Whether the objective is reducing crime, increasing high school graduation rates, or providing children with an equal shot at the American Dream, research shows that effective early childhood programs can make a real difference by starting children off on the right foot.
This collection of research briefs, entitled Impacts of Early Childhood Programs, summarizes existing evidence on early childhood interventions and their impact on children and families. The five briefs find that most early childhood programs have had positive impacts on children’s emotional and behavioral outcomes, including long-term reductions in criminal behavior, improvements in children’s health and safety, and positive impacts on children’s parents.