NCJ Number
182230
Date Published
1998
Length
177 pages
Annotation
There has been a renewed interest in the influence of early childhood, especially the first 3 years of life, on child health and development, educational attainment, and economic well-being.
Abstract
Public attention has been stimulated by television shows and stories in national news magazines, and governors and legislators have been initiating programs to direct budgetary surpluses to services for young children. Much of this activity has been given impetus by research findings that the majority of physical brain development occurs by 3 years of age. These findings have been interpreted to suggest that early childhood furnishes a window of opportunity for enriching input and a window of vulnerability to such social stressors as poverty and dysfunctional home environments. The response has been an attempt to promote healthy child development, particularly among disadvantaged children, with home visits by nurses, parent training, and preschool and other programs. Available evidence on early childhood interventions is summarized in terms of whether interventions targeting disadvantaged children benefit participating children and their families and whether government funds invested early in the lives of some children serve to decrease government expenditures. The findings indicate that, in some situations, carefully targeted early childhood interventions can yield measurable benefits in the short run and that some of these benefits persist long after the intervention has ended. Specific programs are described, program costs and benefits are compared, and issues relevant to government funding decisions are addressed. Appendixes detail procedures for calculating costs and benefits of two interventions. References, notes, tables, and figures