Early childhood Interventions: Proven Results, Future Promise

Well-designed programs for disadvantaged children age 4 and younger can produce economic benefits ranging from $1.26 to $17 for each $1 spent on the programs. The report by RAND Labor and Population says effective early childhood programs return more to society in benefits that exceed the initial costs, by enabling youngsters to lead more successful lives and be less dependent on future government assistance.

The study focused on three types of early childhood programs that are typically called intervention programs and target children who need help because of several factors such as living in poverty or in a single-parent household. Examples of intervention programs are:

• Parent education and child development services starting as early as the prenatal period such as home visits by trained nurses who work with families
  
   
• Center-based programs starting anywhere from soon after a child's birth to one or two years before kindergarten entry such as Early Head Start and Head Start
  
   
• A combination of the home visits or parent education with center-based programs