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Research Brief

Decades of Evidence Demonstrate That Early Childhood Programs Can Benefit Children and Provide Economic Returns

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.

Nov 16, 2017
Report

Early Childhood Programs Can Improve Outcomes and Outweigh Costs

A review of 115 early childhood interventions — including preschool, home visiting, parent education, and other approaches — finds that most programs have favorable effects on at least one child outcome. And most of the programs with benefit–cost analyses show positive returns.

Nov 16, 2017
Research Brief

Research Brief

The Economic Returns from Investing in Early Childhood Programs in the Granite State

We assessed investments in early childhood programs in New Hampshire, summarizing benefits and economic returns of three early intervention strategies and estimating costs and benefits of statewide investments in programs for at-risk children.

Feb 15, 2017
Report

The Costs and Benefits of Investing in Early Childhood in New Hampshire

Stakeholders in the public and private sectors in New Hampshire have been focused on investments in young children. What do they need to know?

Feb 15, 2017
Report

Delaware Stars for Early Success: Final Report

Based on findings from an evaluation of Delaware's quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for early care and education programs, RAND provided recommendations for state decisionmakers, including considering further refinements to the rating structure, strengthening quality improvement supports, and enhancing administrative data systems.

Nov 7, 2016
Journal Article

Journal Article

Predictors of Poor School Readiness in Children Without Developmental Delay at Age 2

Family level socioeconomic factors may help predict poor school readiness among young children without overt or identifiable developmental delays.

Aug 29, 2016
Report

Professional Development for the Early Care and Education Workforce in Shelby County, Tennessee

This report examines how early care and education caregivers with licensed providers in Shelby County, Tennessee, gain through ongoing professional development the relevant knowledge for working with infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children.

Apr 13, 2016
Journal Article

Journal Article

Spending on Children's Personal Health Care in the United States, 1996–2013

Changes in pediatric health care spending across payor types over time, such as increased expenditures on inpatient well-newborn care and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, can help decision-makers plan for future pediatric health systems.Â

Mar 28, 2016
Commentary

Step Aside, 'Screen Time.' Make Room for 'Screen Purpose.'

Technology is simply another way to communicate, learn, and play. It shouldn't automatically be regarded as a threat. Whether technology helps or harms children largely depends on how it is used.

Nov 17, 2015
Multimedia

Lynn Karoly on the Return on Early Childhood Investment

In this 60 Second Lecture from the Center for High Impact Philanthropy, Lynn Karoly, a senior economist at the RAND Corporation, discusses the return on philanthropic investments in early childhood programs.

Sep 23, 2015
Report

Evaluating Delaware Stars for Early Success: Year Two Report

In the second year of RAND's evaluation of Delaware's quality rating and improvement system (QRIS), key findings offer insight into provider participation, the use of financial incentives, and the amount of technical assistance received by providers—all pointing to the importance of administrative data in a QRIS.

Jun 2, 2015
Commentary

MIECHV Reauthorization: Recommendations from Research

Funding for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program was extended through fiscal year 2017, without policy changes. If Congress decides to make policy changes to MIECHV in the future, research on home visiting programs can inform recommendations.

Apr 17, 2015
Q&A

Investing in Kids Can Yield High Returns: Q&A with Lynn A. Karoly

There is strong evidence of large potential economic returns to investing in high quality early childhood programs, but that doesn't mean that every program will generate equally large returns. Many programs likely have a “threshold” of quality and intensity that needs to be achieved in order to register positive returns.

Apr 8, 2015
Project

Promoting the Health and Well-Being of Children in Memphis

Through research and policy analysis, RAND is helping the Urban Child Institute (UCI) support the health and well-being of young children in Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee. The partnership focuses on translating research data into positive community action.

Jan 28, 2015
Tool

Investing in Early Social and Emotional Development Is Key

For children to flourish and succeed, they must be able to problem solve, handle stress and develop resilience, and interact appropriately with peers and adults. A study of children in Shelby County, Tennessee identifies factors in the home, child care setting, and community that contribute to social and emotional development.

Jan 15, 2015
Report

Evaluating Delaware Stars for Early Success: Year One Report

As a first step in a larger study of Delaware Stars, a voluntary quality rating and improvement system for early learning and care programs, RAND researchers reviewed prior literature, examined existing data, and interviewed key stakeholders.

Jun 9, 2014
Report

Early and School-Age Care in Santa Monica: Current System, Policy Options, and Recommendations: Executive Summary

In July 2012, the City of Santa Monica Human Services Division and the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District contracted with the RAND Corporation to conduct an assessment of child care programs in Santa Monica.

Apr 25, 2014
Report

Early and School-Age Care in Santa Monica

Researchers examine how well Santa Monica's child care programs meet the needs of families, including child care and early education programs before kindergarten, as well as care for school-aged children, both during the school year and the summer.

Apr 25, 2014
Commentary

Support for Implementing Home Visiting Under the Affordable Care Act

One groundbreaking provision of the Affordable Care Act is its funding for home visiting programs that match the parents of young children with trained specialists who provide information, social support, parental skill instruction, and more.

Jan 8, 2014
Research Brief

How to Develop Home Visiting Programs

Home visiting has achieved prominence on the national policy agenda because of the long-lasting positive outcomes. But how can stakeholders best plan, implement, and evaluate home visiting programs?

Dec 4, 2013

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