be a worthwhile investment, benefiting participating children and their families, as well as society as a whole. The updated research also bolsters earlier findings that effective programs can largely pay for themselves, especially in the long term. Their latest synthesis confirms earlier findings that programs, such as home visiting, parent education, and early care and education (ECE) - alone or in combination - can have a positive influence on children's development in multiple domains. Motivated by the growing knowledge of the importance of the first five years of life for promoting lifelong health and well-being, especially for children at greatest risk of poor outcomes, RAND researchers have conducted a series of reviews to assess and summarize the evidence for early childhood programs. Among programs with an economic evaluation, the typical return is $2 to $4 for every dollar invested.Of the 115 programs reviewed, 102 had a positive effect on at least one child outcome.An updated comprehensive review of rigorous evaluations of early childhood programs confirms and strengthens RAND researchers' findings from previous syntheses showing that many early childhood programs can improve a range of outcomes for children.
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