Enhancing quality early care and education can offer a win-win solution for re-mobilizing the workforce, developing an up-and-coming talent pool and increasing economic activity now and in the decades ahead. In this webinar and accompanying summary, research by expert economists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is paired with the return on investment findings from Professor…
Type: Summaries
Perry Preschool: Intergenerational Effects Research Summary View Summary
Early childhood education strengthens families and can break the cycle of poverty. Professor Heckman’s newest research looks at the life outcomes of Perry Preschool participants at midlife, as well as the outcomes of their own children. After putting the data through a series of rigorous tests, Heckman and his co-author find that the original participants…
Nurse-Family Partnership: Parental Education and Early Health Result in Better Child Outcomes View Summary
Read the latest summary of Professor Heckman’s research on the Memphis Nurse-Family Partnership Program. This research puts a widely-known voluntary home visiting program through its most rigorous analysis to date and finds important short- and long-term impacts for mothers and their children. Learn more at The University of Chicago’s Center for The Economics of Human Development.…
Gender Differences in the Benefits of an Influential Early Childhood Program Summary View Summary
Complementing their recent cost-benefit analysis of the ABC/CARE Program, Professor Heckman and his team look at the differences in outcomes based on gender in their paper, Gender Differences in the Benefits of an Influential Early Childhood Program. As with most early childhood studies, they find that quality early childhood education benefits low-income children, but they…
FAQ for The Lifecycle Benefits of an Influential Early Childhood Program View Summary
Frequently asked questions regarding the research from Lifecycle Benefits of an Influential Early Childhood Program, ranging from explanation to how the 13% ROI was determined to clarifications around experiment criticisms. For reference, the research paper can be found here, and a summary of the research can be read here. 1. Why is the ROI higher?…
Research Summary: The Lifecycle Benefits of an Influential Early Childhood Program View Summary
This two-page summary discusses the key takeaways of Professor Heckman’s latest research, “The Lifecycle Benefits of an Influential Early Childhood Program.” The research shows that high-quality birth-to-five programs for disadvantaged children can deliver a 13% per year return on investment—a rate substantially higher than the 7-10% return previously established for preschool programs serving 3- to…
Early Childhood Education: Quality and Access Pay Off View Summary
This two-page summary document is for those who need to prove that government investment in early childhood education for disadvantaged children pays off for individuals and society. Early Childhood Education is a comprehensive investment of government-subsidized early childhood development programs—including Head Start. Heckman and co-authors Sneha Elango, Jorge Luis García and Andrés Hojman find that…
A Scaffolding of Support: 8 Guiding Principles View Summary
Here are outline eight guiding principles for effective investments in early childhood development that promote positive social and economic outcomes by building a “scaffolding of support” around disadvantaged young children and their families. When Professor Heckman presents his research on the economics of early childhood to policymakers and advocates, one question is often asked: “If…
4 Big Benefits of Investing in Early Childhood Development View Summary
Preventing the achievement gap, improving health outcomes, boosting earnings and providing a high rate of economic return—this one-page document summarizes the benefits of investing in quality early childhood education for disadvantaged children. This document is often shared with policymakers, advocates and the media to make the case for early childhood education. Improving the economy, strengthening…
Research Summary: The Jamaican Study (2021 Update) View Summary
New research published in the National Bureau of Economic Research in 2021, following up on previous studies, demonstrates the continued beneficial impacts of home visiting programs, parent-child interactions and cognitive and social stimulation for infants and toddlers in closing the achievement gap and producing longterm economic gains. Originally published in the journal Science on May…